Europe · Horizontal tricolour
How to draw the flag of Russia
The flag of Russia is three equal horizontal bands — white, blue and red from top to bottom. It flies at a ratio of 2:3.
Step by step
- Start with the right shape. Russia flies at 2:3 — for every 3 units of width the flag is 2 tall. Sketch that rectangle first; a flag drawn too square is the fastest way to lose layout points.
- Divide the height into three. Mark two guide lines before you fill anything in. Even bands matter more than neat edges — the scorer cares where the colour blocks sit.
- Band 1: white. Fill the first band from the top with white. Use the fill tool rather than shading — flat blocks score better than sketchy strokes.
- Band 2: blue. Fill the second band from the top with blue. Use the fill tool rather than shading — flat blocks score better than sketchy strokes.
- Band 3: red. Fill the third band from the top with red. Use the fill tool rather than shading — flat blocks score better than sketchy strokes.
Russia flag colours
The colour codes below are the ones to reach for if you are recreating the flag digitally.
| Colour | Hex | RGB |
|---|---|---|
| White | #FFFFFF | rgb(255, 255, 255) |
| Blue | #0039A6 | rgb(0, 57, 166) |
| Red | #D52B1E | rgb(213, 43, 30) |
What the flag means
The white-blue-red tricolour dates to Peter the Great, who modelled it on the Dutch flag he saw in the shipyards.
Common mistakes
- Putting red on top. That is Serbia or Slovakia territory. Russia goes white, blue, red downward, with no emblem.
- Watch out for the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Slovakia and Slovenia — they are close enough to Russia that people draw the wrong one from memory.
A trick for remembering it
It is the Dutch flag flipped: white first, red last.
Flags that look like this one
Side-by-side breakdowns of the pairs people mix up:
Questions about the Russia flag
What colours are on the flag of Russia?
Russia uses 3 colours: white (#FFFFFF), blue (#0039A6), red (#D52B1E).
What order are the stripes on the Russia flag?
White, then Blue, then Red — from the top down.
What are the proportions of the Russia flag?
It flies at 2:3 (height to width). Drawing it at the wrong shape is one of the quickest ways to lose layout marks in the game.
What does the Russia flag mean?
The white-blue-red tricolour dates to Peter the Great, who modelled it on the Dutch flag he saw in the shipyards.
Which flags look like the Russia flag?
Netherlands, Luxembourg, Slovakia, Slovenia. Watch out for the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Slovakia and Slovenia — they are close enough to Russia that people draw the wrong one from memory.
How hard is the Russia flag to draw from memory?
PlayVexle rates it 1 out of 5. Flat colour blocks and no fine detail, so most players score in the eighties or nineties.
