Modern and Historical Flags of Tavast-Carelia

Tavast-Carelia has had various changes of flag since it gained independence in 1569. This article will highlight the different designs used over the years.

Modern Flag

The current flag was adopted 1. 6. 2005.

The backround of the flag is dark blue. In centre of the flag there is a dark blue diamond with narrow white fimbriation. The height and width of the diamond (with defimbriation) are 4/5 and 9/10 of the whole flags height and width, respectively. Overlaid with the blue diamond is a white diamond, the width and height of which is 3/5 and 7/10 of the flags full height and width. In the middle of the flag there is a five-pointed red star, the height of which is approximately 1/4 of the full height of the flag.

Currently, the same design was in use for civil, state and war flag and ensign.

The flag was designed by Ville Ilvesniemi for a flag-suggestions competition held by one of the nation's largest newspapers (Ilvesniemi had previously submitted a similar design, but with different colour scheme, as a proposal for the flag of the Alçaeran Union). The design proved so popular that eventually the Socialist People's Party proposed the design to the parliament, and after a national election on the matter the flag was approved. There are plans to create variations of the basic design to serve as the civil, state and war ensigns, though it remains to be seen if those plans will be realised.

Historical flags

Flag of 1569

The first Tavast-Carelian flag, adopted after independence was gained in 1569 (or possibly earlier) by Juhana I, replaced in 1600.

Later used as the flag of Rigan-ruled Tavastland, adopted in 1600 and replaced in 1719 when Tavastland was re-unified with Carelia.

The flag has the flag of Svea Riga reproduced in the Canton (although the shades used were slightly different from the official Rigan flag of the time), with the southern cross reproduced in blue the center of the right field. The dimensions of the flag are approximately 8/5.

This flag design was naturally not very popular amongst most of Tavast-Carelia's population, or even amongst the Dukes, as it bore such a direct reference to the flag of Svea Riga. However, it remained in use for over 30 years in Tavastland and Carelia, and for another 210 years in Tavastland while the region was ruled mby the Rigan kings.

At the time there were no separate designs for civil, state or war flags and ensigns (and in any case civil flags were rarely used), the same design was approved for all uses.

Flag of 1600

Adopted in 1600 by order from duke Juhana II, replaced on 1. 1. 1896, re-adopted in 1918 (officially 1. 1. 1919), replaced 25. 10. 1999.

The flag is built up from 2 horizontal belts: white above and blue below. The dimensions are 5/3. The southern cross is reproduced in blue in the canton (it is not however in the middle of the canton, but slightly to the right).

Originally no variations of the flag existed for different uses, but over the years several were created. According to the 1919 legislature the version displayed here was used as the civil flag and ensign, and was the 'official' flag. In the state and war flag and state ensign the ducal crown replaced the southern cross, while the war ensign was a swallow-tailed variation of the war flag. In addition various rank flags existed for the military and various state functionaries, displaying symbols of of the office instead of, or in addition to, the southern cross.

Although the this design was the flag of Tavast-Carelia for nearly 400 years, after being used by the ducal forces in the civil war and the dictatorial reign afterwards it gathered a bad reputation in the eye of the public, becoming a symbol of the oppressive rule of the dukes Juhana VII, Juhana VIII, Urho I and Juhana IX. Soon after his ascending to the throne Daniel II decided to replace the flag with a new design.

Flag of 1896

Adopted on 1. 1. 1896, replaced in 1918.

The flag is built up from three vertical stripes: blue next to hoist, white in the middle and green next to the fly end. The proportions of the flag are 5/3, however the stripes are not of equal width; to give a good visual effect the flag has been optically proportioned. The real proportions are 11:12:11. The southern cross is reproduced in blue in the middle of the white stripe.

Designed probably by duke Daniel I himself, this design drew heavily from the tricolour used in New Paristan at the time (which in turn was identical to the flag of Francestan). With this similarity the duke wanted to signify the democratic re-forms carried out in Tavast-Carelia (1896 was the year of the first free elections in the nation, although women recieved the right to vote only a decade later). Already at the time the flag drew heavy criticism from bearing too much resemblance to the Paristani flag. This was especially true of the civil flag and ensign.

The flag displayed was used as the state flag and ensign, and was the 'official' flag (this being a slight breach of tradition as traditionally the 'civil' flag was the official flag). The civil flag and ensign did not feature the southern cross, while the war flag featured the state coat of arms instead of the southern cross, and the war ensign was a swallow-tailed (and longer) variant of the war flag.

During the Civil War in 1918 this flag was used by the socialist forces while the ducal forces used the flag of 1600. However, especially during the early stages of the war, the ducal forces used a 'variation' of the 1896 flag, created by ripping off the green stripe, in essence creating a vertical-striped variant of the 1600 flag.

Flag of 1999

Adopted 25. 10. 1999, replaced 2. 5. 2002.

The flag is built up from 2 horizontal belts: sky blue above and white below. The dimensions are 5/3. On the left field, an equal distance from the top, bottom and left edge of the flag is a sky blue circle, the height of which is 1/3 of the full height of the flag. The circle is surrounded by a white fimbriation, the width of which is 1/10 of the diameter of circle. In the middle of the circle is a white star, the heaight of which is 4/5 of the height of the circle.

Designed by Pekka Kilpivuori by request from duke Daniel II. The design draws from the flag of 1600, but the stripes are replaced and a star symbol, signifying socialism, was added to fly near the hoist. From early on this flag drew criticism due to various reasons, and in 2002 the parliament decided to alter the shade of blue to a much darker one, similar to the one used in the flags on 1600 and 1896.

The same design was in use for civil, state and war flag and ensign.

Flag of 2002

Adopted 2. 5. 2002, replaced 1. 6. 2005. A variation of the flag of 1999, with the shade of blue changed to notably darker. Otherwise the two flags were identical.

This flag recieved heavy criticismfor not being indentified with by the citizens, not reflecting currently the political alignment of the nation, and bearing too much resemblance to the flag of 1600 that was used during the reign of the dictatorial dukes in the 20th century. Several suggestions were made for a new flag, and finally in 2005 a completely new design was agreed upon.

The same design was used as the civil, state and war flag, as well as the civil and state ensign. The only exception to this rule is the war ensign, which is a swallow-tailed variation of the basic design.