Flag of Hetman Bohdan Khmelnytsky on exhibit in National Historical Museum (01/23/05)

Flag of Hetman Bohdan Khmelnytsky on exhibit in National Historical Museum

by Tatiana Matviichuk
Special to The Ukrainian Weekly

KYIV - Over the course of the past 300 years, Bohdan Khmelnytsky's flag, which for many symbolizes the beginnings of Ukrainian statehood, has been in Ukraine only twice. The flag is the property of the Stockholm Military Museum, where it is part of its collection of ancient flags - considered the largest collection in Europe.

Khmelnytsky's flag traveled to Ukraine for the first time March 5, 2002, and it was exhibited in Kyiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Lviv and Chyhyryn along with other ancient attributes of Kozak authority.

Now the historic flag is in Kyiv once more. A solemn ceremony that unveiled the flag took place at the entrance hall of the State National Historical Museum of Ukraine on January 12. The flag will be on display here until the end of March, together with the hetman's bulava, or mace, which came to Kyiv two weeks ago from the Warsaw Military Museum in Poland.

The arrival of such an important historical artifact of Ukrainian authority right before Mr. Yushchenko's inauguration as Ukraine's new president was seen by some as symbolic.

"These relics show not only the spiritual unity of our people, but they symbolize positive historical changes in the country, both in the 17th century and today," said Bohdan Hubskyi, a national deputy in the Verkhovna Rada and the head of the company Ukraine - 21st Century, which organized the event.

The private flag of the renowned Ukrainian hetman is approximately 350 years old; an abbreviation of Khmelnytsky's name and title appear on the flag. The main characteristic of this ancient flag - one that makes it so unique and symbolic - is the absence of any symbols of other foreign states (Poland or Russia), elements of which used to be depicted on other Zaporozhian flags.

Moreover, the cross in the center of the banner is the same as the cross on the sarcophagus of Kyivan Rus' Grand Prince Yaroslav Mudryi (the Wise). Therefore, the flag is considered by some to be the symbol of the beginnings of Ukrainian statehood. It was made in approximately 1649, at the time of the hetman state under the Zboriv Agreement, which concluded a revolt against Polish rulers.

Mr. Hubskyi explained that the historic attributes of Khmelnytsky's power - his bulava and flag - were to be used only for the one-time unveiling. But Mr. Hubskyi said it might be possible, and symbolic, to use them during the presidential inauguration. Negotiations on this subject are already taking place, but many obstacles remain unresolved.

Representatives of the military museums of Warsaw and Stockholm avoided questions about permanently returning the valuable artifacts to the Ukrainian people.

The atmosphere surrounding the flag's unveiling was reflected in the writer Yurii Mushketyk's words, which elicited images of brave Kozaks on a battlefield united under the unique banner. "Standing near it, we could feel the courage and new strength that might fill the Kozaks gathered under this flag," he noted.

According to Dr. Yuriy Savchyk, a professor of history at Ukraine's National Academy of Sciences, the flag came to Stockholm as a trophy during the second Swedish-Polish War (1655-1660) with many other Zaporozhian flags and was mentioned together with the trophy list of Swedish royalty in 1685. Dr. Savchyk, who has been studying flags of the Zaporozhian Sich in cooperation with Swedish specialists for 10 years, said the flag is made of flax - white with crimson borders - and is colored with natural pigments. The flag is about four feet wide and nine feet long, trimmed diagonally at the end.

In the 19th century Khmelnytsky's flag, together with banners of other European countries, was almost destroyed after being kept in poor conditions that included excessive humidity. But, thanks to journalists who raised the issue throughout Europe, the artifacts were saved. The edges of flag bear indications of exposure to humidity and light. Today, taking flash photographs of the ancient flag is not allowed because of the banner's age.

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