EN
The article investigates the symbolic and mythical significance of a national flag. Drawing on observations of the uses of the American flag and literature the author analyzes different dimensions of a national flag. He looks at a flag from different angles and shows diverse interpretative tropes. The article shortly analyzes such phenomena as modernity of national flag, the cult of a flag, magic of a flag and symbolic emptiness of a flag. Basically, the author argues that from cognitive point of view a flag may be described as metonymy which provides mental access to abstract concept of a nation.