Last modified: 2012-01-14 by rob raeside
Keywords: bulgaria | kingdom | lion | crown | royal |
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The Kingdom of Bulgaria existed from 1908-1946, though
for the purpose of flag research, the period ended on 09 September 1944.
There are three main sources of flags of the period mentioned in
Ivanov (1998). The first is the collection of the Naval Museum, from where
are mentioned the naval ensign and king's and queen's standard.
The second is the (Bogoslovski, 1912) "Al'bom
shtandartov i flagov inostrannyh gosudarstv", Sofia 1912, and the third is a
naval manual that I shall cover latter on. The
Ivanov (1998) book contains pictures from the
naval manual,
but it also has
detailed reports on what's in others, highlighting some differences. As far as I
have understood, the flags
preserved in the Naval Museum are of the same pattern as those
published in the Bogoslovski book. They are treated together and even if
I have reservations, I have no evidence why I should not do the same.
All the flags here would be reconstructions from descriptions. Even
if the descriptions are quite straightforward and clear, there is always the possibility
that I misinterpreted them.
Željko Heimer, 05 September 2001
According to
Ivanov (1998), the flags from
the period of the kingdom were all abandoned on 09 September 1944. After that
date and until new flags were officially adopted, the unofficial patterns were
used -- on vessels, according to the taste of the captain.
Željko Heimer, 9 September 2001
King's Standard (Shtandart' na N. Velichestvo Tsarya).
Red square flag with the yellow crowned lion rampant, with tricoloured triangles
around the border, green facing to the edges, red and white to the inside, and with
red corner-pieces.
Source: Bogoslovski, 1912
Željko Heimer, 05 September 2001
The king and queen's standards are preserved in the naval museum (Voenomorski
muzei) in Varna. The sizes of these flags are 253 x 255 cm with triangular
tricolour edges 2.5 cm high.
Željko Heimer, 12 January 2004
Flaggenbuch (1939) shows a
smaller lion, much more "decorated", and with green tongue and claws. Moreover,
the pattern of the triangles is totally different: the eight green triangles
from your source have been changed to ten white triangles; the four white triangles
from your source have been changed to five green triangles; the three red triangles
from your source have been changed to four red triangles. To make things clearer,
taking the upper border as an example and starting from the upper left corner,
we have a red lozenge and then 19 triangles as follows: W V W R W V W R W V W R
W V W R W V W (and then a red lozenge). White triangles point downward, green
and red ones point upward. Triangle height (or border width) is 1/9 of the flag
size. Lozenge basis is 1/15 of the flag size; triangle basis is 13/150 of the
flag size.
Ivan Sache, 06 September 2001
Bulgarian Naval Handbook (reproduced
in
Ivanov, 1998) shows a differently rendered
version. Red square flag with a yellow crowned lion rampant bordered with
tricolour triangles. Here the triangles are much bigger than in 1912 (and the
real flags preserved in the Varna museum!) so that there are four white triangles
along each edge, and three (green-red-green) triangles along the edges of the
red square, and with the red corner-pieces.
Željko Heimer, 14 January 2004
I guess that all these minor differences are not the result of changes in
regulations (that would surely be mentioned in
Ivanov, 1998), but are
differences in artistic rendition.
Željko Heimer, 08 September 2001
1:30~, by Željko Heimer
King's Pennant (Breid-vimpel (kositsa) na N. V. tsarya).
Yellow pennant with the king's standard at hoist.
Source: Bogoslovski, 1912
Željko Heimer, 05 September 2001
As above in
Flaggenbuch (1939), but 1:5,
with rectangular 15:23 king's standard.
Ivan Sache, 06 September 2001
The number 15:23 must be an approximation, since it is rather close when one takes
away another pair of triangles along the vertical edges.
Željko Heimer, 08 September 2001
by Željko Heimer
Bulgarian Naval Handbook (reproduced
in
Ivanov, 1998) shows a
differently rendered version. The difference is in the hoist flag matching
the one above, and the swallow-tailed fly.
