Russian Navy Code of Signals
Encyclopedia
The Russian Navy Code of Signals is a collection of flaghoist signals
Flag signals
Flag signals can mean any of various methods of using flags or pennants to send signals. Flags may have individual significance as signals, or two or more flags may be manipulated so that their relative positions convey symbols...

, which is used together with semaphore alphabet for the transmission of information between the ships of the Russian Navy and also with the shore. Its use resembles that of the signals of other navies
Naval flag signalling
Naval flag signalling covers various forms of flag signalling, such as semaphore or flaghoist, used by various navies; distinguished from maritime flag signalling by merchant or other non-naval vessels or flags used for identification.-History:...

 but it is only used within the Russian fleet. For communication with foreign or civilian vessels the International Code of Signals
International Code of Signals
The International Code of Signals is an international system of signals and codes for use by vessels to communicate important messages regarding safety of navigation and related matters. Signals can be sent by flaghoist, signal lamp , flag semaphore, radiotelegraphy, and radiotelephony...

 is used.

The Russian Navy Code of Signals originates from a similar code of signals used by the Imperial Russian Navy
Imperial Russian Navy
The Imperial Russian Navy refers to the Tsarist fleets prior to the February Revolution.-First Romanovs:Under Tsar Mikhail Feodorovich, construction of the first three-masted ship, actually built within Russia, was completed in 1636. It was built in Balakhna by Danish shipbuilders from Holstein...

. It was used by the Soviet Navy
Soviet Navy
The Soviet Navy was the naval arm of the Soviet Armed Forces. Often referred to as the Red Fleet, the Soviet Navy would have played an instrumental role in a Warsaw Pact war with NATO, where it would have attempted to prevent naval convoys from bringing reinforcements across the Atlantic Ocean...

 and with mostly insignificant changes remains in use by the Naval fleet of the Russian Federation.

The complete set of flags consists of 59 flags: 32 flags correspond to the letters of Russian alphabet
Russian alphabet
The Russian alphabet is a form of the Cyrillic script, developed in the First Bulgarian Empire during the 10th century AD at the Preslav Literary School...

, 10 flags correspond to numbers
Numerical digit
A digit is a symbol used in combinations to represent numbers in positional numeral systems. The name "digit" comes from the fact that the 10 digits of the hands correspond to the 10 symbols of the common base 10 number system, i.e...

, 4 flags are substitutes and 13 have special value.

The flag used by the Soviet Navy for the third substitute was based on the jack of the Imperial Russian Navy. Now that the Russian Federation is again using the old imperial jack, a new flag design is used for the third substitute.

The 32 Letters

Flag Name Transliteration Meaning Description International Use
А, Аз Az Negative Answer red swallowtail with white rectangle vertically centered at the hoist
Б, Буки Buki “To be removed from the anchor”, “to give complete motion” white pennant with red disk ICS Number 1
В, Веди Vedi “The course of ... to the danger” red pennant with blue white-fimbriated triangle set to the hoist
Г, Глаголь Glagolʹ “Are discovered the ships of enemy” blue pennant
Д, Добро Dobro yellow flag. ICS "Quebec"
Е, Есть Estʹ Positive answer, “to act independently or according to instruction” blue pennant with yellow triangle set to the hoist. ICS first substitute
Ж, Живете Živete “To give half speed” white flag with red lozenge ICS "Foxtrot"
З, Земля Zemlâ “To give backward motion” checkered blue and white flag. Identical to the ICS "November"
И, Иже Iže “Anxiety”, “the alert” yellow over red horizontal bicolor pennant ICS Number 7
Й, И краткое I Kratkoe It “revealed mine” white swallowtail flag with black disc
K, Ка Ka “I go out of order”, “I cannot be governed” blue over red horizontal bicolor flag ICS "Echo"
Л, Люди Lûdi “I turn to the left” white flag with red cross throughout England
M, Мыслете Myslete “To give slow speed” checkered red and white flag
Н, Наш Naš I " conduct fire”, I " load ammunition” red swallowtail ICS "Bravo"
O, Он On “To follow me”, “I please permission…” yellow pennant with vertical red stripe ICS Number 0
П, Покой Pokoj “To turn to the right” yellow and blue vertical bicolor ICS "Kilo"
Р, Рцы Rcy horizontal triband of blue, white and blue ICS "Juliet"
С, Слово Slovo “The feet of machine” blue flag with white saltire ICS "Mike"
T, Твердо Tverdo “To have a motion… of units” yellow and black quartered flag ICS "Lima"
У, Ухо Uho I " suffer calamity” red pennant with two white vertical stripes ICS answering pennant
Ф, Ферт Fert “Cancellation” yellow flag with black disc ICS "India"
Х, Ха Ha “The end of the study” white flag with red couped cross Red Cross
Ц, Цепочка Cepočka “To return to its connection” red, yellow and blue horizontal triband
Ч, Червь Červʹ “Persons outboard” blue flag with small yellow lozenge
Ш, Шапка Šapka “To give complete motion” white flag with five blue rectangles, spaced evenly and set per saltire
Щ, Ща Ŝa white pennant with red Scandinavian cross throughout ICS Number 8
Ъ, Твердый знак Tverdyj Znak black over white triangular flag, divided horizontally in two equal parts. ICS Number 6
Ы, Еры Ery black flag with white ascending diagonal stripe
Ь, Мягкий знак Mâgkij Znak blue and white pennant, divided vertically ICS second substitute
Э, Э оборотное È Oborotnoe flag with five horizontal stripes, of blue, white, red, white and blue. ICS "Charlie"
Ю, Юла Ûla white flag with red saltire ICS "Victor"
Я, Яко Âko “To give dead slow” red flag with yellow cross ICS "Romeo"

