Greetings, Georgios!
Happy Independence Day, Greece!
Cross or a phoenix?
Since XV century Greece was under a turkish yoke. As traditional color of Greeks long since was considered dark blue. Therefore in Ottoman empire for private Greek courts the special flag - on red, as at a turkish flag, a background - a dark blue horizontal strip has been established. Sometimes, especially on island Crete, there were also flags a white horizontal strip. A traditional symbol of struggle of Christian Greece for clearing of authority of Muslim Turkey was a cross. Flags with a white cross appear at the Greek patriots in XVIII century. Flashed in 1821 and a national national-liberation revolt proceeded up to 1829 passed under various banners with complex images of crosses, the Virgin, sacred, birds a phoenix in a flame. Their color was red or dark blue more often. The most widespread flag of insurgents since 1821 was a red panel with a white cross, but there were also others, for example: with a red cross on a white or grey background. But, as red color traditionally was color of turkish flags, in Greece it has appeared is unpopular
In 1822 independence of Greece has been proclaimed, and as state the dark blue flag with a white cross has been accepted. About occurrence of a сине-white banner there is a legend according to which insurgents, protecting from the Turk one of monasteries, have lifted above it such banner made of a dark blue monastic cassock and a white soldier's skirt (by ancient tradition, the Greek soldiers, as well as Scottish, carried skirts). In 1832 a national flag became a flag from five white and four dark blue horizontal strips. When in 1833 Greece has been proclaimed by kingdom led by the Bavarian prince Otton, the flag of 1822, with a white cross has been restored. On coincidence of circumstances of color of the Greek flag almost completely coincided with white-blue colors of the Bavarian flag and the arms. The background of the Greek flag at king Otgon became blue.
Since 1863 representatives of Danish royal dynasty Gluksburg began to borrow the Greek throne. At them the shade of the Greek flags has changed on dark blue. From now on in the country for many years there were simultaneously some official flags. A national flag inside of the country was the traditional flag with a cross in which center the gold royal crown was located. On a national colours the crown was absent. Outside Greece, and also in its seaports and civil courts as a national symbol other flag consisted of five dark blue and four white strips with a white cross in dark blue крыже was used. This system of flags has existed before declaration of republic in 1923 when a unique flag for 12 years became девятиполосный a flag with a cross in крыже and has been again restored in 1935 after restoration of a monarchy.
Within fascist occupation when the former government ran to Egypt, struggle for national clearing was conducted with the Greek national-liberation front. Its flag was dark blue with a white cross in which center the contour of the red triangle entered in a red circle was represented. Under the same flag in 1945 - 1949 the Greek patriots battled against invaders and fascist proteges. The emigrant government of the Greece which has come back per 1944 in the released country, used former flags.
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In 1970, in three years after an establishment in Greece dictatorships of " black colonels ", have been declared by a national colours девятиполосный a flag with a cross in крыже. The Same flag with a crown in the center of this cross became a national flag (before it within 107 years was used as военнно-sea). In 1973 Greece has been proclaimed by republic, but on a national flag there was a crown. In a year after overthrow of a mode in 1975 by the only thing state and a national colours has been declared dark blue with a white cross (more light, than flags of 1970). Nine strips the flag with a cross in крыже continued to be used only informally, as a trading flag. But in 1978 this flag has been accepted as the only thing (state and national) a flag.
Shade of its dark blue color still светлее, than on a flag of 1975.
Dark blue color of the Greek flags symbolizes the cloudless sky above Greece and washing its Mediterranean, Эгейское, Ионическое and the seas Kritskoe, white - cleanliness of intentions of the Greek patriots. Under other version, dark blue color designates hope and mercy, and white - belief, justice, beauty and validity, on the third, dark blue color is a truth and fidelity, and white - the world. The cross symbolizes Christian religion and reminds of a role of the Greek orthodox church in struggle for clearing of the country. Nine strips of a flag have the greatest quantity of interpretation. On one of versions, they designate историко-geographical areas of Greece: the Central Greece with island Euboea, Thessaly, Epirus, Thrace, Peloponnese, Macedonia, Crete, Эгейские and Ionian islands. On another, they correspond to nine syllables of the national motto of times of struggle for independence " Freedom or death! " (which it is Greek sounds " Элефтерия and танатос! "). On the third, the number of strips reminds of nine years of the armed struggle for national independence (1821 - 1829) Besides is versions, that nine strips on a flag remind of nine strips which ostensibly were on a gold board of the hero of ancient greek epos Ахилла and even... About nine muses.
The arms of Greece also repeatedly varied, but basically two emblems alternated: a phoenix reviving from a flame, and a white cross corresponding a flag on a dark blue board (which shade varied with change of a shade of flags). A phoenix a symbol of eternal updating. In 1827 - 1831, in board of first Greek president I.Kapodistrii, as the arms the phoenix served in a flame above which rays of light and a cross were represented. In 1832-1862, at king Ottone, the arms was a board with a cross which ends did not reach edges of a board, and in the center of a cross was represented crowned щиток from blue and white rhombuses - the small arms of Bavaria. With 1863 till 1973 (with a break in 1923 - 1935), That is during board of royal dynasty Глюксбургов, the same board with a cross, topped by a crown (in the center of a cross instead of Bavarian щитка 3 Danish lions all over again were represented, and later they have disappeared), was located in the center of the complex arms similar to the big arms of Denmark: on a background of a cloak with a crown in an environment of two giants with палицами. A stamp board surrounded also a circuit of an award of the Savior and written it is Greek the motto " My force - in love of people ".
After an establishment of dictatorship of a junta till 1973 formally royal arms, but was kept by the actual emblem of the state represented on documents, establishments, coins, there was an ominous figure of the soldier in a helmet with a rifle and a bayonet on a background of a phoenix in a flame and dates of revolution on April, 21st, 1967. In 1973 with liquidation of a monarchy the royal arms has been excellent, and the arms of republic became simply a phoenix in a flame with rays of light above it. The modern arms of Greece is accepted in 1975. Its dark blue color symbolizes the seas washing Greece, a cross which ends now reach edges of a board, designates christianity. The laurel wreath around of a board symbolizes ancient glory of Greece.
(from http://www.vokrugsveta.ru/publishing/vs/archives/?item_id=1728 )