Translated with AI
January 19, 2026 marks the 30th anniversary of the adoption of the official symbols of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), including the emblem and flag, the press service of the Organization's executive committee reports.
In February 1994, the Interparliamentary Assembly of Member Nations of the Commonwealth of Independent States announced a competition to design a flag and emblem for the Commonwealth. According to the terms of the competition, the symbols created were not allowed to replicate the heraldry of CIS member states or differ from the symbols of other international organizations. The flag and emblem were to embody the desire for equal partnership, unity, peace, stability, and be a universal expression of interethnic relations. The symbols were to be unifying and neutral in relation to each state.
Over one hundred sketches were submitted to the competition, which were displayed in the Catherine Hall of the Tauride Palace in St. Petersburg during the regular session of the IPA CIS on March 18, 1994, for parliamentary review. The jury, taking into account the opinions of the session participants, selected several works, from which the heads of state of the CIS chose the current emblem and flag. The selected designs were created by artist Alexander Vasilyevich Grigoriev, now an associate professor in the Department of Decorative and Applied Arts and Folk Crafts at the St. Petersburg State University of Industrial Technologies and Design and a member of the Union of Designers of Russia.
Grigoriev's work is distinguished by its laconicism and ambiguity, neutrality and concreteness. It eschews elements of national cultures or religious symbolism, instead embracing timeless and universal symbols. The bright blue and white colors symbolize purity, noble intentions, sublimity, and spirituality. The golden circle in the center is interpreted as a symbol of the enduring values of nations, warmth, light, and the golden mean sought in all disputes and disagreements.
On April 15, 1994, the CIS Heads of State Council approved the proposals of the IPA CIS Council to adopt the draft flag and emblem. The CIS Executive Secretariat was instructed to submit the revised drafts for consideration at the next meeting of the Council of Heads of State. On the same day, the flag was unveiled for the first time.
On October 28, 1994, the IPA CIS Council approved draft regulations on the flag and emblem, after which the documents were submitted to the parliaments of the member states for review. On May 13, 1995, the Interparliamentary Assembly approved the drafts and submitted them to the Council of Heads of State of the CIS. The final approval of the symbols took place on January 19, 1996.
On April 25, 1997, the Interstate Council for Standardization, Metrology, and Certification approved the interstate standard GOST 30470-97 "Flag of the Commonwealth of Independent States," which was voted for by all 12 countries: Azerbaijan, Armenia, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Ukraine. The standard establishes the parameters, dimensions, color scheme, and other technical specifications required for flag production.
