A red star, five-pointed and filled, is a

symbol A symbol is a mark, sign, or word that indicates, signifies, or is understood as representing an idea, object, or relationship. Symbols allow people to go beyond what is known or seen by creating linkages between otherwise very different conc ...

that has often historically been associated with communist ideology, particularly in combination with the

hammer and sickle The hammer and sickle (Unicode: "☭") zh, s=锤子和镰刀, p=Chuízi hé liándāo or zh, s=镰刀锤子, p=Liándāo chuízi, labels=no is a symbol meant to represent proletarian solidarity, a union between agricultural and industri ...

, but is also used as a purely socialist symbol in the 21st century. It has been widely used in

flag A flag is a piece of fabric (most often rectangular or quadrilateral) with a distinctive design and colours. It is used as a symbol, a signalling device, or for decoration. The term ''flag'' is also used to refer to the graphic design empl ...

s, state emblems, monuments,

ornament An ornament is something used for decoration. Ornament may also refer to: Decoration * Ornament (art), any purely decorative element in architecture and the decorative arts * Biological ornament, a characteristic of animals that appear to serve ...

s, and logos. One interpretation sees the five points as representing the five fingers of the worker's hand, as well as the five populated continents (counting

the Americas The Americas, which are sometimes collectively called America, are a landmass comprising the totality of North America, North and South America. The Americas make up most of the land in Earth's Western Hemisphere and comprise the New World. ...

as one). A lesser-known suggestion is that in

communist symbolism Communist symbolism represents a variety of themes, including revolution, the proletariat, peasantry, agriculture, or international solidarity. Communist states, parties and movements use these symbols to advance and create solidarity within ...

, the five points on the star were intended to represent the five social groups that would lead Russia to communism: the youth, the military, the industrial labourers, the

agricultural Agriculture or farming is the practice of cultivating Plant, plants and livestock. Agriculture was the key development in the rise of Sedentism, sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of Domestication, domesticated species created food ...

workers or peasantry and the

intelligentsia The intelligentsia is a status class composed of the university-educated people of a society who engage in the complex mental labours by which they critique, shape, and lead in the politics, policies, and culture of their society; as such, the in ...

. In Soviet heraldry, the red star symbolized the Red Army and military service, as opposed to the hammer and sickle, which symbolized peaceful labour. Different countries across Europe treat the symbol very differently. Some former Warsaw Pact nations have passed laws banning it, claiming that it represents "a totalitarian ideology", but other Eastern European countries hold a very positive view of it as a symbol of antifascism and

resistance Resistance may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Comics * Either of two similarly named but otherwise unrelated comic book series, both published by Wildstorm: ** ''Resistance'' (comics), based on the video game of the same title ** ''T ...

against Nazi occupation. Red Star has also been used in a non-communist context and before the emergence of this movement, in symbols of countries and states since the 19th Century. It appears for example on the flags of New Zealand and the U.S. state of California. Red star has also been used as logo by private agencies and corporations, such as the oil giant Texaco and beer multinational Heineken. Volokolamsk (Moscow Oblast) 12

History

The star's origins as a symbol of communist

mass movement Mass movement may refer to: * Mass movement (geology), the movement of rock and soil down slopes due to gravity * Mass movement (politics) A mass movement denotes a political party or movement which is supported by large segments of a population. P ...

s dates from the time of the Bolshevik Revolution and the Russian Civil War, but the precise first use remains unknown. The red star as a symbol of the Red Army was proposed by the Military Collegium for the organization of the Red Army and the creator of the Red Star emblem was the Bolshevik commander of the Petrograd Military District, Konstantin Eremeev. On the other hand, one account of the symbol's origin traces its roots to the Moscow troop

garrison A garrison (from the French ''garnison'', itself from the verb ''garnir'', "to equip") is any body of troops stationed in a particular location, originally to guard it. The term now often applies to certain facilities that constitute a mil ...

toward the end of World War I. At this time, many troops were fleeing from the Austrian and German fronts, joining the local Moscow garrison upon their arrival in the city. To distinguish the Moscow troops from the influx of retreating front-liners, officers gave out tin stars to the Moscow garrison soldiers to wear on their hats. When those troops joined the Red Army and the Bolsheviks they painted their tin stars red, the color of socialism, thus creating the original red star. The red star was used in communist media as early as in 1908 with the publication of the novel

Red Star A red star, five-pointed and filled, is a symbol that has often historically been associated with communist ideology, particularly in combination with the hammer and sickle, but is also used as a purely socialist symbol in the 21st century. I ...

by Bolshevik revolutionary

Alexander Bogdanov Alexander Aleksandrovich Bogdanov (russian: Алекса́ндр Алекса́ндрович Богда́нов; – 7 April 1928), born Alexander Malinovsky, was a Russian and later Soviet physician, philosopher, science fiction writer, and B ...