Željko Heimer, 08 September 2001
Queen's Standard (Shtandart' na N. Velichestvo Tsaritsata).
Same design as king's standard, only swallow-tailed.
Source: Bogoslovski, 1912
Željko Heimer, 05 September 2001
Flaggenbuch (1939) of
course has the same pattern as for the king's standard. The "opening" of the tail is 1/6 of
the flag size.
Ivan Sache, 06 September 2001
Bulgarian Naval Handbook (reproduced
in
Ivanov, 1998) shows a
differently rendered version. The difference is in the triangles around the
edges.
Željko Heimer, 08 September 2001
1:30~, by Željko Heimer
Queen's Pennant (Breid-vimpel (kositsa) na N. V. tsaritsata).
Yellow pennant with the queen's standard at hoist.
Source: Bogoslovski, 1912
Željko Heimer, 05 September 2001
Base flag as above in
Flaggenbuch (1939). Border
width of the queen's standard is 3 + 5/6 (for a hoist of 15).
Ivan Sache, 06 September 2001
According to my "work", the triangles should be about 2.551 and not 3.833 to
maintain the relative size in other images. Are they expected to be bigger?
Željko Heimer, 08 September 2001
by Željko Heimer
Bulgarian Naval Handbook (reproduced
in
Ivanov, 1998) shows a
differently rendered version. The difference is in the hoist flag matching
the one above, and the swallow-tailed fly.
Željko Heimer, 08 September 2001
Crown-Prince's Standard (Shtandart' na prestolonaslednika).
The flag is of basically the same design as the king's standard set in the middle
of the white flag with red cross and green saltire. I am particularly not sure
about the correctness of my interpretation here, so be warned here even more than for the rest of the batch.
Source: Bogoslovski, 1912
Željko Heimer, 05 September 2001
Flaggenbuch (1939) shows the
flag in 6:7 proportion. Therefore, the king's standard in the middle is
rectangular, with only 15 triangles on its vertical borders. There is also a crown-princess' standard, swallow-tailed; a standard for the male members of the
royal family, with red cross omitted; a standard for the female members of the
royal family, same, but forked.
Ivan Sache, 06 September 2001
Bulgarian Naval Handbook (reproduced
in
Ivanov, 1998) shows a
differently rendered version. A white flag with red cross and green saltire and
overall a red rectangle containing a yellow crowned lion and bordered with the
tricolour triangles. Here the triangles facing outward are white and those with
bases inward are green and red, five of them horizontally, and three
vertically, with red corner-pieces.
Željko Heimer, 15 January 2004
1:30~, by Željko Heimer
Crown-Prince's Pennant (Breid-vimpel (kositsa) na N. Ts. V.
prestolonaslednika).
Yellow pennant with the crown-prince's standard at the hoist. Other officials are
not given their pennants in Bogoslovski's album
Source: Bogoslovski, 1912
Željko Heimer, 05 September 2001
Flag as above in
Flaggenbuch (1939), along with the crown-princess' pennant, pennant for the male members of the royal family, and
pennant for the female members of the royal family.
Ivan Sache, 06 September 2001
by Željko Heimer
Bulgarian Naval Handbook (reproduced
in
Ivanov, 1998) shows a
differently rendered version. The difference is in the hoist flag matching
the one above, and the swallow-tailed fly.
Željko Heimer, 08 September 2001
Flaggenbuch (1939) shows the crown-princess' standard swallow-tailed in 6:7 proportion.
Ivan Sache, 06 September 2001
Flaggenbuch (1939) shows
a standard like that of the crown-prince's standard with the red cross
omitted.
Ivan Sache, 06 September 2001
Flaggenbuch (1939) shows
a standard like that of the crown-princess' standard with the red cross
omitted.
Ivan Sache, 06 September 2001