File talk:Eestimaa värvid.svg

In what sources is there a drawing or an accurate description of the flag of the governorate? When and by whom was it approved? It is very strange that no other province of the Russian Empire had its own flag. --Лобачев Владимир (對話) 16:06, 7 October 2021 (UTC)

Flags of Baltic Governorates

Colors of the Livonian Knighthood and Estonian Knighthood were used as the flags of the Governorates. These flags were on the government and municipal buildings etc. You have to know the political background of these governorates in the Russian Empire. They were governed by the German knighthoods and were quite autonomous. As the lands went from Sweden to Russia after the Great Northern War, Russian czar confirmed local law and privileges, the Protestant church order, thus granting administrative, economical, social and cultural autonomy (Ostsee Rights). The small Baltic German minority continued to govern these lands until the 20th century. While during the Russification (1880 onward) Baltic governorates started to lose their privileges, the flags were symbols of some kind of special history and status of the provinces. Of course when the first Baltic German student societies were founded they too adopted the landesfarben. Students from Livonia founded Corporation Livonia Dorpat and wore red-green-white, as did students from Livonia and Curland founding their respective corporations.

These flags were also used at public events with state flags. For example the description of the procession of the first Estonian Song Festival in 1869:

Four flags were carried in front of the procession first the black-orange-white flag of the House of Romanov, then two steps behind the flags of Livonia on the right and Estonia on the left, and behind them a white-blue-red Russian national and trade flag. (Referenced here from Heinrich Rosenthal 2004. Eesti rahva kultuuripüüdlused ühe inimpõlve vältel. Tartu: Ilmamaa)

It is said that the town was decorated with red, green and white ribbons and flags. Singers wore festival pins with flag colors such as this one to show if one was from Estonia or Livonia.

For the record – flags, sashes and pins with flag colors like this, this and this.

Also, when in 1920, government, now in independent Estonia, sent state flag proposals to the parliament, the draft also included the flag of the former governorate, green-violet-white tricolor (page 36) --Klõps (talk) 14:17, 6 October 2021 (UTC)

• Klõps, in what sources is there a drawing or an accurate description of the flag of the governorate? When and by whom was it approved? --Лобачев Владимир (對話) 16:41, 7 October 2021 (UTC)

The first post has enough links to prove that it isn't fictitious flag as there are historical evidence and descriptions of the existence of the flag in the time. What was the status of the flag is another question, what and how official it was does not make it fictitious. Google is full of images of the flag. Such as this one.

It was used and approved by the Livonian Knighthood, the governing body of Baltic German nobility, which governed the territory. Baltic governorates had special rights. This was how Peter I bribed the local nobility to join Russian side in the Great Northern War. Baltic German nobility got to keep their lands, rights and protestant faith etc, Peter got their loyalty. Most notably German language was kept as the official language of the governorates and tolls between Baltic governorates and rest of Russian Empire. Only after the unification of Germany Russian Czars started to worry about their little Germany. Until the 1870s Russian laws had been selectively applied, but then things changes in 1870 Russian was made the official language and step by step old Swedish and Danish laws were replaced by Russian laws.

History, special status and the different identity were probably the reason why these governorates had flags and coats of arms. That's probably also why it looks like the usage of the flags went up during the Russification. The landesfarben themselves are older than the Russian Empire itself. --Klõps (對話) 20:43, 7 October 2021 (UTC)

I am not saying that this flag was not used. I just say that it was never considered the flag of the Governorate of Estonia and was never approved in the Russian Empire. --Лобачев Владимир (對話) 16:58, 8 October 2021 (UTC)

In those times things were different, You can't use today's standards for those days, if it was used and represented the governorates, then it was their flag. Even the Russian white-blue-red became official state flag only in 1896.--Klõps (對話) 10:12, 9 October 2021 (UTC)

If this flag was not approved as the flag of the governorate, then why do you consider it the flag of the governorate. Maybe it was just a historical flag, which was traditionally used in the governorate, but was not the official flag of the governorate? --Лобачев Владимир (對話) 11:37, 9 October 2021 (UTC)