▁as ▁the ▁flag ▁of ▁the ▁Ts ard om ▁of ▁Russia ▁in ▁ 1 6 9 6 . ▁It ▁remained ▁in ▁use ▁until ▁ 1 8 5 8 , ▁when ▁the ▁first ▁official ▁flag ▁of ▁the ▁Russian ▁Empire ▁was ▁decre ed ▁by ▁Alexander ▁II , ▁which ▁was ▁a ▁tr icol or ▁consisting ▁of ▁three ▁horizontal ▁fields : ▁black ▁on ▁the ▁top , ▁yellow ▁in ▁the ▁middle , ▁and ▁white ▁on ▁the ▁bottom . ▁A ▁dec ree ▁in ▁ 1 8 9 6 ▁made ▁the ▁original ▁white , ▁blue , ▁and ▁red ▁tr icol or ▁the ▁official ▁flag ▁of ▁the ▁Russian ▁Empire ▁until ▁its ▁event ual ▁capit ulation ▁in ▁ 1 9 1 7 . ▁Following ▁the ▁creation ▁of ▁the ▁Russian ▁Social ist ▁Feder ative ▁Soviet ▁Republic ▁after ▁the ▁B ols he vik ▁Revolution , ▁the ▁Russian ▁tr icol or ▁was ▁abol ished , ▁and ▁its ▁usage ▁was ▁preserved ▁by ▁the ▁White ▁Mov ement ▁and ▁the ▁Russian ▁state ▁during ▁the ▁Russian ▁Civil ▁War . ▁ ▁During ▁the ▁Soviet ▁Union ' s ▁existence , ▁the ▁Russian ▁S FS R ▁( a ▁constitu ent ▁republic ▁of ▁the ▁USS R ), ▁used ▁a ▁def ac ed ▁variant ▁of ▁the ▁State ▁Flag ▁of ▁the ▁Soviet ▁Union ▁with ▁a ▁vertical ▁blue ▁bar ▁at ▁the ▁ho ist , ▁with ▁a ▁golden ▁ham mer ▁and ▁sick le ▁and ▁a ▁golden ▁border ed ▁red ▁star ▁on ▁top . ▁Prior ▁to ▁the ▁dissol ution ▁of ▁the ▁Soviet ▁Union , ▁on ▁November ▁ 1 st , ▁ 1 9 9 1 , ▁the ▁Russian ▁S