Flag of the Russian Empire
Locally Rossiyskaya imperiya · Российская империя
What the flag looks like
Three equal horizontal stripes of black, gold and white.
What it means
The colors were taken from the imperial coat of arms: a black double-headed eagle on a gold field, with white for the figure of Saint George.
How to remember it
Imperial Russia
ran black, gold, white from top to bottom, the Romanov heraldic colors; Germany's
empire went black, white, red.
Fun facts
- From 1896 the white-blue-red tricolor, which Russia flies again today, replaced it as the national flag.
- Russian monarchist and nationalist groups still fly the black-gold-white flag.
Russian Empire at a glance
- Existed
- 1721–1917
- Flag used
- 1858–1896
- Today
- Russia and its neighbours
- Capital
- Saint Petersburg
- Region
- 1721–1917
- Languages
- Russian
- Currency
- Russian ruble
- Flag adopted
- 1858
Flags often confused with the Russian Empire
- German Empire: The German and Russian empires both used horizontal tricolors with black on top. Germany's went black, white, red; Russia's went black, gold, white.
- Germany: Germany and the Russian Empire both have three horizontal stripes with black on top and gold. Germany runs black, red, gold; the Russian Empire runs black, gold, white.