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Orel Region (Russia)

Orlovskaâ oblasth

Last modified: 2006-07-29 by antonio martins
Keywords: oryol | orel | eagle | hammer and sickle: no star | castle (white) | book |
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Орловская область

Flag of Orel Region
image by Pascal Gross, 24 Feb 2003
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Presentation of Orel Region

(Note: You need an Unicode-aware software and font to correctely view the cyrillic text on this page. See here transliteration details).

  • Name (english): Orel Region • (russian): Орловская область | Orlovskaâ oblasth
  • Capital (russian): Орёл | Orël • (english): Orel
  • Area: 24 700 km2 (≅9 500 sq.mi.) • Population: 892 300 inhabitants in 2000
  • Status: Region (область | oblasth) within the Russian Federation
  • Federal District: Central Region • Economic region: Center (central European Russia)
  • License plate code: 57 • Ham radio code: OR • ISO 3166-2 code: ORL
  • Flag adopted on 2002.07.31 • Coat of arms adopted on 2002.07.31

The inconsistency in spelling between "Orel" and "Oryol" is a difference in transliteration. The Russian letter is "e" with an umlaut over it, pronounced and [usually] transliterated "yo".
Joseph McMillan, 26 Nov 2001

Most of the times Russians don’t write the "e+umlaut" letter, using a simple "e" instead, causing that it is sometimes transcribed "Orel" (or "Oryel", "Orjel" etc.) and others "Orël" (or "Oryol", "Orjol" etc.).
António Martins, 29 Nov 2002


About the flag

The flag of Orel region is rectangular with a ratio of width to length 2:3, made of red and blue horizontal stripes.The ratio of the red stripe is 4/5 of the height of the flag. The image of coat of arms is set in the center of the red stripe. The ratio of the blue stripe is 1/5 of the height of the flag. The width of the image of coat of arms on the flag must be 1/4 of the length of the flag. Flag has been adopted on 26 July 2002.
I. Smetannikova, 24 Feb 2003

Flag and arms of Orol Oblast officially adopted on July, 31st 2002. The symbolic of the colors is described. More informations in this site (in Russian).
Jens Pattke, 11 Sep 2002

Appropriately, the an eagle shows on the coat of arms, since the word "orël" means "eagle".
Joseph McMillan, 26 Nov 2001

The eagle show in the arms with three russian crowns.
Jaume Ollé, 02 Sep 2003

The flag should have red with light blue stripe and arms in the center. The arms are not those appearing at http://www.adm.orel.ru/, as it seems that they have added a silver book and golden ears on a green background in the lower part of the arms.
Pascal Gross, 11 Sep 2002

I’m quite sure that the blue stripe [based on the RSFSR flag] is like that as we have already several other Russian flags of that kind: Kostroma, Vladimir and Voronezh, and also the city flag of Orel.
Pascal Gross, 26 Nov 2001

The basis was undertaken the coat of arms of Orel province, affirmed by sovereign by emperor in 1878, against the azure background fortress and gold two-headed eagle. In general this winged symbol is present in the coat of arms of Russia, and according to the requirements of heraldry, other subjects cannot use it on their coats of arms. For Orel an exception is made, since the image of an eagle appeared on our coat of arms of more than hundred years ago. The lower part of the coat of arms is devised in our time. Against a green background — gold ears and the silver book, which symbolizes the literary traditions of Orel edge. As far as the flag of Orel region is concerned, it is red width with the blue strip and the coat of arms of region in the middle. The figures of coat of arms and flag are approved by governor and chairmen of deputy commissions.
Pascal Gross, 26 Nov 2001, translating from http://www.kpv.ru/news/0207/25/orl_kult_2.shtml

The blue stripe at the bottom, not at the hoist.
Mark Sensen, 03 Oct 2004


1997 contest

Decision of Regional Duma on contest on symbols of the Region #23/219-OD (11 april 1997). The contest must be started 20 april 1997 and finished 20 june 1997. No more details.
Victor Lomantsov, 26 Mar 2000

This is interesting, and not unique: they announce a competition and then… nothing. I’d say that if it was officially over in june ’97, either a flag would have been adopted in a short period afterwards, or some official communication should be issued that no entry presented to the jury fulfilled the requirementes and therefore no flag was adopted. (And would this necessarily mean a new competition, with the same rules, on a new date?…)
António Martins, 27 Mar 2000


Orel city
(Orël | Орёл, a county-status city)

Flag of Orel City
image by Pascal Gross, 11 Nov 2001

At the city website are explanations about the symbols of the city of Orel. Looking at the flag we can notice that there is some nostalgy towards the soviet colours and symbols.
Pascal Gross, 11 Nov 2001

The second pro-soviet element is in the arms — historical arms had the eagle crowned; modern ares are without the crown.
Victor Lomantsov, 12 Nov 2001

Considering that "орёл | orël" is russian for "eagle", here’s another example of canting.
António Martins, 19 Nov 2002


Anything below this line was not added by the editor of this page.