Flag of Transnistria

Transnistria

Use	State flag and ensign, war flag
Proportion	1:2
Adopted	25 July 2000 (official)
Design	Three horizontal bands of red, green and red, with a hammer and sickle in the canton. Identical to the flag of the Moldavian SSR
Variant flag of Transnistria
Use	Civil flag and ensign
Proportion	1:2 or (occasionally) 2:3
Design	Three horizontal bands of red, green and red, without the hammer and sickle.
Variant flag of Transnistria
Use	Presidential standard
Proportion	1:1
Design	Standard of the President of the Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic.

The flag of Transnistria comprises a version of the 1952-1990 flag of the Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic. Transnistria adopted this design in the 2000 Law about State Symbols.

The flag of the Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic served as the republic's flag until the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991. When Moldova became independent, some places in Transnistria refused to fly the new Moldovan flag and continued to fly the flag of the Soviet Union. Continued use of the flag of the former Moldavian SSR was popular and it was officially reintroduced as the flag of Transnistria in 2000. Confusingly, despite the flag and coat of arms, Transnistria is not a socialist state.

For government usage, only the state flag is valid. Transnistrian law permits the use a simplified version of the flag for non-governmental use (personal and commercial usage) without the hammer and sickle and red star and without regard to shape or size. The most common size is still 1:2, but 2:3 versions have also been used.

The presidential flag is a 1:1, yellow fringed version of the civil flag with the coat-of-arms in the centre. It was adopted on 18 July 2000 and replaced an earlier version dating from 1997.

The army flag is a blue flag with a yellow bordered red cross. It is similar to that of the Moldovan army, but does not include the Moldovan coat-of-arms.

A customs flag is also in use by Transnistrian customs. It is a primarily green flag with two red bands at the bottom. The central part of the flag is dominated by the symbol of Transnistrian customs.

In 2009 the Parliament of Transnistria discussed a proposal to replace the civil flag (plain red-green-red) with a new flag, carrying three horizontal stripes in the colours white, blue and red, being almost identical to the flag of the Russian Federation, but with different aspect-ratio (1:2 instead of Russia's 2:3). The reasons stated for the change of the flag is purely political; it includes the desire to create closer ties with Russia, a guarantor of Transnistria's independence from Moldova. In a 2006 referendum, 97.2% of Transnistrians voted in favour of increased association with Russia. The new flag would be used alongside the current state flag.