Last modified: 2022-12-31 by valentin poposki
Keywords: separatist | ichkeria | crescent: points to top hoist (white) | wolf | star: 5 points (white) | error | ikhda al-khusnayin | sultan (ûŝev) | asena | turan |
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image by António Martins, 18 Apr 2000
After two days Moscow government recognizes the old
Chechnya puppet government. The
flag of the old government is adopted for Chechnya within the
Russia federation?
Jaume Ollé, 02 Oct 1999
No official flag change. And as far as I can see in the
TV reports everybody uses the white-red-white flag. The
yellow/blue embblem with wolf and stars also occurs, but
usually not in flags. I didn’t saw any red-white-red flag
nor any chechen flag (neither arrangement) with crescent
and star.
António Martins, 03 Oct 1999
I’ve seen the traditional Chechen flag (VWRWV) as a table
flag during the post-invasion election (earlier this year, TV
spot).
Jan Zrzavy, 04 Dec 2000
Chechnya
declared autonomous on 27 November
1990, had adopted the National flag on
23 November 1990 with stripes of
red-white-red. Proclamation of
Republic was on 27 October 1991, and
on 1 November 1991 the new national
flag with corrected stripes (white-red-white)
was adopted; flag and arms were
officially introduced on 9 November 1991.
The stripes are equal in
width. The flag is
not dark green, but green, several
shades are (were) in use. The
badge is only on
the avers. A version without badge is
also used (civic flag?).
The stars get
smaller from the center outwards, the
top point of each star points to the
center of the badge, the stars are silver.
The proportions were never
1:2 but different from that. If 3:5,
5:8 or 7:11 cannot be said certainly,
but it is around that.
As far as we know the
proportions have not been fixed, and
so we published a picture in Flaggenforum
(No.5, January 1992)
[flf]
based on large
pictures we have on video recordings.
The resulting proportions were ca.
48:80. In that publication we
misinterpreted the moon (assuming it
was a sun, but in fact it is a moon).
Our information about the first flag came
directly from Alexander Bassov in
Kiev, a vexillologist generally quite reliable.
Ralf Stelter, Jun 1999
Though on Nov 23 1990 Chechen adopted their national flag with red,
white, red stripes, I don’t think this is the same flag as the flag of
Government of national renovation of Chechnya with red, white, red in
1994.
Nozomi Kariyasu, 24 Jan 2000
The exact proportions of the Chechen flag, according Sayyed Hasan Musa Khadjiev (Symbols of the Chechen State) [qdjXX] is 8:1:1:1:1.
The flag of the Chechen Republic is a rectangle that consists of the following horizontal strips: Upper is green takes up 2/3 of the flag. The next 1/3 equal strips of white, red, white and green, Three colors of the Chechen Flag: Green, White and Red have combined all the previous national pallet of colors which confirms peoples devotion to its historic traditions, which is a clear proof of continuity through generations.Jaume Ollé, 15 Apr 2000
By virtue of the recent conflict, the Chechen flag, which is dark
green in proportions 1:2 with three stripes of white-red-white at the base,
is relatively well known. It remains to be seen whether this will continue
to be used by any future Russian-sponsored Chechen government.
Stuart Notholt, 1995
The Flag Bulletin (Sep-Oct 1992, no. 148)
[tfb]
reported this flag as «state flag».
David Lewellen
Lux-Wurm’ book [lux01] calls this
the «national flag, November 1991-October 1992» (which was followed
by the version with the emblem).
Ivan Sache, 13 Jun 2003
About the white Khadjiev (speaking of the flag adopted 23 November 1990)
say: Second color, following in significance, is white. It means peace and
quiet which was so lacking in the North Caucasus, which became the arena for
conflict of interests of different colonial countries because of its
advantaged military strategic location. This color, as was stated earlier,
occupied a dominant position on the flags during the Caucasus war. White
color in the highlander costume reflected deep religious devotion and search
for purity in thoughts and actions.
Jaume Ollé, 26 Jan 2000
According to Lëma Usmanov (one of the Chechen Parliament members who
discussed the flag in November 1991), addition of crescent and star
was rejected, and green is not included in the flag meaning Islam because
secular way was adopted — green has other meaning.
Jaume Ollé, 19 Jan 2001
According to Lux-Wurm’ book [lux01],
the «national flag, October 1992», is similar in design to the
preceding flag, but in proportions 1:2, the height of
the green field being 60% of the total height of the flag and an emblem
being placed on the green stripe.
Ivan Sache, 13 Jun 2003
An article in NYTimes (Nov 1,96) concerning the situation in Chechnya states:
Officials in Moscow discuss the future of the region with great intensity, always saying that Chechnya must never be independent. But for the Chechens, that kind of talk means nothing any more: The traditional green Chechen flag of the lone wolf flies over every battle-scared town hall in the shattered republic.
Now, I have seen Chechen flags of green with the white-red-white stripes
near the botom; and blue-disc with white outline, containing either and
seated lamb and stars above it; the other version in the blue disc had
an horizontally displayed infinity symbol of sorts, with stars above it.
