![[flag of the Turkish Incursion to Sofia by Ottoman Sultan Murad I in 1388]](../images/t/tr^1388.gif)
image
by Eugene Ipavec, 16 February 2009
Last modified: 2011-09-24 by rob raeside
Keywords: bulgaria | national museum of military history | first bulgarian legion | bulgarian volunteers | preslav infantry | chirpan detachment |
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I visited the National Museum of Military History in Sofia, Bulgaria, on July
16th 2008. It is a great museum having lots of collections on display. I bought
the Museum book showing lots of Bulgarian historical flags
Nozomi Kariyasu,
16 February 2009
See also:
image
by Eugene Ipavec, 16 February 2009
The picture shows red flag with three stars and crescent.
Nozomi
Kariyasu, 16 February 2009
I suspect the hoist star and crescent
should be horizontally centered; the odd arrangement may be due to aesthetic
considerations, to make room for another flag passing in front of this one in
the painting.
Eugene Ipavec, 16 February 2009
![[First Bulgarian Legion, 1862]](../images/b/bg^1legn.gif)
image
by Eugene Ipavec, 16 February 2009
Created by Georgi Rakovski, the 1st Bulgarian Legion took part in the siege
and fight for taking Belgrade Fortress from the Ottomans. He used a blue, white
and red horizontal tricolor flag.
Nozomi
Kariyasu, 16 February 2009
![[flag of 6th Infantry Veliko Tarnovo Regiment]](../images/b/bg^samara.jpg)
image located by Stoyan Antonov, 6 September 2009
3rd Bulgarian Volunteer Battalion in 1877-78 Russo-Turkish War (3rd
Infantry Radomir Battalion of the Bulgarian Land Army), so called "Samara
flag":
http://www.focus-news.net/?id=n1244707 (see also Battle of Samara flag).
Stoyan Antonov, 6 September 2009
This flag was made in Russia (in Samara) and gifted to Bulgarian
volunteers in 1877 (presented near Ploesti, modern Romania).
Victor Lomantsov,
7 September 2009
More information about this flag can be found at
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samara_flag.
After the 1877-78 War the Russian Provisional Government in Bulgaria formed the
Bulgarian Land Army, and the 3rd Bulgarian Volunteer Battalion became the 3rd
Infantry Radomir Battalion under the same Samara colours till 1881, when the
'uniform' flag was given. After that, the banner was kept in the Royal Palace in
Sofia. In 1946 it was transferred to the National Museum of Military History.
So, I may answer, that the flag is Russian by origin and Bulgarian by fate. The
same fate has the banner of 5th Bulgarian Volunteer Battalion made in Kiev, that
after the war became banner of 23rd Infantry Kazanlak Battalion of Bulgarian
Land Army.
Stoyan Antonov, 7 September 2009
![[flag of the Bulgarian volunteers, 1877]](../images/b/bg^77vol.gif)
image
redrawn by Eugene Ipavec, 16 February 2009
The Russian Emperor Alexander II declared war on Turkey for the liberation of
Bulgaria on 24 April 1877. The Ottoman Army was totally defeated by Russian
troops. A red, white and blue horizontal flag with a cross in the center was
used as samara flag for the Bulgarian Volunteers.
Nozomi
Kariyasu, 16 February 2009
![[flag of Chirpan detachment used in 1885]](../images/b/bg^chidt.gif)
image
by Eugene Ipavec, 6 March 2009
On Sep 6th 1885 the troops of the garrison of Plivdiv together with the
rebels armed detachments overthrew Roumelia's government and pronounced
officially the unification of Bulgaria and Eastern Roumelia. The flag of Chirpan
detachment used in 1885 is a red flag charged with a lion holding sword, and
trampling a crescent, a common motif in East-European anti-Ottoman revolt flags.
(rather odd lion; fish-faced, with no mane and wearing a smoking jacket.) Text
reads "ПРАВДИНА СЕ ДОБИВА СЪ КРЪВНИНА", or "PRAVDINA
SE DOBIVA S' KR'VNINA", which I make out as, roughly, "Justice is gained through
bloodshed", plus the date "1885" and the word "Чирпанъ",
"Ӕirpan'".
Nozomi Kariyasu and Eugene
Ipavec, 6 March 2009
![[flag of the 1st Battalion of 265th Volunteers regiment, 1916]](../images/b/bg^1b265.gif)
image
by Eugene Ipavec, 24 February 2009
Bulgaria joined World War I and fought against Serbia and Romania. The flag
of 1st Battalion of 265th Volunteers regiment is green flag with yellow cross.
Nozomi
Kariyasu, 16 February 2009
Text reads:
"ЗA BҌPУ, ЦAPЯ И OTEЧECTBO.", or "ZA VERU, CARI I OTEČESTVO.";
"For [the] faith, emperor and fatherland"
Eugene Ipavec, 24
February 2009
At first, one may think that the flag is Bulgarian, but actually this is a
Russian colour, captured by a Bulgarian unit during the WWI. The correct label
of that flag is: 265th Infantry Orenburg Battalion of the State Volunteer Force
(in Russian: 265-я пешая Оренбургская дружина Государственного ополчения). The
flag was captured on 23 Oct 1916 in the Battle of Kara Murad - a village to the
North of Constanta (Romania) – by the 2nd Cavalry of the Bulgarian Army. The
design of the flag is after the 1855 Model for State Volunteer Force (as it is
shown here:
http://www.vexillographia.ru/russia/rarmy089.htm).
