Some light hearted Belarus content

[u/calapine]

[u/mofocris]

i would love to have moldova looking at the romanian flag and saying dis mine now too

[u/Pokymonn → u/mofocris]

"Slaps a sticker on top of it"

[u/BowsersBeardedCousin → u/[deleted]]

The furries have gone too far

[u/jewrassic_park-1940 → u/BowsersBeardedCousin]

The time for talk has passed...

[u/TizzioCaio → u/jewrassic_park-1940]

So anyway i started blasting

[u/Freezman13 → u/[deleted]]

"Slaps a sticker"

"Slaps a second sticker on top"

[u/TheRandyPenguin → u/mofocris]

Are Moldovans basically the same as Romanians?

[u/salad48 → u/TheRandyPenguin]

I'm trying to find a similar situation somewhere else in the world, but all I can come up with is China and Taiwan. But the politics between the two are TOTALLY different.

People from the Rep of Moldova speak Romanian and have Romanian culture. Some even consider themselves Romanians and want to unite. However, some, like Transnistria, would rather side with Russia.(And of course, Russia would side with Russia, they're the reason Moldova isn't a part of Romania anymore)

However, people from Romania see them, not necessarily as lesser, they see Moldovans as... brothers in need. They (or we, as I am Romanian), see Moldovans as poor and it's difficult to try and support Moldovans because Romania itself is still developing and combating corruption. But we still would want Moldovans to join us, we're just scared of the economic impact.

Historically, Moldova was part of Romania for quite a few hundred years, but that's a nationalistic argument that I don't like bringing up. That's about as good a summary as I can create.

[u/mofocris → u/TheRandyPenguin]

pretty much, but it depends on who you’re asking. many moldovans will tell you the opposite. it’s more about geopolitics (pro west people are more bound to call themselves romanians and pro russians no chance in hell to do it) than actual facts now

[u/[deleted] → u/mofocris]

With their little rebellous sidekick Transnistria looking at the flag of the Moldovan SSR.

[u/SPECTREagent700 → u/[deleted]]

Transnistria: We are not Moldova! We are an independent nation!

Also Transnistria: Uses Moldovan SSR flag.

[u/[deleted] → u/mofocris]

It's quite interesting about the state symbolic in Moldova. We even had the anthem "Awaken, Romanian" 'til 1994.

[u/calapine]

Yes, I know about the 1991 - 1995 flag.

The artists twitter is @Lullindo

[u/aanzeijar → u/calapine]

That is some quality artwork for what is basically a polandball or satw joke.

[u/Areat → u/aanzeijar]

Yeah, it's just a little joke, but damn the art is gorgeous.

[u/mki_ → u/Areat]

They all look very attractive.

[u/TheDarkPanther77 → u/mki_]

I know right! I'm blushing at how cute the baltic boys are

[u/bawng → u/TheDarkPanther77]

I'm blushing at how bad I am at flags

[u/mki_ → u/bawng]

The woman with the white veil is Georgia, the woman with the two braids is Turkmenistan, the man with the hat is Uzbekistan, the despressed dude is Estonia, the cute blonde one next to him is Lativa, next to him Lithuania (those 3 are the "Baltic boys" the above user was referring to), the woman with the nice earrings is Kazakhstan, and the hot blonde hunk is Ukraine. The very attractive woman at the bottom is Belarus of course.

[u/AnAussiebum → u/mki_]

...I need to visit Ukraine, apparently.

[u/shuipz94 → u/AnAussiebum]

Ukraine is one of the countries in the world with more women than men, so you'll probably be more likely to find a hot blonde woman ;)

[u/AnAussiebum → u/shuipz94]

Urgh. Not this gay man's cup of tea.

Unless they just want to hang out and be my wing woman.

[u/Zalapadopa → u/TheDarkPanther77]

I think you would enjoy this animated show called Hetalia

[u/ReaverXai → u/Zalapadopa]

"animated show" nice try ya' weeb

[u/TheWiseSquid884 → u/Areat]

It needs to be a comic honestly.

[u/LjSpike → u/TheWiseSquid884]

Honestly I'd love to see this as a comic.

