The bulawa or bulava (Polish: buława, Ukrainian and Russian: булава) was a ceremonial mace or baton carried by a hetman, an officer of the highest military rank (a Field or Grand Hetman of Poland, the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, and the Chief Otaman of Ukraine) or the military head of a Cossack state. In Slavic languages, a bulava or bulawa is a mace or a club, in both the military and ceremonial senses.

Hetmans typically added an image of a buława to their coats of arms.

Contents 1 Poland 2 Ukraine 3 Gallery 4 See also

[edit] Poland

Today the bulawa appears in the rank insignia of a Marshal of Poland.

[edit] Ukraine

In period of Ukrainian People's Republic the General Staff of the Ukrainian Army was called the General Bulawa.

The bulava is also an official symbol of the President of Ukraine, being housed in Ukraine's Vernadsky National Library.

[edit] Gallery

Hetman Jan Zamoyski in a crimson delia and blue silk żupan. His right hand holds a hetman's bulawa.	Edward Rydz-Śmigły (right) receiving Marshal's buława from Polish President Ignacy Mościcki, Warsaw, November 10, 1936.	Polish Field Marshal Rank Insignia	Coat of Arms of Polish Hetmans
Bulawa of Field Crown Hetman Marcin Kalinowski

[edit] See also

• Polish heraldry

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