Stoyan Antonov,
20 August 2011
![[Communist era combat flag]](../images/b/bg^51col.gif)
image
by Eugene Ipavec, 1 March 2009
A Communist era Bulgarian combat flag is red with the national emblem.
Nozomi
Kariyasu, 14 February 2009
The blue field of the shield only became official
in 1967, but was used de facto before that. The lion should always have
been golden, though, instead of dark red as here. The top text reads "
ЗA NAШATA COЦИAЛИCTИЧECKA POДИHA!", or
ZA NAŠATA SOCIALISTIČESKA RODINA!, meaning if I'm not mistaken
"For our socialist
birth (i.e. home) land!"
The bottom text is "HAPOДHA PEПУБЛIKA БЪЛГAPИЯ" or NARODNA REPUBLIKA BULGARIA, "People's
Republic of Bulgaria."
Eugene Ipavec, 24
February 2009
![[Communist era combat flag]](../images/b/bg^p7inf.gif)
image
by Eugene Ipavec, 1 March 2009
On Sep 7th 1940 in Craiova, Bulgaria and Romania signed an agreement
for the return of South Dobruja. The red and green flag of the 7th Preslav infantry regiment welcomed officially South Dobruja.
Nozomi
Kariyasu, 14 February 2009
![[Bulgarian National Volunteer Company flag]](../images/b/bg^bnvc.gif)
image
by Eugene Ipavec, 5 March 2009
The flag of the Bulgarian National Volunteer Company is a white flag charged
with red cross a lion and crossed swords.
Nozomi Kariyasu, 14 February
2009
The "Bulgarian Volunteer Company #4093" was founded on 20.10.1951 by 200
emigrants after the order of the General Headquarters of the American military
forces in Europe (in Western Germany). The code-name of the company was 'Cteator
Hesse' and it was enrolled to 112 Military center, ZIP code 757, USA. De facto
it is the first Bulgarian company in the NATO. On 7.04.1953 it was rebased from
Zeilsheim to Eschborn. From 20.06.1953 the company was rebased in Misau (?) (ZIP
code 180) and 6950 Labor Service Center, ZIP code 227, US Army. From 20.10.1953
till 1964, when the company was disbanded, it was based in Germersheim.
Source:
http://iris-bg.org.server10.host.bg/files/chapter5.pdf Appendix 10, pp.
373-378.
Stoyan Antonov, 4 March 2009
![[flag of 6th Infantry Veliko Tarnovo Regiment]](../images/b/bg^6ivtr.jpg)
image located by Ivan Sache, 29 August 2009
Source: http://www.focus-fen.net/index.php?id=f2018
In its series on the colours of the Bulgarian army, the "Focus" news agency
presents the flag of the Sixth Infantry Veliko Tarnovo Regiment. The relevant
parts of the presentation are the following (slightly edited):
"The Sixth
Infantry Tarnovo Regiment was established in the town of Veliko Tarnovo by
Decree No. 41, dated October 12, 1884. The infantry received the flag of the
Veliko Tarnovo 17th Foot Battalion on August 30, 1881.
[...]
During the
Bulgarian-Serbian War (1885) the regiment took part in the fights against the
Serbs at Neskov Vrah, Dragoman, Tsaribrod and Pirot.
[...]
During the
Balkan War (1912-1913), part of the First Infantry Sofia Division, the regiment
took part in the Lozengrad offensive operation, in the fights near Gechkenli and
Seliolu, in the Lyuleburgas-Bunarhisar operation, triumphantly entering after a
storm in Lyuleburgas. During the Second Balkan War (1913), the regiment fought
against the Serbs as part of the Third Army down the valley of the Nishava
River.
During World War I, the regiment, part of the First
Infantry Division of the First Army, took part in the Morava offensive operation
and the Kosovo operation, in the conquering of Pirot. In September 1916, the
regiment took part in the storm of the Tutrakan Stronghold, in the battle with
Romanian-Russian troops near Kubadin. Being part of the First Infantry Sofia
Division, it made a serious breakthrough at Kubadin Position on October 20 and
21, 1916. In the battles near Cherna Voda, it captured a Romanian flag. In end
November 1916, the regiment took part in the Bucharest offensive and pursuit of
Romanian and Russian troops to the Seret River. In April 1917, the regiment was
commissioned to the South front, where it was left to break through at Dobro
Pole. Under the Armistice with Bulgaria (also known as the Armistice of
Thessalonica), as of September 29, 1918, all Bulgarian military officers located
to the West of the Skopje meridian became hostages. To avoid surrendering the
regiment’s colour to the enemy forces, a special command of officers and
non-commissioned officers was formed to save the flag and return it to Bulgaria.
In 1920, the regiment was reorganized, while in 1928 it was formed again.
In 1891 the flag was awarded a Commemoration Medal for the Serbian-Bulgarian War
(1885) and an Honorary song for the ten years of excellent service, while in
1920 it was honored with the Military Order of Bravery, 1st Degree, for the
capturing of the Romanian flag. The colour is among the first regiment colour to
be awarded the Commemoration Metallic Bracelet for the rescuing in 1923; those
who rescued the flag were honored with a Flag Rescuing Sign. [...]"
The
colour, shown on a photo attached to the article, follows the pattern of the
colours of the time.
Source:
http://www.focus-fen.net/index.php?id=f2018
Ivan Sache, 29 August
2009
Stoyan Antonov, 6 September 2009
