▁flags ▁seen ▁on ▁the ▁vessels ▁of ▁the ▁Az ov ▁Fl ot illa ▁in ▁a ▁letter . ▁He ▁described ▁seeing ▁three ▁small ▁flags ▁of ▁white - red - blue ▁colors ▁and ▁two ▁regiment al ▁colors ▁of ▁red ▁and ▁white ▁mixed ▁in ▁with ▁other ▁colors . ▁ ▁In ▁April ▁ 1 7 0 0 , ▁Peter ▁I ▁ordered ▁the ▁Kre ml in ▁Arm our y ▁to ▁build ▁white - red - v io let ▁sea ▁b ann ers . ▁The ▁design ▁and ▁dimensions ▁of ▁these ▁b ann ers ▁correspond ▁to ▁the ▁figure ▁and ▁the ▁size ▁of ▁the ▁regiment al ▁b anner ▁kept ▁among ▁the ▁other ▁ 3 5 2 ▁tro phy ▁Russian ▁b ann ers ▁in ▁the ▁bur ial ▁v ault ▁of ▁Swedish ▁k ings ▁– ▁the ▁R idd ar holm ▁Church ▁in ▁Stockholm . ▁ ▁The ▁three - band ▁white - blue - red ▁flag , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁the ▁flag ▁with ▁a ▁red ▁Jerusalem ▁cross , ▁were ▁also ▁used ▁on ▁war ships ▁up ▁to ▁ 1 7 2 0 ▁as ▁signals . ▁ ▁The ▁Russian ▁tr icol our ▁flag ▁was ▁adopted ▁as ▁a ▁merchant ▁flag ▁at ▁rivers ▁in ▁ 1 7 0 5 . ▁The ▁choice ▁of ▁colors ▁is ▁significant ▁in ▁that ▁they ▁represent ▁in ▁order ▁of ▁priority , ▁white ▁for ▁God , ▁Blue ▁for ▁king , ▁and ▁Red ▁for ▁people ▁and / or ▁country . ▁These ▁colors ▁of ▁the ▁flag ▁of ▁Russia ▁inspired ▁the ▁choice ▁of ▁the ▁" Pan - S lav ic ▁colours " ▁by ▁the ▁Prag ue ▁S lav ic