Using Ilia Chavchavadze’s words, “Every honest person, all nations worship the flag, as an emblem of the consciousness of the nation, its esteem, for the defense of its purity no one – whether a person or the whole nation – ever spares his life and dying for the flag is considered fame and glory.

The Georgians used flags from ancient times. “The role of the flag in old Georgia was great and multifaceted: it signified power, it showed the participation of the army units in military campaign, and was also a defining sign of commanders, apart from several other specific features of the struggle; besides, the flag is a participating detail of celbrations as well as the object of the cult” (49, p.1).

The term “drosha” first appeared in the Georgian original text of Shatberdi, describing the life of St.Nino.

In his “A Bouquet of Words”, Sulkhan-Saba Orbeliani defines: “Drosha - a colourful sign of order and groups, serves to recognize them”; “Drauji – flag”; “Banner – flag in Persian, in Georgian – a shoulder band, or a kind of a mark on the javelin or the like” (39, p.45, 224-226).

It is also interesting to site Teimuraz Bagrationi: “Flag – is a trunk for a banner, with an alam on the spear javelin, with signs or coat of arms of a state or an army, or images and icons” (35, p.53).

“Drosha” or “drauji” are different variants, deriving from the Persian word “dravshi”. In a text of the XII c. we meet a word “droshaki”, which could be used to describe some special type of a flag. In Georgia was also used another term – “bavraki”, which is explained by Sulkhan-Saba Orbeliani as a special flag of the church (or of the clergy, or of the cathedral) (49, p.1-2).

The constituent parts of a flag are: 1. A handle or a trunk, a buni (a buni of a flag), 2. A head or a nest sheath of a flag, 3. The cloth of a flag – alami (or a “shoulder band”). True, Sulkhan-Saba Orbeliani defines the word “alami”, as a Persian name of a flag, but Iv.Javakhishvili underlines, that this word was used by Georgians not as the one borrowed from Persian, but its Arabic root “alam”, that signifies in Arabic a sign and a flag (125, p.159).

These flags, so “big-heartedly used” by the Georgians were of the following types according to their structure:

1. “Flags made of cloth: the cloth was fixed to the handle, and above the cloth, the head of the flag was fixed. Such type of flags, must have belonged to the Dynasty of Gorgasal, and also, to the king’s security forces.

2. Flags of round metal discs fixed to the handle. On both sides of the disc an image was depicted. These flags were used in battles.

3. Flags resembling animals. They were made of cloth and fixed to the handle, which was crowned by the flag’s head. Such type of Svanuri flag Lemi (the lion) has reached our times and is preserved and displayed at the museum.

4. Labarum-flags – royal and clerical church – represent a quadrangle or pentagon plate fixed crosswise to the handle. The preserved samples show they were wrapped in metal sheath with particular images, or were wooden with an icon installed. The royal labarums lacked any other image or pattern except a decoration.

5. Flag-crosses were called the religious flags, i.e. the crosses fixed the tall handles (49, p.13).

The cloth of flags was either nailed to the handles, or – when needed, the cloth was tied to and hung on the handle. The flag of Georgia was tied to the handle, but not nailed (125, p.159). As for the crowning details of handles, they were mostly crosses; another option was a spearhead, while the king’s guards carried the flags crowned with the pentagon heads (49, p.14).

The symbol of the supreme power of the Georgian statehood and independence was represented by the state flag – the royal flag, or sepe-flag; in fact, it was of two types – the great flag used and taken out only on special occasions, and the other – smaller one, probably used in the court routine… The bigger one, the sepe-flag must have been the state flag, and the smaller one – the king’s personal flag (125, 158-159). Apart from royal flags, there were also “the banners of military commanders, the rulers of various regions of Georgia, of the king’s army, of the satellite states of Georgia (49, p.11).

The forefathers of the Georgians used the flags since old times, which is proven also by archaeological excavations. Due to the close longstanding relationship of Georgian tribes with the advanced nations of Asia Minor (Sumerians, Babylonians, Assyrians, Urartians, Hittites), we can certainly suppose that the flags of their neighbouring countries, too, were decorated with symbols of their power and gods.

