Flags of regions of Russia through the eyes of foreigners

In Twitter appeared interesting thread. Journalist Fabrice Deprez has published the most bizarre flags of Russian regions with the image of animals and commented that they occur. Foreigners like it, and they completed the trade by their findings.

Alright let's get this out of the way first: yes, the flag of Zheleznogorsk is a bear splitting an atom. Yes it's cool as hell. The city was founded to support a plutonium production facility. It makes satellites now. pic.twitter.com/wjdDlkWtOy

- Fabrice Deprez (@fabrice_deprez) July 9, 2019

I'll start with the obvious: yes, Zheleznogorsk flag - it literally bear separating atom. And yes, it looks cool. The city was founded to serve the plutonium production reactors, and now there do satellites.

Next up, probably my favorite flag from a purely esthetic standpoint. It flies over the Yamalsky district, near the Arctic ocean. And get this: the antlers of the deer (an important animal for the indigenous population) are flames, a nod to the region's massive gas fields. pic.twitter.com/yKNy8hVya9

- Fabrice Deprez (@fabrice_deprez) July 9, 2019

Then - perhaps my favorite flag from the point of view of aesthetics. He belongs to the Yamal region - the fact that close to the Arctic Ocean. Note: antler (which is an important animal for the local population) - is actually a flame, a reference to the local gas industry.

Vovchansk, Sverdlovsk region. The rodent is cute. There's a neat detail too: the 3 stars represent the district's three places by order of size (1 city, 1 village, 1 small village). Except... the smallest village actually had a population of 0 and officially disappeared two months ago. pic.twitter.com/STUKdtzCLX

- Fabrice Deprez (@fabrice_deprez) July 9, 2019

Volchanskiy district, Sverdlovsk region. Cute rodent, but there is an interesting detail. Three stars correspond to the three objects district, in decreasing order of size (city, settlement and village). That's just... the population of the village is 0 people, and it has not officially been in existence for 2 months.

Probably the fanciest one of the bunch. The A is for the river Akhtuba, after which the district - called Sredneakhtubinsky, in the Volgograd region - is named. The cranes are for "cheerfulness and love," and the crown symbolizes the region's wealth. pic.twitter.com/6E1VjQ70di

- Fabrice Deprez (@fabrice_deprez) July 9, 2019

Perhaps the most elaborate. And - a reference to the Akhtuba River, in whose honor and was named Sredneakhtubinsky District (Volgograd region). Cranes symbolize joy and love, and the crown - the wealth of the region.

Next up is this incredibly cute mammoth on the flag of Srednekolymsk, a small city 5,300 km East of Moscow (and 1,700 km West of Alaska) in a region where frozen mammoths are regularly found. pic.twitter.com/t5H7iO7rct

- Fabrice Deprez (@fabrice_deprez) July 9, 2019

Incredibly cute mammoth depicted on the flag Srednekolymsk (a small town in the 5300 km east of Moscow, and in 1700 km to the west of Alaska). In this region are periodically frozen mammoths.

Welcome to the rural settlement of Syaskelevskoe, in the Leningrad region (next to Saint Petersburg), inhabited by about 5,000 people. The flag is based on the coat of arms of the Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, whose esate was located there https://t.co/gJgGeokrYCpic.twitter.com/qN9KnXh1Tv

- Fabrice Deprez (@fabrice_deprez) July 9, 2019

Welcome to Syaskelevskoe rural settlement, in the Leningrad region. Here lives only 5 000 people. The basis of the flag - coat of arms George of Mecklenburg-Sterlitskogo who built his estate here.