, which describes a technologically advanced communist civilization on Mars. Another claimed origin for the red star relates to an alleged encounter between Leon Trotsky and Nikolai Krylenko. Krylenko, an Esperantist, wore a green-star lapel badge; Trotsky inquired as to its meaning and received an explanation that each arm of the star represented one of the five traditional continents. On hearing that, Trotsky specified that soldiers of the Red Army should wear a similar red star. Regardless of the star's exact origin, it was incorporated into the Red Army's uniforms and heraldry as early as 1918. Curtiss JN-3

Shortly before the founding of the Soviet Union, in mid-March 1916 the U.S. Army Signal Corps' aviation section used the red star for the national insignia for U.S. aircraft on the aircraft of the Signal Corps'

1st Aero Squadron First or 1st is the ordinal form of the number one (#1). First or 1st may also refer to: *World record, specifically the first instance of a particular achievement Arts and media Music * 1$T, American rapper, singer-songwriter, DJ, and reco ...

during the Pancho Villa Expedition to apprehend the Mexican revolutionary Pancho Villa.

Use in the USSR and its constituent republics

The symbol became one of the most prominent of the Soviet Union, adorning nearly all official buildings, awards and insignia. Sometimes the

appeared inside or below the star. In 1930 the Soviet Union established the

Order of the Red Star The Order of the Red Star (russian: Орден Красной Звезды, Orden Krasnoy Zvezdy) was a military decoration of the Soviet Union. It was established by decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of 6 April 193 ...

and awarded its insignia to Red Army and Soviet Navy personnel for "exceptional service in the cause of the defense of the Soviet Union in both war and peace". The Soviet and Russian Federation military newspaper bore and bears the name ''Red Star'' ( Russian: '' Krasnaya Zvezda''). File:Red star Red Army 05.gif, Red star, Red Army 1918 File:Вступайте в красную конницу, 1920.jpg, Red Cavalry poster with the

budenovka A budenovka ( rus, будёновка, r=budyonovka, p=bʊˈdʲɵnəfkə) is a distinctive type of hat, an archetypal part of the Communist military uniforms of the Russian Civil War following the Russian revolution (1917–1922) and later co ...

, 1920 File:Kremlin Star.jpg, Kremlin Star, Moscow, (1937) File:Orden-Pobeda-Marshal Vasilevsky 09.jpg, Soviet Order of Victory, (1945), USSR File:Red Star Plate by Adamovich 1921.jpg, Plate by Adamovich, (1921), Russian SFSR

As a holiday ornament

During the 1930s, Soviet publications encouraged the practice of decorating a New Year's tree, known as a ''yolka'' (). These trees were often decorated with a red star, a practice that has continued in Russia since the 1991 dissolution of the Soviet Union.

Gallery of the heraldry of Soviet republics

File:State Emblem of the Soviet Union.svg, Coat of arms of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics File:Emblem of the Armenian SSR.svg, Coat of arms of the

Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic The Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic,; russian: Армянская Советская Социалистическая Республика, translit=Armyanskaya Sovetskaya Sotsialisticheskaya Respublika) also commonly referred to as Soviet A ...

File:Emblem of the Azerbaijan SSR.svg, Coat of arms of the

Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic Azerbaijan ( az, Азәрбајҹан, Azərbaycan, italics=no), officially the Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic (Azerbaijan SSR; az, Азәрбајҹан Совет Сосиалист Республикасы, Azərbaycan Sovet Sosialist R ...

File:Emblem of the Byelorussian SSR (1981-1991).svg, Coat of arms of the

Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic The Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic (BSSR, or Byelorussian SSR; be, Беларуская Савецкая Сацыялістычная Рэспубліка, Bielaruskaja Savieckaja Sacyjalistyčnaja Respublika; russian: Белор� ...

