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Serbian flag)
The Serbian flag is a tricolour with Pan-Slavic colors. It consists of three equal horizontal fields, red on the top, blue in the middle and white on the bottom.
The flag is a reversed Flag of Russia. This is not an accident but an intention. Prior to the First Serbian Uprising, a delegation from Serbia went to Russia to seek help. The help was granted, and the delegation wanted to show their acknowledgement by asking to use the Russian flag as Serbia's military flag in battles. Now, there are two stories: one says that approval was granted, but that the delegation didn't bring a Russian flag when returning home and forgot how the colors were ordered. The second one says that approval was not granted and Serbs then used the reversed Russian flag to spite the Russians.
In unofficial use the flag is often embossed with the Serbian Coat of arms or just its main symbol, the Serbian cross.
Adaptations
Instead of the 2:3 ratio shown above, the official flag of Serbia has a ratio 1:2. This flag is officially used by the Republika Srpska.
An earlier version of the Flag of Montenegro had been adopted from the Serbian flag, but with a different hue of blue and different internal dimensions.
The Serb Orthodox Church uses the Serbian flag in a 1:4 or higher ratio embossed with the Serbian cross.
See also: Flag of Serbia and Montenegro
