Serbia Flags and Banner

Flag of Serbia

The history of the Serbia flag stretches back for more than eight hundred years. The flag has changed significantly since that time, but the oldest of those flags is still a clear influence on the modern Serbia flag. That ancient pedigree gives the Serbia flag meaning as a symbol of the nation's history and heritage in addition to its role as a representation of Serbia and the Serbian people on the world stage.

Colors and Symbolism: Serbia Flag Meaning

The flag of Serbia consists of three horizontal stripes of red, blue, and white. It displays the Serbian lesser coat of arms offset towards the hoist from the center of the flag. The coat of arms consists of a red shield that is placed below a crown. The shield displays a white eagle with two heads that bears a shield emblazoned with the Serbian cross. The coat of arms is a traditional symbol of Serbia and its medieval history. The eagle is a symbol that dates back to the Byzantine Empire and emphasizes the nation's ties to Europe's past. The flag uses the Pan-Slavic colors, which gives the Serbia flag meaning as a sign of solidarity with many of the other nations in Eastern Europe. 

History of the Serbia Flag

The first reference to a Serbian flag dates back to 1281, although it is likely that the flag itself predates the reference, and may have been adopted as early as 1233. The flag was divided horizontally into equal portions of red and blue. A later reference to Serbian flags refers to the Serbian military using yellow flags in battle in 1326, although it is not clear if they were also used in times of peace. 

The first Serbian flag in the modern era dates back to 1835. It had the same three stripes as the current flag, but it did not include any emblems. The full coat of arms was added to the flag in 1882, but that flag fell out of use in 1918 and was not replaced until 1942. The new flag used a red star in place of the coat of arms. The star was removed from the flag in 1992, and the flag lacked an emblem until 2004. The flag of 2004 used a variant on the lesser coat of arms that was replaced by the current form in 2010.