File:Emblem of the Estonian SSR.svg, Coat of arms of the Estonian Soviet Socialist Republic File:Emblem of the Georgian SSR.svg, Coat of arms of the Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic File:Emblem of Kazakh SSR.svg, Coat of arms of the Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic File:Emblem of the Kirghiz SSR.svg, Coat of arms of the Kirghiz Soviet Socialist Republic File:Emblem of the Latvian SSR.svg, Coat of arms of the Latvian Soviet Socialist Republic File:Emblem of the Lithuanian SSR.svg, Coat of arms of the

Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Republic The Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Republic (Lithuanian SSR; lt, Lietuvos Tarybų Socialistinė Respublika; russian: Литовская Советская Социалистическая Республика, Litovskaya Sovetskaya Sotsialistiche ...

File:Emblem of the Moldavian SSR (1981-1990).svg, Coat of arms of the Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic File:Emblem of the Russian SFSR.svg, Coat of arms of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic File:Emblem of the Tajik SSR.svg, Coat of arms of the Tajik Soviet Socialist Republic File:Emblem of the Turkmen SSR.svg, Coat of arms of the Turkmen Soviet Socialist Republic File:Emblem of the Ukrainian SSR.svg, Coat of arms of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic File:Emblem of the Uzbek SSR.svg, Coat of arms of the Uzbek Soviet Socialist Republic File:Emblem_of_the_Transcaucasian_SFSR_(1930-1936).svg,

Emblem of the Transcaucasian Socialist Federative Soviet Republic The Emblem of the Transcaucasian SFSR was adopted by the government of the Transcaucasian SFSR. The final version was adopted in 1930. The emblem is based loosely on the state emblem of the Soviet Union. It incorporates designs from each of ...

(1923-1936) File:Emblem_of_the_Karelo-Finnish_SSR.svg, Emblem of the Karelo-Finnish Soviet Socialist Republic (1941-1956) File:Emblem of the Latvian SSR (1918-1920).svg, Coat of arms of the Latvian Socialist Soviet Republic (1919–1920)

Gallery of Soviet flags

File:Flag of the Soviet Union.svg, Flag of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics File:Flag of Armenian SSR.svg, Flag of the Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic File:Flag of the Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic.svg, Flag of the Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic File:Flag of Byelorussian SSR.svg, Flag of the Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic File:Flag of the Estonian Soviet Socialist Republic.svg,

Flag of the Estonian Soviet Socialist Republic The flag of the Estonian Soviet Socialist Republic was officially adopted by the former Soviet Union in 1940. It showed a set of Communist symbols: a yellow hammer and sickle on a red field and, after official change of the flag's design in 1953 ...

File:Flag of Georgian SSR.svg, Flag of the Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic File:Flag of the Kazakh SSR.svg,

Flag of the Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic The flag of the Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic was adopted by the Kazakh government on 24 January 1953. The flag resembles the flag of the Soviet Union in defaced form with a 2/9 horizontal blue (azure) bar in the lower part of the flag and th ...

File:Flag of Kyrgyz SSR.svg, Flag of the Kyrgyz Soviet Socialist Republic File:Flag of Latvian SSR.svg,

Flag of the Latvian Soviet Socialist Republic Flag of the Latvian Soviet Socialist Republic shows a yellow hammer and sickle and outlined star on a red field above rippling water at the bottom, and was adopted by the (former) Latvian Soviet Socialist Republic on January 17, 1953. History T ...

File:Flag of Lithuanian SSR.svg,

Flag of the Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Republic The flag of the Lithuanian SSR was first adopted by the Lithuanian SSR in 1918, which was a plain red flag. After Lithuanian SSR was established again in 1940, the flag was a red flag with the national name and a hammer and sickle in the upper c ...

File:Flag of Moldavian SSR.svg, Flag of the Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic File:Flag of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic.svg,

Flag of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic The last Soviet Union (USSR)-era flag was adopted by the Russian SFSR in 1954 and used until 1991. The flag of the Russian SFSR was a defacement of the flag of the Soviet Union. The constitution stipulated: Like the flag of the Soviet Union ...

File:Flag of Tajik SSR.svg,

Flag of the Tajik Soviet Socialist Republic The flag of the Tajik Soviet Socialist Republic was the red Soviet flag with white and green stripes below the gold hammer and sickle, with the measures: 1/2 red, 1/5 white, 1/10 green, 1/5 red. The flag sported the Pan-Iranian colors of red, whi ...

