Chelyabinsk

Camels aren’t stereotypically Russian animals, so seeing one in person – or on a flag – is unusual, to say the least. Historically, the camel on Chelyabinsk’s flag represents the town’s trade relations, as it was meant to become a trade center that would link it with Central Asia. And indeed it did; the town also grew to be a major defensive outpost – hence the gray fortification-like wall behind the camel.

Chernyshevsky District

If you thought camels were an unexpected sight, wait until you see dinosaurs. First off, dinosaurs don’t casually live in the district – but they used to, as shown by recent findings. In the early 2010s, dinosaur bones were unearthed in Kulinda, Chernyshevsky District. But these were not just some dinosaurs; experts discovered they belonged to a previously unknown feathered dinosaur that lived as long as 160 billion years ago. As a result, the dinosaur, since named Kulindadromeus, is now emblazoned on the district's flag.

Irkutsk

Irkutsk’s flag is notable for two major reasons; the first being that it’s the only flag in Russia with a 1:4 ratio, rather than the typical 2:3. The second reason is that it shows a babr – an archaic local name for a big feline, such as a tiger – with a sable in its mouth. History has it that this obscure word once caused a fun bit of confusion: the artist thought it meant a “bobr” (or now “bober” – Russian for “beaver”), and so, an aggressive bobr (aka beaver), too, was on the flag for a while.

Shuya

What appears to be a brick of gold or a stick of butter is actually a bar of soap – the official symbol of Shuya. The thing is, the town has long been Russia’s hub of soapmaking; the first records of soap production in town date back to the 17th century, and soap has been present on its coat of arms from the very first 18th-century edition. 

Veliky Ustyug

Despite being home to the Russian Santa Claus, Veliky Ustyug, surprisingly, doesn’t have Ded Moroz on its flag. Instead, it features Neptune. On it, the Roman god of water holds two water-pouring jugs, which symbolize the confluence of the town’s two major rivers, Yug and Suhona. 

Bonus – Khoroshyovo-Mnyovniki District

And the gem of ‘em all, according to yours truly, is the flag of Khoroshyovo-Mnyovniki – a neighborhood in Moscow. The flag is meant to symbolize the major elements of the district’s landscape, but does it in a rather amusing way. Here are the deets: the river refers to the Moscow River (the district’s main river) and both the tree and the funny-looking beaver are here to symbolize the Serebryany Bor park and various forest parks along the river.

Discover even more facts and stories about Russia and Russian culture here.