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Thebulava orbuława (Polish spelling:buława;Ukrainian spelling:булава [bula'va]) is aceremonial mace orbaton orsceptre.
Historically thebuława was an attribute of ahetman, an officer of the highestmilitary rank (after the monarch) in the 15th- to 18th-centuryKingdom of Poland and thePolish–Lithuanian Commonwealth.
Hetmans typically added an image of abuława to theircoats of arms.
Today thebuława appears in therank insignia of aMarshal of Poland.
In theUkrainian language, aбулава (bulava) is amace orclub, in both the military and ceremonial senses. Thebulava was one of theUkrainian Cossackkleinody (клейноди - "jewels"):Bohdan Khmelnytsky bore abulava asHetman of theZaporizhian Host (in office: 1648 to 1657).[1]
Historically thebulava was an attribute of a hetman, an officer of the highestmilitary rank, and of theHetman or the military head of aCossack state (Cossack Hetmanate).
TheUkrainian People's Republic of 1917-1920 referred to theGeneral Staff of theUkrainian People's Army as the "General Bulava".[2]
Aceremonialbulava is now an official emblem of thepresident of Ukraine, and is housed inUkraine'sVernadsky National Library.
Ukrainian military heraldry often featuresbulava-images, particularly as a part ofrank insignia forgenerals andadmirals, as well as an element of the insignia of theMinistry of Defence and of theNSDC.
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