File:Flag of the Turkmen SSR.svg,

Flag of the Turkmen Soviet Socialist Republic The flag of the Turkmen Soviet Socialist Republic was adopted by the Turkmen Soviet Socialist Republic, Turkmen SSR on August 1, 1953. Although similar to the Flag of the Soviet Union, the layout is identical to the flag of the Kirghiz Soviet Soc ...

File:Flag of Ukrainian SSR.svg, Flag of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic File:Flag of the Uzbek SSR.svg, Flag of the Uzbek Soviet Socialist Republic File:Flag of Oryol.svg, Flag of

Oryol Oryol ( rus, Орёл, p=ɐˈrʲɵl, lit. ''eagle''), also transliterated as Orel or Oriol, is a city and the administrative center of Oryol Oblast situated on the Oka River, approximately south-southwest of Moscow. It is part of the Central Fed ...

File:Flag of the Karelo-Finnish SSR.svg, Flag of the Karelo-Finnish Soviet Socialist Republic (1940–1956) File:Flag of Transcaucasian SFSR (1925-1936).svg, Flag of the Transcaucasian Socialist Federative Soviet Republic (1922–1936)

Use in other socialist countries

Following its adoption as an emblem of the Soviet Union, the red star became a symbol for communism around the world. Several Communist states subsequently adopted the red star symbol, often placing it on their respective flags and

coats of arms A coat of arms is a heraldic visual design on an escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the latter two being outer garments). The coat of arms on an escutcheon forms the central element of the full heraldic achievement, which in its wh ...

– for example on the flag of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.

Separatist Separatism is the advocacy of cultural, ethnic, tribal, religious, racial, governmental or gender separation from the larger group. As with secession, separatism conventionally refers to full political separation. Groups simply seeking greate ...

and socialist movements also sometimes adopted the red star, as on the

Estelada flag The Estelada (; pl. ''Estelades''; full name ''Senyera estelada'', , from ''estel'', "star") is an unofficial flag typically flown by Catalan independence supporters to express their support for either an independent Catalonia or independent ' ...

in the Catalan countries.

In the Eastern Bloc

The red star became a common element of the flags and heraldry of socialist states in the

Eastern Bloc The Eastern Bloc, also known as the Communist Bloc and the Soviet Bloc, was the group of socialist states of Central and Eastern Europe, East Asia, Southeast Asia, Africa, and Latin America under the influence of the Soviet Union that existed du ...

, appearing in heraldry for virtually all of the countries, and on the flags of Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania, and Albania. From 1991 to 1995, Belarus dropped its Soviet-style emblem in favor of an emblem featuring the Pahonia; the Soviet-era heraldry was re-adopted in 1995, and continues to be used today with minor modifications in 2012 and 2020. File:Flag of Bulgaria (1971 – 1990).svg,

Flag of the People's Republic of Bulgaria A flag is a piece of fabric (most often rectangular or quadrilateral) with a distinctive design and colours. It is used as a symbol, a signalling device, or for decoration. The term ''flag'' is also used to refer to the graphic design emp ...

(1971–1990) File:Flag of Romania (1965-1989).svg, Flag of the Socialist Republic of Romania (1965–1989) File:Flag of Albania (1946-1992).svg,

Flag of the People's Socialist Republic of Albania A flag is a piece of fabric (most often rectangular or quadrilateral) with a distinctive design and colours. It is used as a symbol, a signalling device, or for decoration. The term ''flag'' is also used to refer to the graphic design empl ...

(1946–1992) File:Flag of Hungary (1949-1956; 1-2 aspect ratio).svg,

Flag of the Hungarian People's Republic A flag is a piece of fabric (most often rectangular or quadrilateral) with a distinctive design and colours. It is used as a symbol, a signalling device, or for decoration. The term ''flag'' is also used to refer to the graphic design emp ...