Not sure if ammonites qualify as animals but I just love how clean this flag is. It flies over the Ulianov district in the Ulianov region (named after Vladimir Ulianov, better known as Lenin, who was born there). It's one of the rare not to have it's own dedicated Wikipedia... pic.twitter.com/FLw49kQ60N

- Fabrice Deprez (@fabrice_deprez) July 9, 2019

Not sure ammonites can be called animals, but I like how the flag is minimalistic. It belongs to the Ulyanovsk region (named in honor of Vladimir Ulyanov, alias Lenin, who was born here). Formal study of this design is not, but maybe it's due to the fossils, which the local is often found on the banks of the Volga. By the way, pretty funny that the article in "Wikipedia", dedicated to the flags of regions, often longer than articles about themselves areas.

More fanciness. The flag of Palekh, in the Ivanovo region (not far from Moscow), depicts the firebird, a staple of Slavic folklore that is said to have originated from that city https://t.co/SWo1uUl8fIpic.twitter.com/TIpdpbQgnf

- Fabrice Deprez (@fabrice_deprez) July 9, 2019

Here is another artsy. The flag of Palekh (Ivanovo region, not far from Moscow) is shown Firebird - creation of Slavic folklore, which, according to legend, a native of this city.

Speaking of folklore, the coat of arms for the district of Mogocha shows the Dyabdar, a giant winged snake that is part of the mythology of the Evenks people. Mogocha is 80km north of the Chinese border and Evenks are present in China, Russia and Mongolia. https://t.co/Yn7AlVnCkVpic.twitter.com/6KM9h9ym2g

- Fabrice Deprez (@fabrice_deprez) July 9, 2019

Speaking of folklore, on the arms of the city depicts Mogocha Dyabdar - a giant winged serpent of mythology Evenki (people who live in China, Russia and Mongolia).

Meanwhile, in the district of Khoroshyovo-Mnyovniki of Moscow, this is happening: https://t.co/sHSuXvxiXHpic.twitter.com/dJOSJHzjwB

- Fabrice Deprez (@fabrice_deprez) July 9, 2019

Meanwhile, the flag of Moscow district khoroshevo-mnevniki district looks like.

Bears are unsurprisingly a very common theme in Russian regional flags. I have a weakness for the bear carrying a Bible on the flag of Perm, near the Urals. He looks so happy :) pic.twitter.com/fTaHyc8dsF

- Fabrice Deprez (@fabrice_deprez) July 9, 2019

Probably no surprise that the bears are quite common on the flags of Russian regions. I was especially touched the bear with the Bible on the flag of Perm. He looks so happy. :)

Gradually began to thread the readers to share their favorites among the strange Russian flags.

Oh my goodness, it's a salamander atop the rods of a nuclear reactor core. pic.twitter.com/6uqvZ7vUCh

- all the work while crying (@Pasha_Spider) July 9, 2019

How do you flag Ozersk? It is literally a lizard on a nuclear reactor. Her tail leaves trail of fire that symbolizes nuclear decay.

check this out: the flag of Pskov pic.twitter.com/1gZe63hwDi

- broccoli lover (@riiachuk) July 10, 2019

Check out: Pskov flag.

The flag of Tomsk region looks kinda boring compared to the atomic bear. Although this red eyed horse reminds of the rabbit from Monty Python's Holy Grail 😅 pic.twitter.com/Bz6p3a7Gzj

- You do not trust no bear (@bearisfake) July 9, 2019

The flag of Tomsk Oblast looks boring compared to the atomic bear. But the red-eyed horse reminded me of a rabbit from "Monty Python and the Holy Grail."

This is great! Thank you. I found this badge for Yaroslavl in a charity shop in North London a few years back. Not as cool as the atomic bear, but still pretty awesome. pic.twitter.com/LlamzPf4G3

- Maxwell Broughton 🇪🇺 (@Max_Broughton) July 10, 2019

Of course, this is not the flag and coat of arms, but the author found it at a thrift shop in North London, which is fairly far from Yaroslavl. And yes, the bears again.

And a little bonus from the editors: Here is the flag of Irkutsk. Stories of the unknown animal with a fox, even in the teeth of a separate dedicated thread.

And some of these flags you think the most fun? Or do you have other options? Share opinions in the comments.