|
The red-white-red Latvian flag is first mentioned in the medieval ''[[Livonian Rhymed Chronicle|Rhymed Chronicle of Livonia]]'' (''Livländische Reimchronik''),<ref>[http://www.old.historia.lv/alfabets/A/AT/atskanu_hronika/hronikas_teksts/09038_10040.vacu.htm Livlädische Reimchronik] ({{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141215035451/http://www.old.historia.lv/alfabets/A/AT/atskanu_hronika/hronikas_teksts/09038_10040.vacu.htm |date=2014-12-15 }}): ''Von Wenden was zû Rîge komen / zûr lantwer, als ich hân vernomen,/ ein brûder und wol hundert man:/ den wart daß mêre kunt getân./ die quâmen hovelîchen dar / mit einer banier rôtgevar,/ daß was mit wîße durch gesniten / hûte nâch wendischen siten./ Wenden ist ein burc genant,/ von den die banier wart bekant,/ und ist in Letten lant gelegen,/ dâ die vrowen rîtens pflegen / nâch den siten, als die man./ vor wâr ich ûch daß sagen kan,/ die banier der Letten ist.'' (9219–9233)</ref> which covers the period from 1180 to 1343, and is thus among the oldest flags in the world. The chronicle tells of a battle that took place around 1279, in which ancient [[Latgalians|Latgalian]] tribes from [[Cēsis]], a city in northern modern-day Latvia, went to war, bearing a 'red flag with a white stripe'.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.flaggenlexikon.de/flett.htm |title=National Flagge des Lettland|access-date=2003-04-27 |author=Volker Preuß|language=de}}</ref>
Legend recounts the story of thea mortally wounded chief of [[Latgalians]] who washad been wrapped in a white sheet. The part of the sheet on which he was lying remained white, butand the two edges were stainedcoloured inby his blood. During the next battle, the bloodstained sheet was used as a flag. According to the legend, this time the Latgalian warriors were successful and drove the enemy away. Since then, Latgalian tribes have usedbeen using these colours as their symbol.
BasedInspired onby the aforementionedthese historical recordrecords, someseveral nationalist[[Latvian individualsnational andawakening|Latvian organisationsnationalists]] startedbegan to use such flags again in the 19th century.<ref name="national-symbols"/><ref name="fotw-lv-hist" /> The first red-narrow white-red flag with a similar design one was producedmade by [[Valmiera]] Trade School teacher [[Marianna Strautmane]] (1896–1985) in the second half of 1916, according to a sketch made by her colleague, journalist and refugee activist {{Ill|Jānis Lapiņš|lv|Jānis Lapiņš}} (1885–1941). This bright-red flag featured a yellow sun on the upper-left corner of the flag, and it later flew over the building of the Valmiera Latvian Society during the Vidzeme Land Meeting in March 1917. Preserved by the Lapiņš family during the [[Soviet occupation of Latvia in 1940]] and in exile in the West after 1944, it was ultimately given to the Cēsis Museum in 1997, where today it is on display in [[Cēsis Castle]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Jānis Lapiņš and the sketch of the first Latvian red - white - red flag |url=https://militaryheritagetourism.info/en/military/stories/view/13?0 |access-date=2024-05-31 |website=Military Heritage Tourism Latvia-Estonia}}</ref>
[[File:Flag of Latvia (Textile).svg|200px|thumb|Textile version of the Latvian flag.]]
===Restoration===
UnderThe thelocal influenceauthorities ofrestored [[Mikhailthe Gorbachev]]'sstatus ''[[glasnost]]''of andthe ''[[perestroika]]''red-white-red initiatives,flag as the national flag of independent Latvia was restored on 15 February 1990,<ref name=Stelpe263>{{Cite book |author=Dzintra Stelpe |title=Lielā Latvijas Enciklopēdija. |language=lv |publisher=Zvaigzne ABC |location=Riga |page=263 |year=2009 |isbn=9789984408095 |oclc=644036298}}</ref> one and a half years before the formal recognition of Latvian independence by the Soviet Union on 6 September 1991.
{{Clear|left}}
* [http://www.li.lv/index.php?option=content&task=view&id=62 The Latvian Flag fact sheet at the Latvian Institute Web site]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20070312182730/http://www.navy.mil.lv/eng/karogi/karogvimpengl.htm Flags and pendants of Latvian Naval Forces]
* [http://www.vexillographia.ru/latvija/index.htm VEXILLOGRAPHIA - Флаги Латвии]
{{-}}
| 