▁wide ▁red ▁border , ▁in ▁the ▁center ▁of ▁which ▁was ▁dep icted ▁a ▁gold ▁two - head ed ▁e agle ▁and ▁the ▁em blem s ▁symbol izing ▁the ▁subject ▁kingdom s , ▁principal ities ▁and ▁lands . ▁In ▁the ▁invent ory ▁of ▁the ▁Kre ml in ▁Arm our y , ▁the ▁coat ▁of ▁arms ▁is ▁described ▁as ▁the ▁following : ▁" In ▁the ▁circle ▁there ▁is ▁a ▁two - head ed ▁e agle ▁we aring ▁two ▁crow ns , ▁and ▁in ▁his ▁ch est , ▁the ▁king ▁on ▁horse back ▁pr icks ▁a ▁ser pent ▁with ▁his ▁spe ar ". ▁ ▁On ▁ 6 ▁August ▁ 1 6 9 3 , ▁during ▁Peter ▁the ▁Great ' s ▁sail ing ▁in ▁the ▁White ▁Sea ▁with ▁a ▁det achment ▁of ▁war ships ▁built ▁in ▁Ar kh angel sk , ▁the ▁so - called ▁" Flag ▁of ▁the ▁Ts ar ▁of ▁Mus c ovy " ▁was ▁raised ▁for ▁the ▁first ▁time ▁on ▁the ▁ 1 2 - gun ▁y acht ▁" Saint ▁Peter ". ▁The ▁flag ▁was ▁a ▁cross - st itch ▁of ▁ 4 . 6 x 4 . 9 ▁meters ▁se wn ▁from ▁cloth , ▁composed ▁of ▁three ▁equal - s ized ▁horizontal ▁stri pes ▁of ▁white , ▁blue ▁and ▁red , ▁with ▁a ▁golden ▁double - head ed ▁e agle ▁in ▁the ▁middle . ▁The ▁original ▁of ▁this ▁oldest ▁surv iving ▁Russian ▁flag ▁is ▁located ▁in ▁the ▁Central ▁Naval ▁Museum ▁in ▁Saint ▁Petersburg . ▁ ▁A ▁ 1 6 9 5 ▁flag ▁book