(1949–1956) File:Coat of arms of the Socialist Republic of Romania.svg, Coat of arms of the Socialist Republic of Romania File:Coat of arms of Bulgaria (1971-1990).svg, Coat of arms of the People's Republic of Bulgaria (1971–1990) File:Coat of arms of Hungary (1957-1990).svg, Coat of arms of the Hungarian People's Republic (1957–1990) File:Coat of arms of the People's Republic of Albania.svg, Coat of arms of the People's Socialist Republic of Albania File:Coat of arms of Czechoslovakia (1961-1989).svg, Coat of arms of Czechoslovak Socialist Republic (1961–1989) File:Coat of arms of Belarus.svg, Emblem of Belarus (1995–2012) File:Coat of arms of Belarus (1995-2021).svg, Emblem of Belarus (2012–2020) File:Coat of arms of Belarus (2020–present).svg, Emblem of Belarus (since 2020)

In Yugoslavia

In former Yugoslavia the red star served not only a communist symbol, but also as a more generic symbol of resistance against Fascism and the

Nazi occupation of Yugoslavia World War II in the Kingdom of Yugoslavia began on 6 April 1941, when the country was swiftly conquered by Axis forces and partitioned between Germany, Italy, Hungary, Bulgaria and their client regimes. Shortly after Germany attacked ...

, as well as of opposition to its associated ethnic policies.

Tito's partisans The Yugoslav Partisans,Serbo-Croatian, Macedonian language, Macedonian, Slovene language, Slovene: , or the National Liberation Army, sh-Latn-Cyrl, Narodnooslobodilačka vojska (NOV), Народноослободилачка војска (НО� ...

wore the red star as an identification symbol during World War II. File:Flag of SFR Yugoslavia.svg , Flag of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia File:Flag of the Socialist Republic of Serbia.svg , Flag of the

Socialist Republic of Serbia , life_span = 1944–1992 , status = Constituent state of Yugoslavia , p1 = Territory of the Military Commander in Serbia , flag_p1 = Flag of German Reich (1935–1945).svg , p2 ...

and flag of the Socialist Republic of Montenegro File:Flag of Slovenia (1945-1991).svg , Flag of the

Socialist Republic of Slovenia The Socialist Republic of Slovenia ( sl, Socialistična republika Slovenija, sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Socijalistička Republika Slovenija, Социјалистичка Република Словенија), commonly referred to as Sociali ...

File:Flag of the Socialist Republic of Croatia.png , Flag of the Socialist Republic of Croatia File:Flag of SR Bosnia and Herzegovina.svg , Flag of the Socialist Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina File:Flag of North Macedonia (1946–1992).svg , Flag of the

Socialist Republic of Macedonia The Socialist Republic of Macedonia ( mk, Социјалистичка Република Македонија, Socijalistička Republika Makedonija), or SR Macedonia, commonly referred to as Socialist Macedonia or Yugoslav Macedonia, was ...

File:Emblem of SFR Yugoslavia.svg , Coat of arms of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia File:Coat of Arms of the Socialist Republic of Serbia.svg , Coat of arms of the Yugoslav

File:Coat of Arms of the Socialist Republic of Slovenia.svg , Coat of arms of the Yugoslav

File:Coat of Arms of the Socialist Republic of Croatia.svg , Coat of arms of the Yugoslav Socialist Republic of Croatia File:Coat of Arms of the Socialist Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina.svg , Coat of arms of the Yugoslav Socialist Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina File:Coat of arms of Macedonia (1946-2009).svg , Coat of arms of the Yugoslav

File:Coat of Arms of the Socialist Republic of Montenegro.svg , Coat of arms of the Yugoslav Socialist Republic of Montenegro

In Asia

As communist movements spread across Asia, some entities used a red star, while others used a yellow star (often on a red field) with the same symbolism. The

Far Eastern Republic The Far Eastern Republic ( rus, Дальневосто́чная Респу́блика, ДВР, r=Dalnevostochnaya Respublika, DVR, p=dəlʲnʲɪvɐˈstotɕnəjə rʲɪsˈpublʲɪkə), sometimes called the Chita Republic, was a nominally indep ...

of 1920 to 1922 used a yellow star on its military uniforms, and the flag of the People's Republic of China has five yellow stars on a red field. The flag of Vietnam also has a yellow star on a red field. Examples of communes and villages in China named after the red star include Hongxing Village in Huilong Township, Hubei, China and

Kizilto Kizilto (قىزىلتو يېزىسى, Keziletao ) is a township of Akto County in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, China. Located in the southeastern part of the county, the township covers an area of 3,882 square kilometers with a population of ...

in Xinjiang (named Hongxing Commune during the Cultural Revolution). File:Emblem of North Korea (1948–1993).svg , Emblem of North Korea (1948–1993) File:Emblem of Laos 1975-1991.svg , Emblem of

Laos Laos (, ''Lāo'' )), officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic ( Lao: ສາທາລະນະລັດ ປະຊາທິປະໄຕ ປະຊາຊົນລາວ, French: République démocratique populaire lao), is a socialist ...

