The todays flag was adopted on 30th of March in 1995, in the format-ratio of 1:2, on 20th of May in 2008 the format was changed to 2:3. The old format-ratio of 1:2 goes back to the flags of the Soviet Union. The Bolshevist flags were almost designed in 1:2 format, as a visible break with the monarchist and bourgeois format-ratio of 2:3. The today’s flag of Mordovia shows three horizontal stripes in red, white and blue. In the middle of the white stripe a native sun symbol in red. The colours red, white and blue have probably none typical Mordvinic character. They are to interpret here more as otherwise arranged colours of Russia. The flags, which were used in the Soviet era corresponded all to the same pattern as it was intended for the Soviet Autonomous Republics: frequently only a single-coloured red bunting with a golden inscription, showing the name of the country. Sometimes only as a shortcut, sometimes the full name, sometimes only in Russian or even multilingual. From about the mid-50s multicolored flags were introduced for the republics of the Soviet Union, whose knitting patterns had to be taken over by the subordinated autonomous Soviet republics.
The coat of arms of the Republic of Mordwinia was introduced on 31st of march in 1995 and shows a shield, like the flag three times divided between red, white and blue, and the middle, white field is twice wide as the other two fields. In the middle of the white field appears a white shield with a red fox and three black arrows coming from above and pointing to it. The fox and arrows come from the coat of arms of the capital Saransk. The sign is surrounded by a golden crescent, wheat ears to the left and on the right and red-white-blue ribbons. At the top of the middle appears the sun symbol, which can also be seen in the flag. Red, white and blue are the colours of the country, but they have probably none typical Mordvinic character. They are to interpret here more as otherwise arranged colours of Russia.
1236 · Mongolian conquest, after the decay of the Mongol Empire to the Empire of the Golden Horde, after its decay to the Tataryan Khanate of Kasan
1552 · Russian conquest of the Khanate of Kasan, the Mordvins come to Russia
1921 · establishing of the Soviet dictatorship
1928 · foundation of the Mordvinic Autonomous District
10th of January 1930 · elevation to the Mordvinic Autonomous Socialistic Soviet Republic
1990 · declaration of independence, foundation of the Republic of Mordovia
1990 · acceptance of the Russian supremacy
31st of December in 1991 · the Soviet Union dissolves, the constitution of the Russian Socialist Federative Soviet Republic (RSFSR, Russia), a former substate of the Soviet Union, remains in force for the time being
25th of December in 1993 · a new constitution for Russia (Russian Federation) comes into force, and the relationships with the members of the federation is re-regulated in this way
The name "Mordovia" has of course its roots in the nation of the Mordvins – a Finno-Hungarian nation – which designates itself as "Mordva", what menas something like "humans".
