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Hlebine (Koprivnica-Krizevci, Croatia)

Općina Hlebine

image by Željko Heimer, 12 September 2009

Overview
Ceremonial Flag
Coat of Arms

See also:

Overview

Hlebine is a community in the Koprivnica and Križevci County, some 15 km east of Koprivnica, almost 1,500 inhabitants, about 1,300 living in the main village of the community of the same name. Hlebine is extensively agrarian region, but is most famous for its Hlebine naive art school, producing several found painters of the style among whom some of the most eminent names of Croatian 20th century art: Franjo Mraz, Josip Generalic, Krsto Hegedušic, Ivan Generalic. There are several prominent art galleries in the village.
The coat of arms and the flag were adopted by a decision on 9 July 2009: Odluka o grbu i zastavi Opcine Hlebine, 24.06.2009, Službeni glasnik Koprivnicko-križevacke županije, br. 10/09, 16.08.2009.
The same decision issued on the community web site includes the drawings of the coat of arms, flag and the ceremonial flag.
The same description of the coat of arms and the flag is also included in the new community statutes adopted some days after the symbols: Statut Opcine Hlebine, 09.07.2009, Službeni glasnik Koprivnicko-križevacke županije, br. 10/09, 16.08.2009.
The minutes of the community assembly adding some interesting information as well. Namely, they tell us that the community begun the process for adoption of its symbols at the end of 2007, and that a proposal for the decision on the coat of arms and the flag was adopted on 5 May 2008 - presumably the same as the current one. This proposal was sent to the Central State Office for Administration for approval. The Central Office issued the approval on 24 April 2009, so following that the final decision was formally adopted.
The web site of the community now includes a nice photo of the new flag, the same could be seen in larger resolution at the cover of the local magazine (where the vectorized image of the coat of arms may also be seen).
The coat of arms of Hlebine is: vert a rooster or armed gules standing on its left and holding a paintbrush also or in its right leg.
The paintbrush is thus reference to the naive art. The rooser is not only the symbol of Podravina region (cf. county flag, Ðurdevac flag, symbol of Podravka food industry and many others) but also a frequent element in the naive art paintings of the Hlebine school.
The flag is green with the coat of arms bordered golden in its centre. Green field of the arms and of the flag is chosen for fertility of the region.
The ceremonial flag is a green gonfalon bordered yellow ending in three triangularly ending tails with golden tassels, in the centre of it is the coat of arms topped with the name of the community in two lines above and an oak branch and a corn sheaf beneath.
Although at the moment there is no clear document that could confirm us that the design of these symbols was done by the Heraldic Art company of Rijeka, I believe that we can say that with high confidence only looking at the artistic style.
Željko Heimer,12 September 2009

Martin Grieve asked: "the darker green on the flag should perhaps be the same as the dark green on the badge"?
The official document on adoption I refered to indeed shows the same dark green for the flag background and the gonfalon (with somewhat lighter green for the coat of arms interior). However, the photo of the real flag I mentioned clearly shows a different green shade of fabric used in production, some kind of forest green, if you wish, that I attampted to show in my drawing.
Željko Heimer,13 September 2009

Ceremonial Flag

image by Željko Heimer, 12 September 2009

Coat of Arms

image by Željko Heimer, 12 September 2009