Christmas Holiday Card 2010

Every year since 2007 I have made a Christmas-Holiday Card that shows my flag symmetry idea decked out with certain flags of the 50 US States. This year was no exception.

Flag of Connecticut with a Hanukkah twist

The pair of states chosen were Connecticut and Vermont. They may not look so similar at first glance but there are a few interesting parallels. Both their state flags feature plants as the centerpiece of their flags. Connecticut has three grapevines and nine bunches of grapes. While Vermont has a pine tree in the middle. Their backgrounds are both blue of different shades. They both feature a shield that repeat the 'leaves' of their honored plant. All around the shield of Connecticut are grape leaves in the positions normally associated with the supporter, compartment, and crest. Likewise Vermont has two crossed branches of a pine tree in the supporter and compartment areas.

Flag of Vermont with the X-Mas Spirit

Culturally during the Colonial Revolution of 1776 early flags of rebellion in New England included the pine tree and a vine of grapes. So in some manner these two flags echo of the original revolution against parliament and king.

Their flags have been 'North Polarized' in different ways. First Connecticut has been modified into a Menorah. Just as it already has 9 bunches of grapes, a Menorah has 9 candles. If you didn't know the chief financial elf at Santa's workshop is Jewish, as is Rudolph and the Grinch who stole Christmas but later gave it back on reconsideration.

The flag of Vermont has been altered to night with a healthy heaping of snowfall. Red Christmas balls were added to the branches around the seal. The cow is pulling a sleigh, the deer on the heraldic wreath has a Rudolph Nose, and finally the tree has been north polarized with the Christmas Tree.

Merry Christmas to all,
May 2011 feel like Heaven

See the X-mas holiday card of years past
2009 - Wisconsin & Guess who!?

Official State Flag Shields of Connecticut & Vermont
Compared to North Polarized Cards

Russian Fraternal Twin Flags: pt 20

Moscow City and Volgograd

Flag of Moscow City

The flags of these two federal subjects are the last to be presented here in this 20 part series that is focused on Russia.

My primary contribution to vexillology is a meta-vexillological subject that flags can be classified in groups of two in a unique manner. The previous 20 blog posts illustrate this phenomena with the federal subject flags of Russia. Regular vexillology mostly deals with documenting, social study, and historical analysis of flags. Meta-vexillology is the undefined frontier of flag study.

The flag of Moscow City and Volgograd Province are united via the colours red, white, and blue. Red is their shared background. Both persons are drawn in black and white. St. George is depicted striking a dragon in the mouth, while the flag of Volgograd depicts the statue 'The Motherland Calls.' Both flags also have an element of blue. The cape of St. George is blue while there are two blue vertical stripes on the left of Volgograd's flag.

Flag of Volgograd

St. George is the patron saint of Moscow City and also makes a smaller appearance on the flag of Moscow Province. St. George is famous for being a dragon slayer and lived as a rebel Christian before it was made legal by Emperor Constantine I in 313.

The statue 'The Motherland Calls' was made in 1967 in honor of the Battle of Stalingrad. The key turning point of WWII. This battle would rage for half a year from July 1942 until February of 1943. Two more years would follow before Russia would defeat her enemies to the west.

Statue in Volgograd Mother Land Calls

Many battles for Moscow have also taken place, but the 'largest and deadliest battle' in human history took place in Volgograd Province when the city was called Stalingrad. This most epic world shaping battles has been retold in movies and even in video games.

The union of the Moscow City and Volgograd flags illustrate the universal dichotomy - man and woman. The man of Moscow City is considered a holy man, St. George, while the woman of Volgograd is simply a Russian Woman with no religious attachment. The man is high on his horse but the woman stands barefoot with her feet planted on the earth. Both persons hold weapons - the man holds a lance while the woman hold a sword. The man is striking downwards at an imaginary dragon, while the woman is holding her sword upwards towards the heavens.

Like Yin and Yang Moscow and Volgograd are hollowed ground of fallen heroes and ordinary men and women. These patches of earth have been baptized by the paradoxically tragic and hopeful river of war and peace.

Russia Today YouTube Links

Battle of Moscow
www.youtube.com/user/RussiaToday#p/search/6/Yd6egExrJGo
Tourism Moscow
www.youtube.com/user/RussiaToday#p/search/14/sMtsXUNsZH8

Battle of Stalingrad
www.youtube.com/user/RussiaToday#p/search/0/tjGnsEerzag
Tourism Volgograd
www.youtube.com/user/RussiaToday#p/search/18/COPyMHy7GPs

click here for Part I of Russian Flag Symmetry

Russian Fraternal Twin Flags: pt 19

Smolensk & Chelyabinsk

Flag of Smolensk

Smolensk and Chelyabinsk are flag twins. Their background colours are a similar tone. Smolensk is brownish red, while Chelyabinsk is a deep red. Another common element are their yellow stripes. Chelyabinsk has a thick solid line near the bottom, while in the same position Smolensk has a thinner double yellow line.