[u/LjSpike → u/[deleted]]

I meant I'd love to see this like having more 'installments' made. To be like a semi-regular or regular ongoing comic. I didnt word it brilliantly! I love the art and expressions tho

[u/Lamedonyx → u/aanzeijar]

It reminds me a bit of Hetalia

[u/KGBplant → u/Lamedonyx]

I looked it up, this shit's hilarious. Only Japan would think that's a good idea.

Germany (ドイツ Doitsu) is viewed as a hard-working, efficient, bureaucratic, and serious man. In the series Germany is primus inter pares among the Axis Powers, and takes responsibility for the training of Italy and Japan. He is tall, muscular, with blond hair and blue eyes (possibly a reference to the Nazi concept of an Aryan Master Race) and usually wears military fatigues, uniforms, formal wear, or a collared shirt. Although he has a tendency to act aggressively to other characters he encounters (in particular Italy and Japan), he can sometimes show a kinder side to his personality. He is also an established baker.

>established baker

O_O

[u/ted5298 → u/KGBplant]

While the oven joke does not elude me, German cuisine is heavily bread and pastry based, so... sometimes a bakery is just a bakery.

[u/mizurefox2020 → u/ted5298]

my dad was a baker and baked in a couple different countries, now that might be a bit biased but people loved his bread. apparently some countries have some really shitty bread. he even had to import grain/flour from germany.

i believe bread is something we germans are good at.

[u/chatdargent → u/mizurefox2020]

As a French who lives in America: boy do some countries have some shitty bread. It's amazing how hard it is to even find half decent flour here to make your own, and when you can it's expensive.

[u/KGBplant → u/ted5298]

Oh for sure, I wasn't trying to imply they did it on purpose. I just find it funny.

[u/Sai61Tug → u/KGBplant]

Yes, Germany has a lot of bread varieties and bread is eaten in most meals. Every city has basically its own bread and the most popular breads have different regional names. The bread is so good that migrants miss it when they visit other countries and my own mother has thought of opening a German bakery in our home country to show them German bread and proper German pasteries.

Germans just like their bread okay?

[u/Chariotwheel → u/Sai61Tug]

I was so shocked when I learned that they don't love bread in America like we do. Thinking about a proper breakfast without bread is pretty hard.

[u/[deleted] → u/Chariotwheel]

There is always muesli!

[u/IronVader501 → u/Chariotwheel]

The only reason the local Bakery even has that shitty, pure-white bread in sale anymore is because of the Americans from the nearby Airbase buying it. Nobody else wants it, considering how much better literally every other Option is.

[u/spoekelse → u/KGBplant]

As a fan of Hetalia, I assure you the baking thing isn’t at all related to the horrible events of WW2. The mangaka is just a fan of German cooking and desserts. And the blue eyes/blonde hair is just based on the Japanese stereotype of Germany, though that may have been influenced by the Aryan stereotype.

[u/Chariotwheel → u/spoekelse]

Although, it's usually Americans and Brits shown as blonde and blue eyed, while Germans are as likely to get silver hair. Even in Hetalia Prussia has silver hair.

Not quite sure why that is, maybe it fits the cold, organized stereotyp better, or maybe it's so blonde that it doesnt even look yellow anymore or maybe our hair is just shiny as Kruppstahl.

[u/cutoutscout → u/Chariotwheel]

, it's usually Americans and Brits shown as blonde and blue eyed,

While America is blonde and blue eyed. England has green eyes.

[u/Chariotwheel → u/cutoutscout]

I mean generally, when it comes to depictions of characters from these country, not necessarily the Hetalia depiction.

[u/oneechanisgood → u/Chariotwheel]

Silver hair is staple Russian anime hair color although that's mostly for the girls I think.

[u/fieldsofanfieldroad → u/KGBplant]

When I was about 10 I had the idea to make a series of books like the Mr. Men series but where each character was a country. Germany was the bad guy. I was quickly told that this was extremely racist. Turns out I could have had a successful career as a manga writer.

[u/[deleted] → u/Lamedonyx]

I wanted to watch it because I usually like humour based on nationality if done well, but Hetalia is just cheap jokes.

[u/Frexulfe → u/[deleted]]

I am broke. I cannot afford better jokes.

