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Flags in the National Museum of Military History, Bulgaria

I visited the National Museum of Military History in Sofia, Bulgaria, on July 16th 2008. It is a great museum having lots of collections on display. I bought the Museum book showing lots of Bulgarian historical flags
Nozomi Kariyasu, 16 February 2009

Turkish Incursion to Sofia by Ottoman Sultan Murad I in 1388
First Bulgarian Legion, 1862
Bulgarian Volunteers, 1877
1st Battalion of 265th Volunteers regiment, 1916
Communist era combat flag
7th Preslav infantry regiment

Turkish Incursion to Sofia by Ottoman Sultan Murad I in 1388

image by Eugene Ipavec, 16 February 2009

The picture shows red flag with three stars and crescent.
Nozomi Kariyasu, 16 February 2009

I suspect the hoist star and crescent should be horizontally centered; the odd arrangement may be due to aesthetic considerations, to make room for another flag passing in front of this one in the painting.
Eugene Ipavec, 16 February 2009

First Bulgarian Legion, 1862

image by Eugene Ipavec, 16 February 2009

Created by Georgi Rakovski, the 1st Bulgarian Legion took part in the siege and fight for taking Belgrade Fortress from the Ottomans. He used a blue, white and red horizontal tricolor flag.
Nozomi Kariyasu, 16 February 2009

Bulgarian Volunteers, 1877

image by Eugene Ipavec, 16 February 2009

The Russian Emperor Alexander II declared war on Turkey for the liberation of Bulgaria on 24 April 1877. The Ottoman Army was totally defeated by Russian troops. A red, white and blue horizontal flag with a cross in the center was used as samara flag for the Bulgarian Volunteers.
Nozomi Kariyasu, 16 February 2009

1st Battalion of 265th Volunteers regiment, 1916

image by Eugene Ipavec, 24 February 2009

Bulgaria joined World War I and fought against Serbia and Romania. The flag of 1st Battalion of 265th Volunteers regiment is green flag with yellow cross.
Nozomi Kariyasu, 16 February 2009

Text reads:
"ЗA BҌPУ, ЦAPЯ И OTEЧECTBO.", or "ZA VERU, CARI I OTEČESTVO."; "For [the] faith, emperor and fatherland"
Eugene Ipavec, 24 February 2009

Communist era combat flag

image by Eugene Ipavec, 1 March 2009

A Communist era Bulgarian combat flag is red with the national emblem.
Nozomi Kariyasu, 14 February 2009

The blue field of the shield only became official in 1967, but was used de facto before that. The lion should always have been golden, though, instead of dark red as here. The top text reads " ЗA NAШATA COЦИAЛИCTИЧECKA POДИHA!", or ZA NAŠATA SOCIALISTIČESKA RODINA!, meaning if I'm not mistaken
"For our socialist birth (i.e. home) land!"
The bottom text is "HAPOДHA PEПУБЛIKA БЪЛГAPИЯ" or NARODNA REPUBLIKA BULGARIA, "People's Republic of Bulgaria."
Eugene Ipavec, 24 February 2009

7th Preslav infantry regiment

image by Eugene Ipavec, 1 March 2009

On Sep 7th 1940 in Craiova, Bulgaria and Romania signed an agreement for the return of South Dobruja. The red and green flag of the 7th Preslav infantry regiment welcomed officially South Dobruja.
Nozomi Kariyasu, 14 February 2009