Soviet Union

(Union of the Soviet Socialist Republics)

Last modified: 2003-03-01 by antonio martins
Keywords: soviet union | ussr | sssr | cccp | communism | hammer and sickle (yellow) | serp i molet | hammer | sickle | red flag | star: 5 points (fimbriated) |
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• Meaning of soviet symbology
• Coat of arms

• Subdivisions of the Soviet Union (list, clickable map)
• Construction details of the Soviet flags
• Military flags
  • Soviet Navy
  • Soviet Army
    • Banner of Victory
  • Soviet Air Force
  • Anti-Soviet Russian units in WWII (within the German forces)
• Soviet civil maritime flags
• Political flags
• Sport flags
• Aeroflot
• Holiday flaglets
• Current use of soviet flags
• Russia

• Image of an actual flag
  reported by Dov Gutterman, 03 Oct 2002

The Soviet flag was created in 1918 in accordance to the Soviet Constitution (art. 6), written by Sverdlov. The hammer and sickle itself, originate from the unique Russian unity of the peasants (the sickle) with the workers (the hammer) who together formed the Soviet Russian state. The Red field is symbolism of the blood that has been spilt by workers the world over in the fight for their emancipation, and was directly inherited from the red banner flown at the Paris Commune; the original and hitherto "base" symbol of a worker's government flag. The single yellow star is both the representation of the life and immense energy of the sun, empty because within is the blood or production of workers struggle; and also the five points of the star symbolize the single unity and international representation of the government — each of the five points is representative of the five (up to then known/recognized) continents.
Brian Basgen (Marxists Internet Archive Director), 07 Jul 2000

Soviet flag with hammer, sickle and star was not created in 1918! It was adopted in 1923. Flag of Constitution of 1918 was red with yellow letters "RSFSR", without hammer, sickle and star. The star on the flag was red with yellow border (not plain red). Only the coat of arms and some military colours were with hammer and sickle in 1918. Hammer and sickle existed in soviet symbolism since 1917.
Victor Lomantsov, 08 Jul 2000 and 09 Jul 2000

The state emblem of the Soviet Union (corresponding to a coat of arms) had the Earth superimposed by the hammer and sicle.
Elias Granqvist, 25 Nov 2000

Two bundles of corn ears heavily draped with a scroll, reading in all the 15 SSR languages the motto «workers of the world, unite thee»; the bundles encirle an earth globe (viewed approx. from the vertical of the Black Sea) showing solid continents and coordinate lines in 20 deg. intervals. On it a hammer and a sickle, crossed per saltire, in naturalistic look. Under the globe a rising sun with alternating long and short rays made of single lines (approx. 30 visible rays); above the globe a double fimbriated dense star.
António Martins, 05 Aug 1999

• In 1936-1946 the soviet state emblem had 11 ribbons (without estonian, latvian, lithuanian and moldavian)
• In 1946-1956 - 16 ribbons (15 + karelian-finnish)
• since 1956 - 15 ribbons.