Swedish Centre in Ukraine

[index.htm] Swedish Centre in Ukraine ABOUT US ABOUT CENTRE CONTACT LUGANSK REGION HISTORY ECONOMY INFRASTRUCTURE SOCIUM COOPERATION UKRAINIAN COMPANIES SWEDISH COMPANIES HOME About Ukraine State Symbols of Ukraine The Ukrainian flag consists of two horizontal stripes of equal width. The top is blue, the bottom-yellow. Blue an yellow, the colors of the sky, mountains, streams, and golden wheat fields have symbolized Kyivan Rus' even before the introduction of Christianity. After that blue and gold were incorporated into church symbolism. The banners of the Cossacks in 17th century were blue with gold stars, a gold cross, or with pictures of saints rendered in gold. The National Emblem is a trident. The first image of a trident appeared in the 1st century AD. When Ihor, Prince of Kyivan Rus' from 912 to 945AD, sent ambassadors to sign a treaty with the Byzantine emperor, they sealed the document with a trident. As the official emblem of the Kyivan princes, the trident was stamped on coins, seals; it was depicted on porcelain and in frescoes. It is thought that the trident represented the division of the world into three spheres: the earthly, the celestial, and the spiritual as well as the union of three natural elements of air, water and earth. The trident was endorsed as the official emblem of Ukraine together with the blue and yellow flag as the national flag of Ukraine, by the Verkhovna Rada (parliament) in 1992. State Power. The Constitution adopted by the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine on 28 June 1996 allocates executive power to the President and the government, legislative power to the Verkhovna Rada and judicial power to the courts. The head of state and the head of the executive branch is the President, who is elected for a period of five years. The Verkhovna Rada consists of four hundred and fifty members (or people's deputies) elected for the term of 4 years. 225 members are elected by a constituency and the other 225 members- through a party list. The Government is led by the Prime Minister, who is appointed by the President with the required consent of more than one-half of the Parliament. The President as recommended by the Prime Minister appoints the Cabinet of Ministers. Under the new Constitution the president was empowered to issue Decrees in the spheres where no law exists. CONTINUE... Select your language... RUSSIAN UKRAINIAN Contact webmaster for all questions on site Swedish Centre in Ukraine , 2006