The 10 Digits

Flag Name Transliteration Meaning Description International Use
1 единица edinica Decimal Digit 1 White beside blue vertical swallowtail bicolor. ICS "Alpha"
2 двойка dvojka Decimal Digit 2 Blue triangular pennant with white disk ICS Number 2
3 тройка trojka Decimal Digit 3 Pennant divided vertically into red/white/blue. ICS Number 3
4 четверка četverka Decimal Digit 4 Red pennant with white Scandinavian cross. ICS Number 4
5 пятёрка pâtërka Decimal Digit 5 Pennant divided vertically into yellow beside blue. ICS Number 5
6 шестёрка šestërka Decimal Digit 6 Red over yellow divided per bend dexter (from top-left to bottom-right) ICS "Oscar"
7 семерка semërka Decimal Digit 7 Red/white/blue vertical triband ICS "Tango"
8 восьмёрка vosʹmërka Decimal Digit 8 Red/White counterchanged quarters per cross ICS "Uniform"
9 девятка devâtka Decimal Digit 9 White with blue cross ICS "X-ray"
0 ноль nolʹ Decimal Digit 0 Four colors divided per saltire consisting of yellow/blue/red/black ICS "Zulu"

The 4 Substitutes and 13 Special Flags

Flag Name Transliteration Meaning Description International Use
1-ый дополнительный 1-yj dopolnitelʹnyj 1st substitute red rectangle with the white border against the dark-blue background ICS "Whiskey"
2-ой дополнительный 2-оj dopolnitelʹnyj 2nd substitute red slanting strips against a yellow background ICS "Yankee"
3-ий дополнительный 3-ij dopolnitelʹnyj 3rd substitute (Soviet era) Russian navy jack with white border
3-ий дополнительный 3-ij dopolnitelʹnyj 3rd substitute (modern) white over black flag divided per bend dexter (from top-left to bottom-right)
4-ый дополнительный 4-yj dopolnitelʹnyj 4th substitute Pennant quartered white, black, red and yellow. ICS Number 9
Гюйс Gûjs Soviet Navy Jack red flag with white hammer and sickle surrounded by white outline of a star
Газ Gaz poison gases black flag with the white-bordered red triangle
Дым Dym smoke screen white pennant with the black horizontal stripe ICS 3rd Substitute
Телеграфный Telegrafnyj telegraphic code yellow and blue vertical strips ICS "Golf"
Шлюпочный Šlûločnyj lower boats dark-blue flag with the white rectangle in the center ICS "Papa"
Воздушный Vozdušnyj airplanes white flag with the blue rectangle in the center ICS "Sierra"
Норд Nord North white flag with red inverted triangle
Зюйд Zûjd South white flag with black triangle
Ост Ost East white flag with black lozenge
Вест Vest West Red/white quarters divided per saltire
Вопросительный Voprostelʹnyj interrogative flag yellow, blue and yellow horizontal stripes ICS "Delta"
Ответный Otvestnyj reciprocal flag. Raised to half mast when a signal is noticed. Raised the rest of the way up when the signal is deciphered. red pennant with white disk
Исполнительный Ispolnitelʹnyj executive vertical bicolor white and red ICS "Hotel"

External links

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