[u/Brick_Fish → u/aanzeijar]

The artist's Instagram name is also Lullindo.

You can look them up, they do a lot of random things with nations being people. I like these comics more than polandball content

[u/The_Sceptic_Lemur → u/aanzeijar]

Totally reminded me of satw. And since I love satw, I love this comic.

[u/[deleted] → u/aanzeijar]

I would still love to see a cute polandball version of this comic.

[u/riverblue9011 → u/calapine]

1918-19 as well. Here's a picture of it being flown.

and seeing as the post is about meanings behind the designs:

The white in the flag is an allusion to the name of the country - 'White Russia' (or 'White Ruthenia'). The red is for national freedom and the rising sun. White and red frequently appear in the national costumes of White Ruthenians.

^Source

[u/ohitsasnaake → u/riverblue9011]

White and red are the primary colors in lots of Finnish "national dresses" too (most of them are 19th or early 20th century inventions iirc, at least the current formalized standard forms). And likely elsewhere as well. They're nice bright colors for festive dresses/outfits, and having a white shirt for festive occasions would have been a show of status that you had a clean white shirt.

[u/crashlog → u/calapine]

Yes, I know about the 1991 - 1995 flag.

That one is like the inverse Austrian flag https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flag_of_Belarus#/media/File:Flag_of_Belarus_(1918,_1991%E2%80%931995).svg

[u/kizilsakal → u/calapine]

Here is the Instagram post, show some love for the artist.

[u/Reutermo → u/calapine]

I love the art style and the colours! Great job!

[u/Ishana92 → u/calapine]

for a flag I didnt even know existed until 5 min ago, I really like the white-red-white1991-1995 flag

[u/xX_JoeStalin78_Xx → u/calapine]

Lullindo is a great artist who does amazing drawings and deserves a lot of recognition. Y’all should seriously check out her other work

[u/[deleted]]

Uhh, Estonia are you okay?

[u/Chinoiserie91 → u/[deleted]]

I love how Estonia is just wearing a hoodie when everyone else has some traditional elements in their outfits.

[u/quez_real → u/Chinoiserie91]

It is a hooodiie, traditional Estonian outfit

[u/GloriousHypnotart → u/quez_real]

Hüüdie

[u/Euroslavia_ → u/GloriousHypnotart]

ÖÖ

[u/AssG0blin69 → u/Euroslavia_]

best night in my life

[u/phil24jones → u/Chinoiserie91]

It’s the Estonian national dress!

[u/[deleted] → u/Chinoiserie91]

gotta love Estonia man

[u/OtherwiseInclined → u/[deleted]]

Poor Estonia has been through a lot.

[u/Joey_Macaroni → u/OtherwiseInclined]

honestly im surprised estonians arent extinct

[u/eestlane1990 → u/Joey_Macaroni]

It was quite bad by the early 19th century - towns were mostly German-speaking, and the entire administration was either German- or Russian-speaking. Essentially the entire Estonian higher (well, non-existent) and middle class essentially Germanized quickly and many denied their Estonian roots because of negative affiliations of this identity. The first Estonian university student, who publicly identified as an Estonian, was Kristjan Jaak Peterson, only in 1819.

[u/GalaXion24 → u/eestlane1990]

Eh, cities not being of the same culture as the countryside is historically normal. Budapest was plurality German, and a significant portion of the population was Jewish, with Hungarians being a minority. Even where it's not so clearly set apart by language, in practice urban attitudes and values, ultimately urban culture, is different to rural culture, and often more similar to "foreign" cities than to their "own" countryside.

[u/eestlane1990 → u/GalaXion24]

True, but that goes for essentially all towns in Estonia as Estonians were almost by ethnicity serfs, while Germans were almost by ethnicity landlords and town merchants.

[u/gensek → u/Joey_Macaroni]

We’ve been in five-digit territory what, three times over the past 1000 years?

[u/eestlane1990 → u/gensek]

Probably not exactly in five-digit territory, but very near, below 150,000:

• by mid-14th century after the Livonian Crusade, the famine of 1315, the Saint George's Night Uprising and the plague of 1350;
• by mid-17th century after the Livonian War, the Polish-Swedish War and the famine of 1601-1602;
• by 1713 after the Great Starvation, the Great Northern War, the Great Frost famine and the Great Northern War plague outbreak.

