The bulawa (buława, булава, булава, bulava) was a ceremonial mace or baton carried by a hetman, an officer of the highest military rank (a Field or Grand Hetman of Poland and the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth), 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 added an image of a buława to their coats of arms. Today the buława appears in the rank insignia of a Marshal of Poland, and is a symbol of the Presidency of Ukraine.

See also

• Polish heraldry

Gallery

External links

• Ukrainian 'bulava' - pictures and article