Russian politician launches bill for return of imperial flag

A Russian politician from the right-wing Liberal Democratic Party of Russia has launched a bill to change the current white, blue and red flag to the black, gold and white flag of imperial Russia.

According to Mikhail Degtyarev, the annexation of Crimea and the creation of the Customs Union of Belarus, Kazakhstan and Russia, as well as the rise in patriotic sentiment in the country, should be reflected in a flag from a “victorious” epoch in Russian history.

“Under the imperial flag we had brilliant victories, which can unite Russian citizens today,” he said. “The current tricolour was brought back by Boris Yeltsin in a confused period in Russia and wasn’t discussed with anyone; this came about because all decisions in the country at the start of the 1990s were a result of American advice.” Following the revolution in 1917, a red flag bearing the letters RSFSR (Russian Socialist Federative Soviet Republic) was used, with the current flag returning only after the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991.

The imperial flag, which was used during the 19th century, has since been adopted by a number of nationalist groups in Russia. In an explanatory note, Degtyarev added that the significant increase in the use of imperial flag signified the need to officially replace the current one.

“Russia was born in the year 1152,” he told Izvestia. “It’s not 23 years old and the symbol of the state should personify Russia’s great history and great future. Spiritual health determines material well-being, and not the other way around. People need to think about what flag flies over Russia. We must return the state flag, which matches our renascent glory.”

Known for his anti-American rhetoric, Degtyarev made headlines in November last year when he submitted a bill to the Duma that would prohibit the use or possession of US currency in Russia and compared the dollar to a “Ponzi scheme”. If his latest bill is passed, it would cost an estimated 15.5 million roubles ($435,815) to change the current flag.