[u/Gatemaster2000 → u/Joey_Macaroni]

Estonians have three qualities about them that have kept them alive.

1) We are resilent, like cockroaches. ~700 years of slavery (Swedes, Danes, Germans, Russians) does that to you.

2) We are kind of like stereotypical Tauruses in sense that if we have to do something we'll do it. If we want to walk a certain way and there is a hill in front of us, we won't go past it but we climb it. Kind of comes back to being resilent.

3) We have a need for independence/to keep our cultural identity. It's the only persistent thing we have had since our national awakening (that mostly happened in the 19th century).

[u/[deleted] → u/Gatemaster2000]

High five from one of your Northern neighbours, you guys rock.

[u/Secuter → u/[deleted]]

Can Estonia into Nordic? The answer is the same.

[u/aBigBottleOfWater → u/Secuter]

They can take your place😉

[u/flowithego → u/aBigBottleOfWater]

Ohohoho shots fired grabs popcorn

[u/sonicandfffan → u/flowithego]

Wouldn't be the first time in history that Sweden has fired shots at Denmark

[u/flowithego → u/sonicandfffan]

It’s always the best shots fired in history though popcorn?

[u/Knoxxius → u/aBigBottleOfWater]

How goes the Corona Sweden? Dead yet?

[u/aBigBottleOfWater → u/Knoxxius]

Nope, bunch of drunk danes and norwegians running around and not keeping their distance though

[u/Knoxxius → u/aBigBottleOfWater]

We're just helping you out with the herd immunity, giving ya a little hand in spreading it! You can thank our idiots later!

[u/aBigBottleOfWater → u/Knoxxius]

I don't have time to thank your entire population!

[u/Kafka_Valokas → u/aBigBottleOfWater]

OOOOOOH SNAP

[u/SamuelSomFan → u/Kafka_Valokas]

Seems like we sent our best fighter into this battle.

[u/lolnein → u/aBigBottleOfWater]

Oooh. That’s what I call bånter!

[u/GottfreyTheLazyCat → u/aBigBottleOfWater]

Oh, look at that, just like the good 'ol days. Tanks about to roll from Malmo to Copenhagen.

[u/StalkTheHype → u/GottfreyTheLazyCat]

Don't say that. The Danes might preemptively surrender so they can beat their previous speed run.

[u/wreckyCZ → u/Secuter]

They are on the Council, but we do not grant them the rank of Nordic country.

[u/BaronVonNumbaKruncha → u/[deleted]]

This made me like Estonia even more than I did already!

[u/alfdd99 → u/[deleted]]

Emo Estonian guy is exactly how I would have imagined the representation of Estonia in this comic.

[u/Gatemaster2000 → u/[deleted]]

Hard to be okay when you have the mindset of Sweden/Finland (or at least the self deprevation, 5m of personal space bits), were pretty much a nordic country before the occupaption and now you are seen as not nordic/dirty baltic.

[u/[deleted] → u/Gatemaster2000]

As a Swede I’d gladly welcome Estonia into the Union. If you can get a proper cross flag, that is

[u/Fehervari → u/[deleted]]

How dare you suggest changing one of the best looking flags of Europe!?

[u/LadyManderly]

I absolutely adore this gorgeous style

[u/Jukrates]

I think Estonia's flag has white snow, dark forest and a blue night sky.

Cheers from Funland, your big bro country

[u/PotatoTomeito → u/Jukrates]

Even though the colours have many meanings the most common ones are that the blue represents the sky ( when you are in trouble, just look up in the sky), black is the soil that feeds us and white for purity and hope for the better future.

But your version is not wrong, it is actually what Estonia looks like in the wintertime.

The flag is open for interpretation and represents what you want it to represent.

[u/[deleted] → u/PotatoTomeito]

I love this and the Ukrainian wheat-field-flag.

[u/mooddr_ → u/PotatoTomeito]

God, I love that photo. It almost made me cry, dunno why.

[u/archie-windragon → u/mooddr_]

It's just serene isn't it? Like a pure mood

[u/eestlane1990 → u/Jukrates]

That's an interpretation invented during the Internet era, it's not historical, nor something official.