The researchers consider that the bronze image of god found in Kazbegi (I millennium B.C.), that crowns the rows of bulls’ horns and is also decorated with bronze bells with iron tongues (see page 120), must represent a sample of ancient flags (49, p.6). Besides, the researchers consider that starting from the III century B.C. – till the intrusion of the Romans in Georgia, Georgian tribes must have used the flags of the labarum type. One of the type of flags must be a Svanuri “lion” type of flag (see page 121) depicting a beast or an animal (49, pp.6-7).
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According to a specialist in heraldry, D.Kldiashvili “after the spread of Christianity in Georgia, practically, up to the Arab invasion, the state flag was still of the labarum type, crowned possibly with a cross with the widened ends and equal size ends, set in the circle, which is known today as “Bolnisi cross”. After studying the said cross, M.Vadbolsky concluded that “it repeats the form of the Georgian banner of the Gorgasali epoch. This version deserves consideration the more so as in its form and general structure it coincides with the oldest military banners of Oriental nations”. This idea is also supported with the statement of a young king Vakhtang, before starting his campaign to North Caucasus (to Ossetia), about “being led by the honest cross given as the leader and ammunition” (Juansher) and the enemies were defeated. It is proper to remember here that at the entrance of the Jvari monastery in Mtskheta, above the main door, a scene of the Ascension on the cross is shown, which is known as Bolnisi cross - the state symbol. The fact that Vakhtang Gorgasali ordered to tie a white coloured banner to the flag handle and cross, clearly characterizes that flag as “the said flag belongs to Gorgasal, purified at the decisive moment” (“The life-story of Kartli”). According to Sulkhan-Saba Orbeliani’s explanation, “spetaki” means of the white colour (77).

So, we can restore with an approximate exactness the royal flag of the Gorgasali - “Gorgasliani” epoch as a white flag on the handle, with an even-handed widened-ended cross in the circle. (see page 122, drawing by Gia Bughadze).

Later, when Georgia first fell under the Arab protectorship, and then set on the final road of political unification, that very white flag appeared to become the leading symbol of the motherland’s struggle for sovereignty of the native country, which ended by the final consolidation of the country into the state under the reign of king Bagrat III (975-1014). So, the united Georgian kingdom has the same royal flag, which D.Kldiashvili described – as a white flag on the handle adorned with a cross. (77) (see page 123, drawing by G.Bughadze).

It is also interesting that the royal flag of Georgia “in the XII-XIV centuries writings was called by the names of powerful kings of Georgia: Gorgasliani, Davitiani (after King David the Builder), Bagratoanuri (for the personality of Bagrat III). The flag starts to appear in the historical writings during the period of Georgia’s unification. Every line and detail is linked to it, has great importance and is very interestingly intermingled with the fate of the kingdom” (49, p.15).

During the reign of David IV the Builder (1089-1125), Georgia became a powerful country in Asia Minor and established close relationship with the crusaders. After his victory in the battle of Didgori, King Davit’s fame became widespread throughout the Christian world and was referred to as “the messiah of Christ” and “the sun of Christendom”. David “added a red cross to the state white sepe-flag, which is known a St.George flag in lexicology. And of course, the Georgian flag could not look otherwise, because the Europeans had been calling our country Georgia, the land of St.George, since ancient times… We meet St.George’s image on the banners and flags and church labarums in the Middle Ages. The inscriptions remaining on them show that the Saint was prayed for support in victory, protection, help and assistance at the time of the Second Coming of Christ… According to the note of the XIII c. Armenian historian, Stephanoz Orbeliani, “…It was decided for the king (Georgian) to have a white flag with a red sign, and he ordered them (Orbelianis) to have a red banner with a white sign and thus pay their regards to the king”. In the Armenian language, the sign and the cross are identical concepts. The Chancellor of Antioch Principate, Gautie, also provides the notes concerning the “Holy Cross” adorning the Georgian flag. In fact, up to the reign of Giorgi the Brilliant (1314-1346), the Georgian state Gorgasal-Davitiani flag did not undergo any change – till the XIV century” (76,pp.29-30).
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So, we can conclude that the state Davitiani-Davitiani flag was white, but the sign on it – of the red colour. White, too, were banners of the king’s guards. The banner of the commander-in-chief was red with a white sign (49, p.13).

In view of the above-said, it is possible to restore the type of the Gorgasliani-Davitiani sepe-flag of the XII-XIII cc.: a handle with the white cloth of the flag and the red cross on it (see page 124, drawn by G.Bughadze).

Unfortunately, that sepe-flag of Davitiani is considered lost at present. According to the records of princes Bagrat and Davit, “the Osmans took away the flag of Imerians of the holy king David the Builder” in the battle of Akhaltsikhe”.

The XIV century king’s flag underwent significant changes. In “The world atlas” made by an unknown Franciscan monk (1345-1350), the Georgian flag presented as “a white-coloured cloth with five red crosses… On the map made by Pizzigani brothers – Fransisco and Domenico from Venice, the city of Tbilisi is shown as a three-towered fortress and above it – a white flag with five red crosses”… (76, pp.30-31).

What was the reason of adding four red crosses to the existing one on the white St.George flag? – The question is put and answered by D.Kldiashvili, who explains that after the king of Georgia – Giorgi the Brilliant succeeded in returning to Christiandom – the city of Jerusalem and the burial-ground of Christ, and won the esteemed statute of the Guard of the Lord’s grave, the state flag was enriched with four small red crosses in the corners, as a replica to the heraldic composition of the “Jerusalem cross” (76, p.35).

