Estonia Flag

Description

The Estonia flag is available from Flags Online in full-size and desk formats, printed on both sides and made to last outdoors.

About the Estonia Flag

The Estonia flag, known locally as the sinimustvalge, literally blue-black-white, is a simple horizontal tricolour that has come to represent one of the most direct national stories in Europe: banned under occupation, then restored the moment independence returned.

Colours and Symbolism

Blue is read as a symbol of the sky, loyalty and faith. Black recalls the soil of Estonia and the hardships the nation endured through periods of foreign rule. White stands for snow, purity and the aspiration toward freedom that carried through decades when the flag itself could not legally be flown. Unlike flags built around a coat of arms or emblem, Estonia’s strength lies in the plainness of the three bands, which makes it instantly recognisable and difficult to confuse with any other national flag.

History of the Estonia Flag

The tricolour was first used by Estonian student societies in the late 19th century and was adopted as the national flag when Estonia declared independence in 1918. It flew until the Soviet occupation of 1940, after which it was banned for decades, along with public display of Estonian national symbols. During the Soviet period Estonia used a red flag with a blue-and-white wave design instead, and owning the old tricolour privately could carry real risk. The blue-black-white flag reappeared during the independence movement of the late 1980s and was formally restored as the national flag in 1990, ahead of Estonia regaining full independence in 1991.

Flying and Displaying the Flag

Estonia has clear flag traditions, flying it daily on many public buildings and marking specific flag-flying days by law, including Independence Day on 24 February and Restoration of Independence Day on 20 August. The flag is always flown blue uppermost, black in the middle and white at the bottom, an easy rule to follow given there is no coat of arms to worry about. Estonians take flag etiquette seriously, and it’s common to see the Estonia flag lowered to half-mast on days of national mourning, a practice formalised in the country’s flag legislation. The correct proportions and shades of blue, black and white are also set out in law, so official versions tend to be more precise than casually printed copies.

Estonia Flag Sizes and Pricing

• 180 x 120cm — R860
• 22 x 15cm Desk Flag (10 units) — R800
• 10 x 15cm Desk Flag (10 units) — R650
• 90 x 60cm — R400

Material and Construction

Made from 100% polyester bunting material and digitally printed on both sides. Hemmed all around with two rows of stitching and finished with a polyester webbing heading. Rope and toggle for hoisting included.

Supplied in packs of 10. Printed on both sides onto polyester and supplied with a black plastic stick and removable base — take the base off and it doubles as a hand waving flag.

Ordering and Delivery

Every Estonia flag is printed to order and dispatched from our Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth) and Johannesburg branches, with courier delivery nationwide. Bulk and school orders are welcome — contact us for volume pricing on quantities of 10 or more.

Additional information