The Russian white-blue-red tricolor has more than 300-year history. It appeared at the turn of XVII-XVIII centuries, in the era of the formation of Russia as a powerful state. For the first time white-blue-red flag was hoisted on the first Russian warship «eagle» in the reign of Alexei Mikhailovich. However, the state flag he was only under Peter I. January 20, 1705 he issued a decree, according to which «the trading of any courts» should raise white-blue-red flag, he traced the pattern and determined the order of horizontal stripes. In the reign of Alexander II in 1858 was approved by the new Imperial state flag «with the location stamp black-yellow-white colors of the Empire on the banners, flags and other items for jewelry on the streets during festive occasions». And January 1, 1865, came the decree of Alexander II in which colour black, orange (gold) and white already explicitly called the «state flowers of Russia». As a result, Russia there were two flags: the state — were posted on state buildings and the white-blue-red — on private: decorated during the holidays. The people did not accept the Imperial flag, he is in Russia not caught on. 28 APR 1883, it was announced the decree of Alexander III, which said: «To those occasions when deemed possible to permit the decoration of buildings with flags, was used solely Russian flag consisting of three stripes: upper — white, middle — blue and bottom — red». It was the first official statement of the Russian tricolor the state act. Saved it and the Provisional government.

The Bolsheviks in April 1918 decided to abolish the tricolor and replace it with a revolutionary red flag, which was over 70 years the national flag.

22 August 1991 the Supreme Soviet decided that the official National flag of the Russian Federation «historic Russian flag — the flag of equal horizontal white, azure and scarlet strips», and by decree of the President of the Russian Federation from 11 December 1993 approved the regulations on the state flag of the Russian Federation. In 1994, the day of August 22 was declared the Day of State flag of the Russian Federation. The status and use of the flag is set in the year 2000 the Federal constitutional law «On the State flag of the Russian Federation».

Modern colors of the Russian flag have no official interpretations. We know from history that the white color symbolized freedom and independence of the state, blue was the color of the virgin Mary, who protects Russia, and red meant the statehood.

There is another interpretation of the flag colors: white — Faith, blue — Hope red — Love.