Thus, from the XIV century, the sepe-flag of Georgia acquires a new image and pattern: a white flag with a red cross in the center and four small floating crosses in the cornes (see page 125, drawing by Bughadze).

Very significant is also the fact that according to some written sources, the Georgian national flag was definitely decorated with the image of St.George.

For instance, according to the opinion of Teimuraz Bagrationi, Georgian “kings would always depict on the flag and the coat of arms the image of the holy Giorgi, and the same was repeated on the armour and helmets of the cavalrymen and his face was first appreciated in the state of the Georgians” (34, p.19).

Jacques de Vitri, a French author of the XII- XIII cc. informs us that Kartvelis “are called Georgians for the reason of their exceeding reverence and esteem of the saint and proclaim him the major defender and protector in their fights with infidels – equal to their flag”.

A German traveller of the XV century, Bernhard von Breidenbach writes: “…they are named the Georgians after the name of the Holy knight, St.George, whom they consider a special protector and leader of theirs, and pray to him with particular reverence and respect, particularly when going to the battle-field”.

The records of a Polish traveller of the Middle Ages, Kotovich, state that “Kartvelis (Georgians) Immensely respect the great martyr Giorgi (whose name they incorporated as the name of their nationality), considering him to be their favourite among the saints, their patron, protector, hail him and always carry the flags with his image and face” (125, p.160).

Iv.Javakhishvili comments this record of a Polish author, Kotovich: “ … the Georgian nationals had the exclusive right of entering Jerusalem with their waving flags. Of course, the flag should be of the state, to symbolize their nation - but not military. As Kotovich saw Georgians in Jerusalem, clearly, his description does not concern a military but the state national flag. Thus, the cited sources prove that the image depicted on the Georgian state flag was that of St.George, who as we know, in Georgian mentality is linked to the ancient period of paganism and represented the Moon, the supreme god and protector” (125, p.161).
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It should also be said that the great historian fairly points out the necessity to clarify whether the image of St.George was also depicted on the state flags and banners in the XI-XIII centuries as well, in order to determine whether or not it was introduced later (125, p.161).

S.Barnaveli finds it necessary to underline that: “The record of the Middle Ages period, too – that of a Polish traveller, Kotovich – about the image of St.George being depicted on the Georgian military banners, does not signify at all that the Georgian state flag of Gorgasliani looked the same. With regards to other royal flags, this could be possibly, true. The note of Teimuraz Batonishvili that “the kings would always depict the image of St.George on the flags and coats of arms” – becomes proven by the XIII century, because the signet ring of Giorgi III bore also the image of St.George. Vakhushti Batonishvili, too, presents St.George on horseback on the Georgian coat of arms” (49, p.16).

Thus, we can conclude that the sepe-flag of Georgia did bear the image of St.George (see page 126). Besides, if we take into consideration the researchers’ opinion about the cult of St.George being spread in Georgia not earlier than the X century, whicg became especially strong in the XI-XII centuries, and probably we can consider the XI-XII centuries as the possible period of the introduction the saint’s image onto the national sepe-flag, which means that the flag of that type was introduced at the period of Georgia’s political revival.

It should be also remembered, that the military banners of the Georgian cavalry of the XIX century, which are preserved in the State Museum, as a rule have the images of St.George and some of them bear the inscription: “God is with us, succumb to it, infidels, and take you defeat, because God is with us”. This fact gives the motives to consider that in the previous epoch similar inscription - to the one found on the XIX c flags, could also have decorated the flags.

In short, “the history of the flag of the united kingdom of Georgia describes the story of this kingdom. The story of the slackened power of the Georgian kingdom became interwoven in the life-story of the flag” (49, p.18), and it seems proper and symptomatic to cite the following excerpt from the XIV c. record of a chronicler: “… and here started the Lord’s wrath loomed and sacrificed the kin of Georgians… and began the back-tide of the fate of the ever-victorious flag of Davitiani, that had never before tasted other outcome of the war except victory. But then, since the change in the fate of the kins of Georgians began, was not given the victory over Tartars – till the time of ours” (22, p.165).

As it was revealed, after dividing Georgia into small kingdoms, each kingdom had its own flag. We have the data concerning the flags of Kartli, Imereti and feuds and small kingdoms (see page 128-129). Among them, the colour of the kingdom of Kartli (of cornel colour) became the basis of the national flag to Georgia, after its liberation in 1918-1921 – from a 117 year-old Russian protectorate, which was approved as the state symbol of the country at the Congress of the National Council (September 10, 1918)(see page 130).

After the Sovietization and annexation of Georgia by Russia on February 25, 1921, the government of the democratic republic left the country. True, after the annexation, the three-coloured flag kept waving thirteen more years in the heart of Europe, in Paris, but nothing showed the possibility of its returning to its proper place in Tbilisi (77). When visiting France in 1977, I had a chance of seeing that flag and taking a photo.