(1975–1992) File:State emblem of the People's republic of Mongolia (1960–1992).svg , State emblem of the Mongolian People's Republic (1960–1992) File:Coat of arms of South Yemen (1970-1990).svg , Coat of arms of

South Yemen South Yemen ( ar, اليمن الجنوبي, al-Yaman al-Janubiyy), officially the People's Democratic Republic of Yemen (, ), also referred to as Democratic Yemen (, ) or Yemen (Aden) (, ), was a communist state that existed from 1967 to 19 ...

(1970–1990) File:Flag of North Vietnam.svg , Flag of Vietnam File:Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg , Flag of the People's Republic of China File:Flag of North Korea.svg ,

Flag of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea The flag of North Korea, also known as the Ramhongsaek Konghwagukgi ( ko, 람홍색공화국기; literally "blue and red-coloured flag of the republic"), sometimes known as the flag of the North Korea, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, con ...

File:Flag of the People's Republic of Mongolia (1940-1992).svg , Flag of the Mongolian People's Republic File:Flag of South Yemen.svg ,

Flag of South Yemen The Flag of South Yemen consisted of a tricolour consisting of the three equal horizontal red, white, and black bands of the Arab Liberation flag with the sky-blue chevron and a red star on the left side of the hoist. The flag was adopted o ...

File:Flag of Afghanistan (1980–1987).svg , Flag of the

Democratic Republic of Afghanistan The Democratic Republic of Afghanistan (DRA),, renamed the Republic of Afghanistan, in 1987, was the Afghan state during the one-party rule of the People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan (PDPA) from 1978 to 1992. The PDPA came to power ...

(1980-1987) File:Scan of red star covid test.jpg, Red star seen on a stamp on the qualification certificate of an NHS COVID-19 lateral flow test, manufactured in Xiamen, Fujian Province,

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...

In Africa

Socialist countries in Africa also incorporated the red or gold stars into their heraldry. This practice was also adopted by countries that formed following anti-colonial national liberation struggles, which often involved

Marxist Marxism is a Left-wing politics, left-wing to Far-left politics, far-left method of socioeconomic analysis that uses a Materialism, materialist interpretation of historical development, better known as historical materialism, to understand S ...

organizations. File:Emblem of Mozambique.svg , Emblem of Mozambique File:Flag of Mozambique (1983).svg , Flag of Mozambique File:Flag of Burkina Faso.svg , Flag of Burkina Faso File:Emblem of the People's Republic of Benin.svg , Emblem of the

People's Republic of Benin The People's Republic of Benin (french: République populaire du Bénin; sometimes translated as Benin Popular Republic or Popular Republic of Benin) was a socialist state located in the Gulf of Guinea on the African continent, which would becom ...

File:Flag of Angola.svg , Flag of Angola File:Flag of Ethiopia (1987–1991).svg ,

Flag of Ethiopia The flag of Ethiopia ( am, የኢትዮጵያ ሰንደቅ ዐላማ, Ye-Ītyōṗṗyā sändäq ʿälama) is the national flag of Ethiopia. It consists of a green, yellow, and red tricolour with the National Emblem, a golden pentagram on a blu ...

(1987–1991) File:Flag of Djibouti.svg , Flag of Djibouti File:Flag of Zimbabwe.svg , Flag of Zimbabwe File:Flag of Benin (1975-1990).svg , Flag of Benin (1975–1990) File:Flag of the People's Republic of Congo.svg , Flag of the People's Republic of the Congo (1969–1992) File:Presidential Standard of Madagascar (1976-1993).svg , Presidential Standard of the DR Madagascar File:Emblem of the Democratic Republic of Madagascar.svg , Emblem of the Democratic Republic of Madagascar

State military units

By March 2010, the Russian government readopted the Soviet red star (but now with a blue outline reflecting the three colors – white, blue and red – of the Russian flag) as a military insignia. The

Russian Air Force " Air March" , mascot = , anniversaries = 12 August , equipment = , equipment_label = , battles = , decorations = , bat ...