Steve Stringfellow, 01 Nov 1996
I believe that the symbol in the circle of Chechen flag is referred
to as the grey (or white?) wolf, in any case a wolf, not a lamb nor
anything else. If it is so, the description in the article might have
been correct, assuming that journalist described only the most
prominent elements of the flag (as someone told him, I guess) not a
flag that he had seen. I would also read his sentence as ’the lone wolf
flag’ being the name or nick name of the flag, or maybe describing just
the most important (at the time) element of the flag, and assuming that
other elements are well known.
Željko Heimer, 02 Nov 1996
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image by M. Schmoeger, 03 Feb 1997
The grey wolf is a symbol of [pan]Turkish nationalists. But it is
also a Chechen national symbol which characterizes the Chechen character.
The first wolf and the flag design was painted by Yushaev Sultan
[Ûŝev Sultan | Юшаев
Султан], a Chechen from Hasav-Yurt.
Later, the wolf was taken out of the Chechen flag as Islam
bans putting animals or anything which has soul in it on the national symbols
or even painting them. Nine stars symbolize nine Chechen tukhums which give
birth to the Chechen nation.
Jaume Ollé, 20 Jan 2001, quoting Emmil Kasaev
Lux-Wurm’ book [lux01] gives the symbolic of the emblem, which he calls the «national arms». The wolf and the moon refers to the mythical origin of the Turan/Turkish peoples. The nine stars recall the nine Imams whose names are quoted in the silsile, the chain of initial transmission. These names are given in Kazi-Kumuk Sheik Jamaleddyn’s Adab al-Marziyah, which was translated into Russian in Sbornik Svedenii o Kavkazkikh Gortsakh (Tbilisi, 1869):
Ivan Sache, 13 Jun 2003
Turkish version of the PanTurkist ideology
outlines its principles under 9 headings, which are called the Nine Lights.
I do not know if it is a coincidence that there are 9 lights on the Chechen
Presidential standard and the PanTurkist ideology, or whether the 9 lights
also have a significance as far as Turkish ancient folklore is concerned,
bearing in mind that Chechens are not genetically Turkic.
And let us not forget the beautiful grey she-wolf, Asena, which lies
in the middle of the Chechen Presidential standard.
Jaume Ollé, 20 Jan 2001, quoting K. Biritan
There are several variants of the state flag reported, mainly
differing in the circular symbol, especially in colouring of it.
Flags without the symbol are also reported to
be in use. Variations in width of the white stripes, and even flags
without them are reported, but they seem to be erroneous.
(anon.)
image by M. Schmoeger, 03 Feb 1997
Photo of "Lone Wolf" Chechnya/
Chechenia flag.
William Garrison, 25 April 2013
This flag was seen in the daily update of the Ukraine War Map:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4uDaRelepzc&t=320s.
Peter Hans van
den Muijzenberg, 16 September 2022
The flag most likely represents members of the Ichkerian Special Purpose
Battalion which in turn is part of the International Legion of Territorial
Defense of Ukraine, also known as the Ukrainian Foreign Legion which is a
foreign military unit of the Territorial Defense Forces of Ukraine. The
Ukrainian Foreign Legion was created on 27 February 2022. There are also other
Chechen military Units fighting on the Ukrainian side, namely the Dzhokhar
Dudayev International Peacekeeping Battalion and the Sheikh Mansour
International Peacekeeping Battalion, BShM, both established in 2014. These
units also use the
Chechen Republic of Ichkeria as its flag.
Sources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/
https://ru.wikipedia.org/
https://ru.wikipedia.org/
Esteban Rivera, 16 September 2022
image by Željko Heimer
image by Željko Heimer and Ivan Sache, 13 Jun 2003
In Lux-Wurm’ book [lux01] the
height of the stripes is different as well as some colouring of the
emblem: Lux-Wurm’s flag has a white wolf and moon and red stars.
Ivan Sache, 13 Jun 2003
image by António Martins, 17 Feb 2001
Flag 105:165 cm, stripes 65:10:10:10:10; I received this information
from Czechia. I have no official documents.
Victor Lomantsov, 17 Apr 2000
image by Ivan Sache, 07 Apr 2000
This flag, with a stripe pattern of 6+1+1+1+1, is listed
under number 108 at the chart Flags of Aspirant Peoples
[eba94] as: «Nokhchyïchuo (Chechens)
- North Caucasus, Russia».
Ivan Sache, 15 Sep 1999
image by Jorge Candeias, 03 Nov 1999
In today’s newspaper there was a picture of one Chechen leader
holding a Chechen flag in such a way that it’s perfectly visible.
The stripes undoubtedly are green-white-red-white-green in proportions
4:1:1:1:1. At least in that particular flag, that could be hand-made.
No further decorations in the flag.
Jorge Candeias, 11 Nov 1999
image by Jorge Candeias, 03 Nov 1999
Lux-Wurm’ book [lux01]
gives also stripe proportions 4:1:1:1, but 2:3 height to width ratio.
Ivan Sache, 13 Jun 2003
image by António Martins, 18 Apr 2000
For news reports on the Chechen conflict on
SBS television in Australia, the graphic behind
the newsreader features a “flag” with equal
bands of green - white - red - white - green.
Dylan Crawfoot, 02 Nov 1999
image by Peter Hans van den Muijzenberg,
6 March 2018
From 27 October 1991 until 1 November 1991 (or 9 November 1991), the Republic
had the 23 November 1990 flag as its flag.
Peter Hans van den Muijzenberg,
6 March 2018
