Flag of Greece background as its official flag. After the Ottoman conquest, however, this symbol also found its way to a "new Constantinople" (or Third Rome), i.e. Moscow. Russia, deeply influenced by the Byzantine Empire, saw herself as its heir and adopted the double-headed eagle as its imperial symbol. It was also adopted by the Serbs, the Montenegrins, the Albanians and a number of Western rulers, most notably in Germany and Austria. Flag of Greece The national flag of Greece, popularly referred to as the "sky-blue - white" or the "blue-white" (), officially recognised by Greece as one of its national symbols, is
Cross of Valour (Greece) from the earlier 1913 version. Repeat awards were designated with 5-millimeter miniature silver crowns, although a maximum of three was allowed to be worn on the ribbon. The 1974 version was not finalized until the early 2000s, when a change in design was decided: the crown was replaced by the national emblem of Greece, and the image of St. Demetrios by that of the Virgin Mary. Cross of Valour (Greece) The Cross of Valour (, "Aristeion Andreias", lit. "Gallantry/Bravery Award") is the second highest (and until 1974 the highest) military decoration of the Greek state, awarded for acts of bravery