![[Flag of Bulgaria of 1948]](../images/b/bg_948.gif)
by
Željko Heimer
Last modified: 2011-09-24 by rob raeside
Keywords: bulgaria | peoples republic | lion |
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by
Željko Heimer
In 1947 a new coat of arms was adopted, and the state flag with the coat of
arms in the canton changed, too. The civil ensign became a simple tricolour.
Regarding the background colour of the shield -- it seems
that the adopted version was gradually changed to blue without any regulation
about it. Without entering the discussion of "socialist heraldry" in
depth, I believe that the change was influenced by other socialist emblems of
this style where the "field" was always "felt" to represent
the sky and tended to be represented in blue. A similar tendency might be seen
in Yugoslav coat of arms, as well as those of the
Yugoslav republics and, I guess, among SSR coats of arms as well.
Željko Heimer, 0 9 September 2001
The second Bulgarian constitution (adopted on 06 December, 1947) says
in its 97th article: "The flag of the People's Republic of Bulgaria is of
three colors - white, green, red, placed horizontally. In the left upper
corner over the white stripe is placed the coat of arms of the People's Republic."
Ivan Marinov, 20 March 2001
The #88 Decree of the Grand National Assembly on 27 January 1948 approved the
plastic and the graphic pattern of the coat of arms. According to that, the coat
of arms was a golden lion on a red background; surrounded by corn-ears, fixed by
a red ribbon with inscription 9 IX 1944 on it, and a red five-pointed star
above. Later, the coat of arms was changed. The official explanation of the
symbols on the coat of arms, given by #431 Decree on 14 June 1967, Section 3,
already talked about a sky-blue background, cogwheel and tricolour ribbon. The
last changes of the coat of arms were regulated by #954 Decree on 07 December
1967.
Stoyan Antonov, 10 September 2001
Although I did not find the legislative text (in the article from 1968 about the Bulgarian coat of arms by Hristo Dermendjiev), this information must be right. In the book Gerbat (The Coat-of-Arms) by Borislav Nikolov & Maria Cherneva (Sofia, 2000, ISBN 954-90599-2-8) I found the following:
"The graphic and plastic image of the coat of arms, adopted [January 1948] after
the Constitution was retained for two months only. On the recommendation of Georgi
Dimitrov, considerable amendments were introduced. Below the lion was placed a
cogwheel, the wheat ears were wrapped in red ribbon with tricolour ends. The
background became blue. The changes were regulated by decrees the same year (1948?)". I will continue to search for this decree in the 1948 Official Gazette
issues.
Stoyan Antonov, 23 September 2001
![[Coat of arms of Bulgaria of 1948]](../images/b/bg)947.gif)
by Željko Heimer
Before 1948, the coat of arms had a white background (shield), as seen in a
number of photos in Ivanov (1998).
Stoyan Antonov, 10 September 2001
![[Flag of Bulgaria of 1947]](../images/b/bg_947.gif)
by
Željko Heimer
![[Coat of arms of Bulgaria of 1948]](../images/b/bg)948.gif)
by Željko Heimer
The source of the image of the 1948 Bulgarian coat of arms is an article:
Dermendzhiev, H. B'lgarskiyat gerb [The Bulgarian Coat of Arms], in
Voennoistoricheski sbornik [Military-historical Miscellany], Vol. 5, 1968,
p.55.
Stoyan Antonov, 26 January 2004
![[Civil ensign of Bulgaria of 1948]](../images/b/bg_947ce.gif)
by Željko Heimer
![[Chairman, Council of Ministers]](../images/b/bg_955pm.gif)
2:3
by Željko Heimer
Chairman of the Ministry Council. (Flag na predsedatelya na Ministerskiya
s'vet). A flag in the pattern of the naval ensign, in which the red star is
replaced with the state coat of arms.
Željko Heimer, 19 January 2004
![[Chairman, Presidium]](../images/b/bg_955pr.gif)
2:3
by Željko Heimer
Chairman of the Presidium of the People's Assembly (Flag na predsedatelya
na Prezidiuma na Narodnoto s'branie).
The national tricolour of white over green over red and in the canton the naval
ensign, in which the red star is replaced with the state coat of arms.
The most natural tendency for the interpreter of this flag would be to match the
upper edge of the green stripe in the canton with the upper edge of the green
stripe in the field -- but it is not so as clearly the picture in
Ivanov (1998) shows. The constitutional
changes in 1971 changed the ruling structure in Bulgaria, and the position of
the Presidium of the People's Assembly as the chief of the state was replaced
with the Chairman of the State Council. The new flag was adopted for it with a
new design that also included by that time the slightly modified coat of arms.
Željko Heimer, 19 January 2004