You can see a Napoleonic
Cannon on the flag of Smolensk

These two provinces repeat the intrinsic East-West dichotomy of Russia. Smolensk Province is a part of Europe and borders Belarus, while Chelyabinsk Province is a part of Asia and borders Kazakhstan, an Asian Country.

The essential cultural parallel deals with Russian Fire Power. It was during the Patriotic War of 1812 that Russia gave Napoleon his first taste of resistance in Smolensk, which eventually led to the famous 1812 overture that even has cannon fire written in the musical score.

Maybe the most famous tank
of WWII that helped turn the tide of the war

More than one hundred years later during the Patriotic War of 1941 Russia would again resist a great and brutal army from the west. During both wars, the fate of Russia was in peril.

World War II was the epic war of the tank. Out of this conflict was born one of the most beloved mobile armored gun units ever created - the T-34. A good majority of the T-34s were made in Chelyabinsk Province, which was subsequently given the nickname 'Tankograd.'

Coincidentally on the flag of Smolensk Province is a Napoleonic Cannon. In one way you can think of an 1812 artillery unit as being the ancestor of the tank.

Flag of Chelyabinsk

The union of these two flags unites the Fire Bird with the Bactrian Camel. Russia has a tendency to rise from the ashes like a great Phoenix. Likewise she is like the hardy camel that can survive in the harshest of environments, whether it is caused by mankind or nature.





Russia Today YouTube Links

Smolensk
www.youtube.com/user/RussiaToday#p/search/19/Evq8-oveJls

Close up of Fire Bird of Smolensk

Chelyabinsk
www.youtube.com/user/RussiaToday#p/search/7/SyO0y1NxnjA
www.youtube.com/user/RussiaToday#p/search/3/55Tcsj70uqs

CLICK HERE FOR PART 20 (Final)

Russian Fraternal Twin Flags: pt 18

St. Petersburg & Tula

Flag of St. Petersburg

The flags of St. Petersburg and Tula harmonize intensely. On a backdrop of passionate red are metal tools and implements. St. Petersburg has two silver-white anchors. The anchors have their handles on the bottom with their hooks towards the top. The two pronged anchor has its bottom towards the upper left, while the four pronged anchor is placed in the upper right.

Flag of Tula

Tula Province has three three silver-white swords. Their handles are incomplete. In contrast to the anchors of St. Petersburg two of the unfinished swords point downwards with their unfinished handles pointing towards the upper left and upper right. There is also a third unfinished sword lying horizontally with the blade pointed towards the hoist.

In total there are six silver-white points on the flag of Tula likewise in a different manner there are six anchor points on the flag of St. Petersburg.

St. Petersburg has the golden imperial staff in honor of Russian Royalty, in contrast Tula has two yellow hammers reflective of the common worker. The hammer and imperial regalia are symbols that reflect the dynamic, poetic, and wonder-lust of Russian History from the romantic era of the Czar to the cosmic and forlorn tragedy of the Soviet Union.

With these two flags the labors of the peasants and those born with divine destiny are combined and presented to us in Yin and Yang like fashion.

St. Petersburg is not a province but a city with special status as a Russian Federal Subject. After Russia was 'born again' as a free nation in 1991 she originally had 89 Federal Subjects. As of 2010 there are only 83, due to mergers.

Finally St. Petersburg was named and founded by Czar Peter the Great after his namesake - St. Peter. Also Tula is famous for manufacturing weapons and craft making, thus the swords and hammers. Coincidentally Peter the Great promoted Tula a center for making weapons.

CLICK HERE FOR PART 19
Russia Today Youtube Links

St. Petersburg




Tula


CLICK HERE FOR PART 19

Russian Fraternal Twin Flags: pt 17

Kalmykia & Yaroslavl

Flag of Yaroslavl

The Russian Province of Yaroslavl and the Russian Republic of Kalmykia are united by a yellow background with a central charge. It is a union of the proverbial Russian Bear with the Buddhist Lotus.

The bear is the international symbol of Russia, while the bear with the axe is the symbol of Yaroslavl Province. The lotus flower is the cosmic symbol of one who has reached enlightenment, while the lotus flower on blue disc with a yellow background is the symbol of a Russian Federal Subject.

Yaroslavl Province is named after Yaroslavl the Wise. He was the last Grand Prince of the Rus before the 1054 millennial split of the European Church into the Eastern Church of Constantinople and Western Church of Rome. Since then the 'Catholic' Christian church has been split into two noble and competing congregations - like a chess set. Yaroslavl the wise died in 1054.

