Petty Intrigues About Army Colors

The Russian army won't fight under the flag with an eagle and 8 stars, such is the design of a new flag
Nostalgia for the bygone greatness of the motherland (and Russia used to be actually a great country) is getting more and more widely spread in the minds of the Russian population. The ex-president wasn't fond of conservative patriotism, but the new president proved to be more far-seeing than his predecessor. Russia President Vladimir Putin confirmed the melody of the USSR's national anthem as a new melody of a Russian one; Russia's armed forces regained the red flags, etc. As for the flags, the armed forces will be soon given a new flag. President Vladimir Putin submitted a legislation on changing the Russian army flag for consideration to the State Duma.

According to the document, a new variant of the flag will have 8 five-point stars, four stars on each side of the flag's width. The stars will be placed in corners, the edges will be decorated with ornaments with the inscriptions "Fatherland", "Duty" and "Honor". The inscriptions are written in the Old Slavonic type. The present-day variant of the Russian army colors represents two eagles on each side. An eagle that is depicted on the Russian State Emblem is on the right side of the army colors, and a heraldic eagle of the armed forces is depicted on the reverse side. 

The Russian Interned edition Gazeta.Ru held a special poll among former and present-day commanders concerning the innovations introduced by the presidential heraldry experts.

Retired Rear Admiral, ex-commander of the Typhoon submarine, deputy chairman of the Russian Federation Submariners' Union, Yury Beketov thinks the innovation to be some petty intrigues. "Do they have nothing else to do? Changing of the army colors is nonsense under conditions when majority of the population are living below the poverty line. Is this the main objective of the Russian armed forces? The chief task of the army is to guarantee the defensive capacity of the country. This includes perfect military training, mastering of military technique and supply of the army with such technique. Unfortunately, the country lacks money for these purposes. What is more, development of a new army colors also demands much money; this is not an objective that the whole of the government and the country should pursue now."

First class pilot, deputy chairman of the Russian Military Trade Union, Major Alexander Merzlov says: "Some time ago the army had a red flag with one star, the flag that was covered with the glory of the country's victories. Under this very flag the Soviet army won victories near Moscow, in Stalingrad and Manchuria. And now we are said to start the life from very beginning once again. They are attempting to make us forget the history and even to be ashamed of it. A new flag that is to be introduced into the army will be nothing as it is not backed with history and glory. Opinion of the military while discussing the new flag image is not taken into consideration. On the other hand, all the fuss about the army colors is just an attempt to distract the people's attention from other problems that are very pressing for the army now."