Flag of Transnistria

Transnistria is a region in Eastern Europe that is under the effective control of the self-declared Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic but is recognized by the international community as an administrative unit of Moldova, the Administrative-Territorial Units of the Left Bank of the Dniester. Transnistria uses a red-green-red triband and the Administrative-Territorial Units of the Left Bank of the Dniester use the flag of Moldova.

Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic

Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic

Use	State flag and ensign, war flag
Proportion	1:2
Adopted	31 January 1952 (original version) 2 September 1991 (current version used)
Design	Three horizontal bands of red, green and red, with a hammer and sickle in the canton. Identical to the flag of the Moldavian SSR.
Use	Civil flag and ensign (Reverse side of state flag/ensign)
Proportion	1:2
Design	Three horizontal bands of red, green and red.
Use	Presidential standard
Proportion	1:1
Design	Three horizontal bands of red, green and red bearing the coat of arms of Transnitria in the centre.
Use	Co-official national flag
Proportion	1:2
Adopted	12 April 2017
Design	Duplicate of the flag of Russia, but with a different ratio (1:2 instead of 2:3)

The Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic, also known as Transnistria (Template:Lang-ro, Moldovan Cyrillic: Стягул Транснистрией; Template:Lang-ru; Template:Lang-uk), has two co-official national flags. The first co-official national flag consists of three horizontal bands of red, green, and red, of vertical width 3:2:3, and in the upper canton, is the main element of the coat of arms of Transnistria; a golden hammer and sickle and a gold-bordered red star. The hammer and sickle fit into a conventional square, and the star, a conditional circle. Transnistria adopted this design that comprises a version of the flag of the Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic used between 1952 and 1990 in the 2000 Law about State Symbols. The second co-official national flag consists of three horizontal stripes in the colors white, blue, and red. (Russian flag at a ratio of 1:2 instead of 2:3)

History

The flag of the Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic served as the flag of the republic until December 1991. When Moldova became independent, some places in Transnistria refused to fly the new Moldovan flag and continued to fly the flag of the Soviet Union. Continued use of the flag of the former Moldavian SSR was popular and it was officially reintroduced as the flag of Transnistria in 1991. Despite the socialist influence on the flag and coat of arms, Transnistria is not a socialist state. It is the only state in the world that uses the hammer and sickle on its flag.

The original flag, as well as its description, are kept in the official residence of the President of Transnistria.

In 2009, the Supreme Council discussed a proposal to replace the civil flag – which is plain red-green-red without the hammer and sickle – with a new flag, carrying three horizontal stripes in the colours white, blue, and red, being almost identical to the flag of the Russian Federation, but with a different aspect ratio (1:2 instead of Russia's 2:3). The primary reason for the co-official national flag is that it indicates Transnistria's desire for closer ties with Russia, a guarantor of Transnistria's claimed independence from Moldova. In a 2006 referendum, 97.2% of Transnistrians were reported to have voted in favour of increased free association with Russia. The new flag is used alongside the state flag. In 2017, the Supreme Council passed a motion making the new design Transnistria's co-official national flag.

Usage

Transnistrian law permits the use of a simplified version of the flag for non-governmental use (personal and commercial usage) without the hammer and sickle and red star and regard to shape or size. The most common size is still 1:2, but 2:3 versions have also been used.

The national flag of Transnistria is permanently raised on the buildings of:

the Administration of the President of Transnistria; The Supreme Council of Transnistria; The Government of Transnistria; The Constitutional Court of Transnistria; the Supreme Court of Transnistria; the Arbitration Court of Transnistria;

the Prosecutor's Office of Transnistria; the Central Bank of Transnistria; the Accounting Chamber of Transnistria; the residence of the Commissioner for Human Rights in Transnistria; the Central Election Commission of Transnistria; other state authorities, as well as local representative and executive bodies of state power.

• 
  Construction sheet (State Flag)
• 
  Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic flag
• 
  Transnistrian number plate with the simplified flag in the corner

Other flags

The presidential flag is a 1:1, yellow fringed version of the civil flag with the coat-of-arms in the center. It was adopted on 18 July 2000 and replaced an earlier version dating from 1997.

The army flag is a blue flag with a yellow bordered red cross. It is similar to that of the Moldovan army, but does not include the Moldovan coat-of-arms.

A customs flag is also in use by Transnistrian customs. It is a primarily green flag with two red bands at the bottom. The central part of the flag is dominated by the symbol of Transnistrian customs.

Administrative-Territorial Units of the Left Bank of the Dniester

The law which formally established the Administrative-Territorial Units of the Left Bank of the Dniester contains provisions for the region to adopt its own symbols. At present, the region has not yet adopted a distinctive flag and instead of the flag of Moldova is used for official purposes. It consists of a vertical tricolor of blue, yellow, and red, charged with the coat of arms of Moldova (an eagle holding a shield charged with an aurochs) on the center bar.

• 
  Flag of Moldova

See also

• Coat of arms of Transnistria
• Flag of the Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic
• Flag of Moldova
• Flag of Gagauzia

External links

• About the State Flag of the Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic
• Parliament's website for law on state flag (in Russian)