KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Rumors swirled in Knoxville Tuesday that a Russian flag was removed from World's Fair Park following the country's invasion of Ukraine.
The invasion resulted in worldwide condemnation as military forces started targeting civilian centers in the largest ground war in Europe since World War II. Knoxville's downtown pedestrian walkway even lit up blue and yellow in support of Ukraine on Tuesday.
It would have made sense for the Russian flag to be removed as part of that support. However, city officials said no Russian flag has ever flown at World's Fair Park.
"The flags flown at World's Fair Park represent the countries that were here for the fair, and Russia was not a participating country," said a spokesperson for the city. "So there never was a Russian flag flown there."
Countries that participated in the 1982 World's Fair in Knoxville included Australia, Belgium, Canada, China, Denmark, France, Japan, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, and others -- notably West Germany. Remember: This World's Fair occurred during the era of the Cold War between the West and the Soviet Union, prior to the fall of the Berlin Wall of 1989 and reunification of East and West Germany in 1990.
City officials also said there was recently an empty flagpole at World's Fair Park, which could have sparked confusion over whether a Russian flag was removed. They said flags are periodically taken down and replaced as they wear down with time.
"It was not a Russian flag," they said. "There's never been a Russian flag at the park."