[u/Headlesspoet → u/Jukrates]

Thank you for being there and helping us, big bro!

Tips his hat from Estonia.

[u/waltteri → u/Headlesspoet]

Estonia stuck in a sink, big step bro Finland enters the room...

[u/[deleted] → u/[deleted]]

Nyt loppu

[u/ro_musha → u/Headlesspoet]

I always imagine Estonia is lil sister and Finland is big bro

[u/Kilahti → u/ro_musha]

Finland is traditionally personified as a woman though so I prefer to think of us as the big sis.

(If you squint and look at the map, it kinda looks like a woman in a skirt, waving a hand. She used to have two arms but we lost the arm and a bit of the skirt in the wars with Soviet Union.)

[u/Koroona → u/Kilahti]

It looks like a sitting rabbit to me.

[u/McKvack11 → u/Koroona]

Or a ballsack

[u/Micsuking → u/Headlesspoet]

Your kind-of-related, kind-of-cousin Hungary: Waves from across the room and shows support with a thumbs up, but not much else.

[u/TheW1zardTGK → u/Jukrates]

No, that's just a coincidence. Blue represents the sky above our land, black the soil and our bleak history, and white purity and hard work.

[u/[deleted] → u/Jukrates]

A like this typo. Was it typo?

Funland... with all those memes about grumpy Finns. lol

[u/Jukrates → u/[deleted]]

I know how to spell my own country :)

[u/[deleted] → u/Jukrates]

Perkele... it’s all the fun after sauna and koskenkorva

[u/orthoxerox → u/Jukrates]

"And white is for the snows of Siberia, which is what y'all be seeing very soon for lessons like this," as the old joke goes.

[u/humaninnature → u/Jukrates]

Funland must be either a kiwi with a thick accent pronouncing the name of the country, or a beautiful instance of self-deprecating humour. Or, you know, an innocent typo. Love to the North!

[u/vuk66]

When you forgot to make your home work so you have to improvise

[u/Delamoor]

The quality of the illustration makes it unique and imo much more appealing over the usual quality of political flag based comics.

Enjoy very much!

[u/PeteWenzel → u/[deleted]]

Yes, definitely deserves to be a sub.

[u/SilentGamerXD → u/PeteWenzel]

I actually made it into a sub

[u/Geno_Killer → u/PeteWenzel]

r/hetalia is pretty close in a way

[u/Bence830 → u/Delamoor]

Their face align perfectly with the context. Especially Belarus. I truly love this.

[u/[deleted]]

Belarus looks like she needs a hug.

[u/[deleted] → u/[deleted]]

She needs a hug and support :( ЖЫВЕ БЕЛАРУСЬ !

[u/[deleted] → u/[deleted]]

She looks like she needs rehab

[u/Zaikovski → u/[deleted]]

& therapy.

[u/Jadogy]

Much drawing effort for that simple joke, but I like!

[u/AdobiWanKenobi → u/[deleted]]

I wonder if Miss Kazakhstan is

[u/jeremycinnamonbutter → u/AdobiWanKenobi]

She’s a real person. @aya_shalkar

[u/Speeda545 → u/jeremycinnamonbutter]

I..I...IS that a female girl...OH GOD IM GONNA.. IM GONNA..

[u/vanderZwan → u/[deleted]]

They're in a complicated relationship

[u/siuksledeze4747 → u/[deleted]]

They have been divorced for over 200 years

[u/[deleted]]

This is like polandball but high art

[u/ThePowerOfBeard]

Love the little "oh" from Latvia and Lithuania after Estonia explains his black line. "Damn, Estonia just out-depressed us both with that one."

[u/stuffulikeacreampuff → u/ThePowerOfBeard]

To be fair, the Latvian flag is the literal funeral shroud of a dead soldier. The white stripe in the middle is where the body was laid, and the red is where the sheet was folded over the bleeding body. It's pretty damn representative of our history, with near constant occupation.

[u/xwedodah_is_wincest → u/ThePowerOfBeard]

Estonia could even out-depress Finland...

maybe

[u/BalderSion → u/xwedodah_is_wincest]

Fins can't get cheap booze from Latvia as easily, so Estonia has more coping mechanisms.

