▁nations ) ▁flag ▁shall ▁be ▁raised ▁on ▁the ▁ship ". ▁The ▁official ▁response ▁merely ▁indicated ▁that , ▁as ▁such ▁issue ▁is ▁as ▁yet ▁un pre ced ented , ▁even ▁though ▁the ▁land ▁forces ▁do ▁use ▁( app ar ently ▁different ) ▁flags , ▁the ▁ts ar ▁ordered ▁that ▁his ▁( But ler ' s ) ▁opinion ▁be ▁sought ▁about ▁the ▁matter , ▁asking ▁specifically ▁as ▁to ▁the ▁custom ▁existing ▁in ▁his ▁country . ▁ ▁A ▁different ▁account ▁traces ▁the ▁orig ins ▁of ▁the ▁Russian ▁flag ▁to ▁ts ar ▁Peter ▁the ▁Great ' s ▁vis its ▁to ▁Ar kh angel sk ▁in ▁ 1 6 9 3 ▁and ▁ 1 6 9 4 . ▁Peter ▁was ▁keen ly ▁interested ▁in ▁ship building ▁in ▁the ▁European ▁style , ▁different ▁from ▁the ▁b arg es ▁ordin arily ▁used ▁in ▁Russia ▁at ▁the ▁time . ▁In ▁ 1 6 9 3 , ▁Peter ▁had ▁ordered ▁a ▁Dutch - built ▁fr ig ate ▁from ▁Amsterdam . ▁In ▁ 1 6 9 4 ▁when ▁it ▁arrived , ▁the ▁Dutch ▁red - white - and - blue ▁b anner ▁fle w ▁from ▁its ▁stern . ▁Peter ▁decided ▁to ▁model ▁Russia ' s ▁naval ▁flag ▁after ▁this ▁b anner ▁by ▁changing ▁the ▁sequence ▁of ▁colors . ▁ ▁The ▁Dutch ▁flag ▁book ▁of ▁ 1 6 9 5 ▁by ▁Care l ▁All ard , ▁printed ▁only ▁a ▁year ▁after ▁Peter ' s ▁trip ▁to ▁Western ▁Europe , ▁describes ▁the ▁tr icol our ▁with ▁a ▁double - head ed ▁e agle ▁bearing ▁a