The bear on Yaroslavl's flag is a reminder of Yaroslavl the Wise's Christian conversion and founding of the Yaroslavl city in 1010. The story goes like this, the local inhabitants let loose a bear to kill Yaroslavl the Wise - instead he killed the wild bear himself and founded the city of Yaroslavl. Thus this year 2010 is the 1000th anniversary of this Yaroslavl City.

On the other hand we have the Republic of Kalmykia. Kalmykia is Europe's only dominantly Buddhist Nation, although a nation within a nation. The Buddhist Kalmyks came to Europe at about the same time New England was settled by the English in the 1620s.

Flag of Kalmykia

The flower on Kalmykia's flag is the Lotus Flower. This flower has a Yin and Yang essence. The lotus flower can bloom in the murkiest of mud with a grace and enchanting beauty. It reminds us that the divine exists even in the lowliest, murkiest, and least likeliest of places.

The pairing of Kalmykia and Yaroslavl is a meeting of East and West. The people of Kalmykia are of the Hindu-Buddeic tradition while the people of Yaroslavl are of the Judeo-Christian tradition. Just as Russians colonized East Asia, a portion of East Asia colonized European Russia. Kalmykia people speak a language related to Mongolian and share a physical appearance as 'Chinese.'

Of famous people from Yaroslavl is the first woman to go into space - Valentina Tereshkova. Ms. Tereshkova was the first woman launched into space in 1963. Just as Russia has a 'minor' essence of Buddhism so to did Vladimir Lenin, who had Kalmyk heritage.

CLICK HERE FOR PART 18
Russia Today Youtube Links

Yaroslavl




Kalmykia




www.youtube.com/user/RussiaToday#p/search/4/8Fuatn_Ji6E
www.youtube.com/user/RussiaToday#p/search/5/_e4chFeUYqU

CLICK HERE FOR PART 18

Russian Fraternal Twin Flags: pt 16

Tyva & Chukotka

Flag of Chukotka

The Autonomous Chukota District and Republic of Tyva are in the Far East. Their flags are united by blue, white, yellow, and triangles. Chukotka has a solid dark blue field with a V-hoist canton with its zenith in the center. Tyva also has yellow V-hoist canton with its zenith off center towards the left.

Chukotka's white triangle is decorated with a yellow ring. Within the ring are the national colours of Russia. However Tuva's triangle is a solid yellow, instead her field is decorated with a Y-hoist division. The Y-hoist division is light blue with full white fimbriation.

You can see the United States of America from Chukotka District. Likewise you can also look into the 'Past,' since the imaginary international dateline exists here. But if you are standing in Alaska you would be looking into the 'Future.'

Flag of the Tyva Republic

The Tyva Republic is named after a Turkish ethnic minority - the Tyvans. However unlike most Turks, Tyvans are not Islamic. Most are Buddhist, Christian, or Native-Shaman. The Chukchi District is named after another native group. They are the proverbial Russian Eskimo-Inuit. Although the Chukchi are officially a part of Asia - tectonically speaking they are a part a North America just like their eastern cousins in Canada and Alaska. Although in different time zones and different nations, the Chukchi people and Inuit of North America share a similar heaven, earth, and biorhythm.

Russia Today Video Links

Tyva


Chukotka


CLICK HERE FOR PART 17

You can see "Chukotka/Russia" from Alaska

Russian Fraternal Twin Flags: pt 15

Vologda and Saratov

Flag of Vologda

Vologda and Saratov Province harmoniously align as flag twins. They both have mostly white backgrounds with a red stripe. Vologda's red stripe is along the right-fly side, while Saratov's red stripe is along the bottom side. The coat of arms are displayed on both flags. Saratov has three fish on a blue background, while Vologda has a divine hand extending from the clouds that holds a sword and the Royal Christian Orb with the Russian Imperial Crown floating above.

Flag of Saratov

Saratov's bragging right in history is that it was the landing point of the Yuri Gagarin's first voyage into orbit. Although the Americans were first to set foot on the moon, the Soviets were the first in space. Yuri was welcomed back to earth in Saratov Province.

Shield of Arms of Vologda
compared to Tarot Ace of Swords

The hand extending from the clouds is also found in many kinds of Tarot Cards, it represents the divine reaching out to the mortal. For example the flag of Vologda Province mirrors of the Ace of Swords from the Rider-Wait Tarot.


Vologda and Saratov are a part of the European portion of Russia. Coincidentally they are similar is shape and as medium sized logs.

CLICK HERE FOR PART 16

Russia Today Youtube Links

Saratov


Vologda






CLICK HERE FOR PART 16