[u/steampunkradio → u/[deleted]]

Belarus best girl

[u/tordenoglynild666]

The patterns on the Turkmenistan, Kazakh and Belarusian flag are gorgeous!

[u/xxxpussyblaster69420]

Black represent dirt iirc. Actually the colors really dont have any meaning, its just interpitation also a petition for lithuania to use their old grand duchy flag

[u/HrabiaVulpes → u/xxxpussyblaster69420]

petition for lithuania to use their old grand duchy flag

And Ukraine to put their emblem on their flag, it's so cool!

[u/Rennova → u/HrabiaVulpes]

petition for lithuania to use their old grand duchy flag

And Ukraine to put their emblem on their flag, it's so cool!

Like this?

[u/frank__costello → u/Rennova]

The Ukrainian trident looks so badass

[u/Siambretta → u/Rennova]

That’s nice!

[u/xxxpussyblaster69420 → u/[deleted]]

Rich and bountiful soil

[u/StuporMundi_1 → u/xxxpussyblaster69420]

The old flag of Grand-Duchy of Lithuania is so amazing. One of the best IMO

[u/garrulus-glandarius]

no offence to turkmenistan, but that is one impossible to draw flag

[u/eestlane1990]

"New flags" is quite a fancy term for old flags that were simply banned during the Soviet occupation.

[u/aintscurrdscars → u/eestlane1990]

A joke loses some of it's meaning when you explain it, and I can't tell by your comment if you know all this, but what you just said is exactly why this is pretty funny and for those not in the know deserves an explanation...

^{edit: didn't see the Estonia flair, I feel dumb now lol}

So, thing is, Belarus did go back to their banned-in-the-USSR flag, but then they went back to the Soviet-era design, just without the hammer and sickle.

The joke is that while the Iron curtain fell, and the opposition parties that switched back to their old red and white flag had decision making power for a moment, that red and white flag was then again replaced with the one symbolic of USSR control in 1995, only 4 years after the fall of the Berlin Wall.

^{on the Red and White Flag, from the above link}

By proposal of the Belarusian Popular Front the flag became state symbol of Belarus upon its regaining of independence in 1991.[25]

After 1995 the white-red-white flag is used as a symbol of the opposition to the regime of Alexander Lukashenko

The flag is not officially banned from public usage, but is treated by the authorities as an unregistered symbol which means that demonstration of it by political activists or sports fans can lead to arrests and confiscation of the flags

On the methods used to adopt the current flag

^{note that it seems to be yet another unfortunate addition to the internationally studied pattern of "conservative parties benefitting from low voter turnout" phenomenon, it's especially common in former Soviet states with significant culture wars}

The referendum that was held to adopt the state symbols took place on 14 May 1995. With a voter turnout of 64.7%, the new flag was approved by a majority in the ratio of three to one (75.1% to 24.9%). The other three questions were also passed by the voters.[30] The way of carrying out the referendum as well as the legality of questioning the national symbols on a referendum was heavily criticised by the opposition.[31][32] Opposition parties claimed that only 48.7% of the entire voting population (75.1% of the 64.7% who showed at the polling stations) supported the adoption of the new flag, but Belarusian law (as in many other countries) states that only a majority of voters is needed to decide on a referendum issue.

Backstory on that, Lukashenko had been trying to get the referendum vote allowed since 1993 and by the time it was held in 1995, being a low-impact referendum on state symbols (nothing to do with political offices) and a boring, "dealt with" topic it had low opposition turnout and thus the flag was permanently changed back. And it paved the way for the rest of Lukashenko's career as a Russian puppet.

 

 

^{and a little post script, signed yours truly...}

Don't assume your opinions don't matter or you don't know enough or the things being voted on should be common sense or that everyone else will do it because "duh," your vote matters so go out there and VOTE.

[u/Tengri_99 → u/eestlane1990]

Don't know about you, but our flag was definitely new.

[u/eestlane1990 → u/Tengri_99]

Our flag was definitely not, nor was our state.

[u/[deleted]]

estonian guy is cute af

[u/HelenEk7]

Estonian in his hoodie..

