Flag of Serbia

Meaning and history of the flag of Serbia

The flag of Serbia has three equal horizontal stripes of red, blue, and white, from top to bottom. In the official state version, the Serbian coat of arms is placed slightly toward the hoist side. The coat of arms shows a white double-headed eagle on a red field beneath a golden crown, with a smaller shield bearing a white cross and four Cyrillic symbols that represent the national motto, "Only Unity Saves the Serbs."

The flag's colors are the pan-Slavic colors, inspired by the Russian tricolor but arranged in reverse order. They were first adopted in 1835, and the current flag was reinstated in 2004 after the dissolution of the union with Montenegro. Red symbolizes the blood shed for freedom, blue stands for loyalty and the sky, and white represents mother's milk and purity. The double-headed eagle is a symbol of Byzantine heritage that Serbia shares with Russia, Albania, and Montenegro, reflecting the influence of Eastern Orthodox Christianity across the Balkans.

You can view the flag of Serbia in high resolution above and download it in several sizes for personal, educational or reference use. To explore more, visit the full Serbia profile, its map, or the current local time in Belgrade.