Georgia’s flag—the ‘Five‑Cross Flag’—is a white field bearing a large red cross of St George with four smaller red crosses in the quarters. Restored by law in January 2004 after the Rose Revolution, it revived a medieval Georgian emblem used by dynasties and in church art. The design replaced the 1990–2004 tricolour. Statutes define proportions, cross geometry, and protocols for state, military, and diplomatic display; improper use is restricted. The flag now appears across institutions and international fora.
Georgia’s national flag presents a white field charged with a large red cross of St George and four smaller Bolnur‑Katskhuri crosses in the quarters—a medieval motif restored in 2004 to signal renewal and historic continuity.
Medieval antecedents. The five‑cross composition appears in Georgian manuscripts, church frescoes, and dynastic arms from the late medieval period. St George—warrior martyr and patron—figures prominently in Georgian iconography; the multiplicity of small crosses reads as a field of sanctity or as heraldic quarter charges associated with ruling houses.
Modern adoption. After the dissolution of the USSR, the Republic of Georgia initially readopted a red‑black‑white tricolour (1990), a banner with roots in early twentieth‑century national movements. Civil society and historians campaigned for the medieval five‑cross flag as a purer emblem of Georgian statehood. In January 2004, following the Rose Revolution, parliament enacted the law restoring the five‑cross design as the national flag.
Design
and construction. Law specifies the ratios and line widths for the central St George’s cross and the four smaller crosses, ensuring the large cross reaches the flag’s edges while the quarter crosses sit proportionally within each quadrant. Official colour standards fix a vivid red on a white field. Variants for presidential and military standards incorporate the national arms or fringes but retain the five‑cross core.
Symbolism
The central cross represents St George and, by extension, Christian heritage and national endurance; the quarter crosses repeat and amplify this theme. White stands for purity and peace; red for courage and sacrifice. In public rhetoric, the flag fuses Christian tradition with civic aspiration after difficult transitions.
Protocol
and etiquette. Government buildings, courts, schools, and diplomatic missions display the flag with the Georgian coat of arms separately as a state emblem where appropriate. Protocol prescribes respectful handling, proper illumination at night, precedence rules when flown with the EU flag and other national flags, and dignified disposal. Misuse for advertising or defacement is prohibited.
Continuity
and public use. Since 2004 the flag has become ubiquitous in Georgia and among the diaspora. It appears at sporting events, national holidays, and in village squares. Education curricula teach the flag’s history and proper display, and procurement standards ensure consistent geometry across manufacturers.
International presence. At the United Nations and European institutions, Georgia’s five‑cross flag is instantly recognisable among tricolours and ensigns, distinguishing the country visually while echoing medieval heraldry. Military colours, ship ensigns, and presidential standards adapt the core design for service contexts.
By reviving a medieval emblem in modern statutory form, Georgia bound its renewed republic to a deep civilisational memory—an act of heraldic restoration with contemporary political force.