RUSSIAN EMPIRE

NAVAL APPOINTMENT FLAGS & PENNANTS  •  1700-1917

The Imperial Russian Navy's various appointment flags were mostly introduced in the nineteenth century. The Commander-in-Chief of the Navy's flag was introduced in 1903; the same design had been used since 1827 by the Chief of the Naval Staff until that position was abolished in 1865. When the C-in-C was with Guards units or the Black Sea Fleet, he used the Saint George version of his flag. In 1908 the commander-in-chief's flag was modified by the addition of a blue anchor on a white panel in the canton. The flag for commanders of maritime regions and naval troops was introduced in 1855; it was additionally designated as the flag for fleet commanders in 1903. The flags for naval fortress commanders were introduced in 1913. The commander of the Emperor Peter Naval Fortress (Tallinn, Estonia) was entitled to a special flag with the badge in the canton rather than centered. For most of these flags there was a corresponding broad pennant for the use of subordinate officers and officials, e.g. the commanders of maritime defense of naval fortresses. Flag Proportions: Naval ensigns and flags of the Russian Empire were generally made in 2:3 proportions, as illustrated. Credits: Many of my drawings are based on images posted to the FOTW Mailing List by Zeljko Heimer (Croatia). Information was also taken from VEXILLOGRAPHIA, the outstanding website devoted to the historical and current flags of Russia and related countries, from the Russian Navy's official website, and from Whitney Smith's Flags Through the Ages and Across the World (1975). Images Added October 2017 Broad Pennant, Maritime Defense Commander of a Naval Fortress  •  Broad Pennant, Maritime Defense Commander, Emperor Peter Naval Fortress

APPOINTMENT FLAGS FOR MINISTERS, OFFICIALS & SENIOR  COMMANDERS
MINISTER OF MARINE  •  1827-56 & 1912-17 CHIEF OF THE MINISTRY OF MARINE  •  1856-1908	MINISTER OF MARINE  •  1908-12
CHIEF OF THE ADMIRALTY OFFICE
NAVAL CHIEF OF STAFF  •  1827-65 COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF OF THE NAVY  •  1903-08	COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF OF THE NAVY  •  1903-08 GUARDS & BLACK SEA FLEET FLAG
COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF OF THE NAVY  •  1908-17	FLEET COMMANDER  •  NAVAL TROOPS COMMANDER COMMANDER OF A MARITIME REGION
MILITARY GOVERNOR OF A NAVAL PORT	COMMANDER OF A NAVAL BASE
COMMANDER OF A NAVAL FORTRESS	NAVAL FORTRESS  •  CHIEF OF MARITIME DEFENSE
COMMANDER EMPEROR PETER NAVAL FORTRESS	EMPEROR PETER NAVAL FORTRESS CHIEF OF MARITIME DEFENSE

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