Flag of Blagodarnensky district

According to article 2 of the Regulation on the flag of the Blagodarnensk municipal district of the Stavropol Territory, approved by the Council of the Blagodarnensk municipal district of the Stavropol Territory dated July 26, 2011 No. 223 ^[1] , the flag of the region has the following description:

A rectangular double-sided panel of blue color with a ratio of width to length 2: 3, with a green stripe along the bottom edge (1/7 of the width of the panel) on which stands a yellow loaf with a white salt shaker; adjacent to the upper edge is a white cloud from which a hand comes out.

The flag was developed on the basis of the coat of arms of the Blagodarnensk municipal district, reflecting the historical and other features and traditions of the municipality ^{[1] [3]} .

Loaf and salt shaker (“ bread and salt ”) are symbols of the developed grain agricultural production, as well as the hospitality of local residents and their concern for the Stavropol Territory. A hand with an open palm emerging from the cloud symbolizes patronage, protection, blessing, divine patronage, goodwill and cordiality. In addition, this image is intended to emphasize the rich natural resources of the region - primarily fertile soils and a climate conducive to the development of agriculture ^[1] .

The blue color of the flag means honor, nobility, spirituality, the color of the boundless sky. The green color of the strip located along the lower edge of the banner is associated with nature, health, youth and life growth. The yellow loaf symbolizes the harvest, wealth, stability, respect and intelligence. The white color of the salt shaker standing on the loaf, as well as the cloud from which the hand emerges, is a symbol of purity, perfection and mutual understanding ^[1] .

2010 Flag Design

On July 2, 2010, the head of the Blagodarnensk municipal district, V. A. Yurchenko, signed a draft decision “On Approving the Regulation on the Flag of the Blagodarnensk municipal district of the Stavropol Territory”. This decision was submitted to the Heraldic Council under the President of the Russian Federation with the aim of entering the flag in the State Heraldic Register of the Russian Federation. The flag was developed by the Union of Russian Heraldists in the person of Konstantin Fedorovich Mochenov (idea of ​​the flag), Olga Salova (artist and computer design) and Kirill Viktorovich Perehodenko (justification of symbolism) ^[4] .

The flag was a “rectangular green panel with a 2: 3 ratio of width to length, bearing a yellow border around the perimeter, bounded by rectangular teeth at the top and sides (three green teeth on each of the three sides), and at the bottom looking like a stone bridge with two arches highlighted in blue; in the middle of the main part of the panel is an image of a sheaf reproduced in yellow and red ” ^[4] .

The border around the flag’s perimeter, limited by nine green teeth, symbolized the Azov-Mozdok defense line (the number of teeth corresponded to the number of fortresses communicating with each other, included in the fortified strip), established in accordance with the decree of Catherine II in 1777. The erection of this system of defensive structures, among other things, contributed to the systematic development of lands that began in the 18th century, which later went to the Blagodarnensky district of the Stavropol Territory ^[4] .

A sheaf of bread, reproduced on the flag's flag in red and yellow, symbolized grain farming - one of the main directions of the economy of the Blagodarnensky district. The stone bridge with two arches personified the connection of two parts of one whole: "the connection of the past and the present, the preservation of traditions and the continuity of generations, the interconnection of the two municipalities . " The blue color that filled the arches of the bridge showed the Buffalo River , on the banks of which the " Grateful " was founded in the second half of the 18th century by "immigrants from the southern provinces of Russia" ^[4] .

The green color of the banner symbolized nature, youth, health, life growth, and the yellow color of the border, sheaf and bridge - crop, wealth, stability, respect, intelligence. Blue color meant honor, nobility, spirituality, the color of watery spaces and the boundless sky; red color - courage, labor, strength, beauty and celebration ^[4] .

On August 4, 2010, the Blagodarnenskie Vesti socio-political newspaper, under the heading “Actual Question”, published an article “With what emblem and flag should the district live?”, The author of which, the head of the district administration, N. Sergeev, questioned the validity of the symbolism developed by the Heraldry Union. In his opinion, the placement on the coat of arms and flag of the symbol of the Azov-Mozdok defensive line (border with teeth) was historically not justified: none of its fortresses had ever been part of the Blagodarnensky district, which was “far behind the fortified line” and had “ not military, but civil, economic ”meaning as “ one of the largest producers of grain and beef cattle ” . The bread sheaf depicted in the center of the banner, although it reflected the main economic orientation of the region, but, as N. Sergeev noted, did not contribute to the “recognition of the region” , since a similar symbol was reproduced on the arms and flags of most municipalities of the Stavropol Territory, and the image of the bridge was borrowed from the coat of arms of the Grateful and was “rather a settlement (urban, rural) symbol than a district” ^[5] .

2011 Flag

From August 11 to September 24, 2010 ^[6] at the initiative of the head of the district administration N. Sergeyev ^{[5] [7]} , a contest was organized in the municipality for the best coat of arms and flag design “Symbols of the Blagodarnensky municipal district of the Stavropol Territory” ^[8] . However, the competition, in which the works of schoolchildren were predominantly presented, did not bring any significant results ^[9] . In addition, the district administration received proposals from the local artist I. F. Tichenko, the author of the first coat of arms and the flag of the city of Grateful . Later, a number of sketches created in the course of work on the symbols of the Blagodarnensky district were sent to the Russian Heraldry Union ^[10] .

On June 30, 2011, variants of the symbols developed in the Blagodarnensky municipal district were considered at a meeting of the heraldic commission under the governor of the Stavropol Territory . Based on the results of the review, members of the commission preferred the concept proposed by the Union of Heraldists and the Stavropol artist S. E. Mayorov ( “make a “ speaking coat of arms using the etymology of the word “grateful” by placing a loaf with a salt shaker (bread and salt) with a blessing right hand in the coat of arms emerging from the silver cloud ” ) and recommended that the district leadership develop a coat of arms and flag based on it ^[10] .

On July 26, 2011, the official symbols of the municipality were approved by a decision of the Council of the Blagodarnensk municipal district of the Stavropol Territory. The symbolism adopted by the deputies was developed by a team of authors consisting of: Sergey Evgenievich Mayorov and Konstantin Fedorovich Mochenov (idea of ​​a flag), Olga Salova (artist and computer design), Kirill Viktorovich Pereydenko (justification of symbolism) ^[1] .

On November 2, 2011, after passing the examination at the Heraldic Council under the President of the Russian Federation , the coat of arms and flag of the Blagodarnensky municipal district were entered into the State Heraldry Register of the Russian Federation under the numbers 7153 and 7154 ^[2] .

• Coat of arms of the Blagodarnensky district

• Symbols of the Blagodarnensky district (neopr.) . The official portal of the administration of the Blagodarnensk municipal district of the Stavropol Territory.
• Blagodarnensky district (Stavropol Territory) (Neopr.) . Vexillographia. Flags of Russia . Russian Center of Vexillology and Heraldry.