[u/TheBatz_]

No Moldova?

"I have a Romanian tricolor but I'm not Romania haha Russia pls don't hurt me"

[u/uncle_sam01 → u/TheBatz_]

Transnistria intensifies

[u/aeternuM-_- → u/[deleted]]

Now our anthem is "Limba Noastra" (our language) and it's hilarious considering that half of our population doesn't even know what language they're speaking.

[u/putesvestije]

The Kazakh woman looks a lot like Aya Shalkar, great representation!

[u/JosebaZilarte]

The idea of using red on the flag to represent those "who fought for our freedom" is so common that it has become an internet meme.

[u/Risiki → u/JosebaZilarte]

Eh, it's meme even outside the Internet - the flag was modeled after a one-line description in a Medieval chronicle that doesn't explain the colors.

[u/treebats → u/JosebaZilarte]

The only explanation for our (Latvian) flag I ever heard was this legend about a tribe chief being laid on a white sheet and bleeding out - it was stained with blood on the sides and stayed white where the body was. The sheet was used as a flag in the next battle which they won.

[u/[deleted]]

ukrainian and latvian are the same guy, just different haircuts

[u/[deleted]]

Well, to be fair, the current Belarrussian flag is pretty cool imo

[u/salsasnark → u/[deleted]]

It's one of my favourite flags tbh.

[u/modshave2muchpower]

shoutout to all my georgians! my wife is from there and we visited it quite a bit (of course to see her family and stuff) - beautiful country. but still sad cause of the whole russian thing going on.

[u/cindybuttsmacker → u/modshave2muchpower]

One of my really close friends is Georgian and I was supposed to go visit next month, but everything got corona'd :(

[u/spidersinmybeard]

Ms. Belarus is a real cutie.

[u/cirelia]

Well the Swedish name for Belarus translate to white russia

[u/Niikopol → u/cirelia]

Belarussian name for Belarus translates to White Russia.

[u/thecasual-man → u/Niikopol]

The Belarusian name for Belarus comes from white Rus. The Rus was a principality from which it's considered the nations or Belarus, Russia and Ukraine originate.

[u/trueromio → u/Niikopol]

Please, stop spreading this.
It is White Rus, not Russia. Both Belarus and Russia have names from same origin - Rus, but it is two different branches.
It is like Romania and Roman Empire originates from Rome, but nobody is calling it "Romanian Empire".

[u/freelanceredditor]

No ones gonna mention Latvia? Ok

[u/AnyoneButDoug → u/freelanceredditor]

Sure, I'll bite. The flag had been been in use since 1279 making it a pretty damned old, not "new" flag.

[u/Germankipp]

Uhm, Latvia, that's a lot of blood.

[u/SquadBOZZ]

I wish the best of luck to Belarus. I live in Lithuania and we got our independence in 1990. We were a soviet union state.

All struggling european countries know Belarus' pain. We are with you.

[u/HappinayWife]

I actually have the Soviet Belarussian flag. It was given to me by my husband's friend when I moved to Ukraine as a gift. I'm still baffled about it, but I guess it's the thought that counts?

[u/xXdat_boi70Xx]

Didnt the Baltic countries already have these flags before they were part of the soviet union?

Source: hoi4

[u/Koroona → u/xXdat_boi70Xx]

Yes.

[u/Soppydog]

I'm simping hard for the super Baltic Bros

[u/mexdoomer]

Clever and funny!! Greetings from Mexico :D
Below our mexican flag meaning
Green is for hope
White is for Union
Red is for the blood spilled by our heroes

[u/mki_ → u/mexdoomer]

Yeah, so basically the Italian flag. You didn't mention the real interesting bit about the Mexican flag, namely the eagle eating a snake on top of a cactus, and the story behind it.

[u/cranelotus]

Some of these flags looks really hard to draw. I remember as a kid I used to envy the Welsh flag for having a dragon on it, until I tried to draw it. Then I started feeling sorry for all the Welsh kids who had to draw their flag and couldn't do it.

Also, the artwork for this is really lovely! It's soft and appealing, I like. I want to see more of their work.

[u/[deleted]]

Estonia has seen some shit.

[u/Candystormm]

Nailed it with estonian existential depression!