State Symbols & Honours

Coat of Arms

Double silver cross allegedly symbolizes the tradition of St. Benedict, St. Cyril and St. Methodius, but in reality this is a Christian symbol for older resurrection of Jesus Christ, which was used in Byzantine Empire since the 9th century.

Three mountains represented on the coat of arms are – Matra, Tatra and Fatra, but it has an older heraldic origin. The original coat of arms of King Béla III. (1172-1196) was the double silver cross on a red field and nothing else. Later the double cross appears inserted to clay (1291), or the lower part has three or four roots. The form of triple rocks appear in the posterior coats of kings’ and queens’ arms, such as the Seal of Ladislaus V. (1305). Since the 14th century the today’s version of three hills has been used, originally gold or silver, then green, and blue since 1848.

Red Shield was the colour of many armorial attributes at the end of the 12th and the beginning of the 13th century. It is not the bloody skies symbolizing the suffering Slovaks during Magyarization, as it is reported by some authors.

Slovak Flag

The flag of Slovakia consists of the Slovak tricolor and the Slovak coat of arms. The tricolor (from top to bottom – three equal horizontal bands of white, blue and red) is derived from the original Slovak colours – red and white, and the Pan-Slavic tricolor – red, blue, white. Red, blue and white are the most used colors in flags and national emblems of Slavic countries.

In the Middle Ages the original Slovak flag consisted of two stripes – red and white (red above the white). The oldest form of “Slovak” flag is maintained in the town seal of Nitra from the period of King Béla IV. (1235-1270). It was a white double cross on a red background.

The blue stripe was taken from the Russian and Croatian flags – the Russians as patrons of Slavs, Croats as a fraternal nation in Hungary. Some of the flags from 1848 (when Slovakia was part of the Kingdom of Hungary) had also the Hungarian coat of arms and often the top colour was switched to blue (the colours of today’s Slovak coat of arms).

Slovak Anthem

The song Nad Tatrou sa blýska (Lightning over the Tatras) was composed in 1844. The text was written by Ján Matuška on the melody of Slovak folk song Kopala studienku (She was digging a well). In 1920 the first strophe became a part of the Czechoslovak anthem. Since 1993 the Slovak anthem contains the first two strophes.

Slovak anthem metaphorically expresses the attitude of Slovaks to the situation during the Hungarian domination, points to the phase of national revival and the separation of Slovakia as a free and independent country after centuries of oppression.

Translation of the Anthem

Nad Tatrou sa blýska, hromy divo bijú, nad Tatrou sa blýska, hromy divo bijú.

Above Tatra bolts of lightning, thunderstorm pounds wildly. Above Tatra bolts of lightning, thunderstorm pounds wildly.

Zastavme ich bratia, veď sa ony stratia, Slováci ožijú, zastavme ich bratia, veď sa ony stratia, Slováci ožijú.

Let’s stop them brothers, they will be lost, Slovaks will rise alive. Let’s stop them brothers, they will be lost, Slovaks will rise alive.

To Slovensko naše dosiaľ tvrdo spalo, to Slovensko naše dosiaľ tvrdo spalo.

Our Slovakia was in deep sleep until now. Our Slovakia was in deep sleep until now.

Ale blesky hromu vzbudzujú ho k tomu, aby sa prebralo, ale blesky hromu vzbudzujú ho k tomu, aby sa prebralo.

But thunder’s lightning is shaking it to it’s revival. But thunder’s lightning is shaking it to it’s revival.

State Seal

The Slovak state seal contains of Slovak coat of arms in the middle and a circle around it saying “SLOVENSKÁ REPUBLIKA” (means Slovak Republic). The small drawing underneath the coat of arms is a lime tree leaf, as lime tree is the national tree of Slovakia.

Slovak President’s Symbol – not a state symbol

On official occasions Slovak President uses the symbol of presidential office. This standard is not a state symbol of Slovakia, as many people think.

According to the Law 51/1993 the standard has a form of red square from which the bottom three blue hills grow up with a white double cross, in the proportions of national emblem of Slovakia. White-blue-red frame starts with white colour from the up corner closer to the pole (up-left corner on the image). Drawing of the sign is silver, silver line surrounds the red square and the whole standard.

The standard is used to designate a permanent or temporary residence of the President, as well as when carrying out presidential duties.

State Honours

There are 6 Slovak state decorations:

• Order of the White Double Cross
• Andrej Hlinka Order
• Ľudovít Štúr Order
• Pribina Cross
• M. R. Štefánik Cross
• Medal of the President of Slovak Republic

and one medal:

• Medal for Bravery

All state honours are given by the President of Slovakia.

Order of the White Double Cross

It is given to foreign citizens, not Slovaks:

• for the comprehensive development of relations between the state, whose citizens they are and the Slovak Republic,
• for the empowerment of the Slovak Republic’s position in international relations,
• for meeting the foreign policy priorities of Slovakia,
• for otherwise outstanding achievement in the benefit of the Slovak Republic, or
• for the outstanding spread of good reputation of Slovakia abroad.

Order of the 1st Class White Double Cross	Order of the 2nd Class White Double Cross	Order of the 3rd Class White Double Cross

Holders of the Order of the 1st Class White Double Cross

Holders of the Order of the 2nd Class White Double Cross

Holders of the Order of the 3rd Class White Double Cross

Andrej Hlinka Order

It is given to Slovak citizens:

• for Special Merit for the establishment of the Slovak Republic.

1st Class Andrej Hlinka Order	2nd Class Andrej Hlinka Order	3rd Class Andrej Hlinka Order

Ľudovít Štúr Order

It is given to Slovak citizens:

• for defending the democracy and its development,
• for defending the human rights and freedoms,
• for the defense and security of the Slovak Republic,
• for special achievements in politics, managing and governing the country,
• for development of economy, local authorities, science and technology, education, culture, arts, sports and social affairs, or
• for spreading good reputation of Slovakia abroad.

1st Class Ľudovít Štúr Order	2nd Class Ľudovít Štúr Order	3rd Class Ľudovít Štúr Order

Pribina Cross

It is given to Slovak citizens:

• for Special Merit for economic, social or cultural development of the Slovak Republic.

1st Class Pribina Cross	2nd Class Pribina Cross	3rd Class Pribina Cross

Milan Rastislav Štefánik Cross

It is given to Slovak citizens:

• for risking own life to defend Slovakia,
• for risking own life to save other person’s life,
• for risking own life to save material values.

1st Class M. R. Štefánik Cross	2nd Class M. R. Štefánik Cross	3rd Class M. R. Štefánik Cross

Medal of the President of Slovak Republic

It is given to Slovak citizens:

• for significant merit in the management and governance of the country,
• for development of defense and security of Slovakia,
• for development of economy, local authorities, science and technology, education, culture, arts, sport and social affairs, or
• for spreading good reputation of Slovakia abroad.

Medal for Bravery

It is given to Slovak soldiers:

• for military bravery or valor.