used this star as a roundel up to 2013, when Russia re-instated the Soviet-era red star. the Armed Forces of Belarus still use the old Soviet red star. The coat of arms of Armed Forces of the Republic of Kazakhstan includes a modified version of the Soviet red star. File:Badge of the Mongolian Revolutionary Youth League (1921-1924).svg, Early

swastika The swastika (卐 or 卍) is an ancient religious and cultural symbol, predominantly in various Eurasian, as well as some African and American cultures, now also widely recognized for its appropriation by the Nazi Party and by neo-Nazis. It ...

and red star emblem of the Mongolian Revolutionary Youth League, used from 1921 to 1924. File:Roundel of the Soviet Union (1945–1991).svg, Soviet Military Air Force (1943–1991), Russian Military Air Force (1992–2010) and Belarusian Military Air Force and Air Defence Forces roundel File:Roundel of Russia.svg, Russian Military Air Force roundel Emblem of the Armed Forces of Belarus.svg, Symbol of the Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Belarus File:Coat of arms military-of-kazakhstan.svg, The coat of arms of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Kazakhstan File:China Emblem PLA.svg, Emblem of the Chinese

People's Liberation Army The People's Liberation Army (PLA) is the principal military force of the People's Republic of China and the armed wing of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). The PLA consists of five service branches: the Ground Force, Navy, Air Force, ...

By states with limited recognition

Transnistria and the Luhansk People's Republic are proto-states located in Eastern Europe. Due to their historical association with the Soviet Union, they have adopted socialist imagery – including the red star – into their flags and heraldry. File:Flag of Transnistria (state).svg , Flag of Transnistria File:COA LPR oct 2014.svg , Coat of Arms of the Luhansk People's Republic

By sports teams

Several sporting clubs from countries ruled by communist parties used the red star as a symbol and named themselves after it, such as the Serbian club Red Star Belgrade ( sr , Црвена звезда / ), the East German , the Angolan

Estrela Vermelha do Huambo Sport Huambo e Benfica, originally Sport Nova Lisboa e Benfica or ''Benfica de Nova Lisboa'', later renamed as Sport Huambo e Benfica or ''Benfica do Huambo'' or ''Mambroa'', is a football club from Huambo, Angola. The club was established as th ...

, the Estrela Vermelha from

Beira, Mozambique Beira is the capital and largest city of Sofala Province, where the Pungwe River meets the Indian Ocean, in the central region of Mozambique. It is the fourth-largest city by population in Mozambique, after Maputo, Matola and Nampula. Beira had a ...

or the Czechoslovak Rudá Hvězda Brno. Some sports teams from non-communist countries used it, such as French

from Paris, Swiss club

FC Red Star Zürich FC Red Star Zürich is a football club from Zürich, Switzerland ). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the feder ...

, English

Seaham Red Star F.C. Seaham Red Star Football Club is a football club based in Seaham, England. They joined the Wearside League in 1979 as Seaham Colliery Welfare Red Star. In the 1978–79 season, they reached the 5th round of the FA Vase. In 1984, they changed ...

, and even an American women's soccer club ( Chicago Red Stars—though in that case the star is based on the flag of Chicago and not on the communist logo). The American soccer clubs

Sacramento Republic FC Sacramento Republic FC is an American professional soccer team based in Sacramento, California, that plays in the Western Conference of the USL Championship, the second level in US soccer. Co-founded by Warren Smith and Joe Wagoner in 2012, the ...

and D.C. United also use red stars in their logos, referencing the flags of California and the District of Columbia respectively. The German rowing club

Pirnaer Ruderverein 1872 The Pirna Rowing Club 1872 (''Pirnaer Ruderverein 1872''), from Pirna (Germany) is the first and oldest rowing club in the Freestate of Saxony. Founded in 1872 and reshaped in 1991. One of the best known is the rower Peggy Waleska, who won 2 Wo ...

began (and continues) to use red star since the 19th century. File:Grb-fk-crvena-zvezda.svg, Red Star Belgrade File:Fahne Pirnaer Ruderverein 1872.svg,

Use by socialist groups

Armed revolutionary organizations

In 1970, the Red Army Faction, a West German militant group, used a red star paired with a Heckler & Koch MP5 in their highly recognizable insignia. In 1994, the red star was included in the flag of the armed

revolutionary A revolutionary is a person who either participates in, or advocates a revolution. The term ''revolutionary'' can also be used as an adjective, to refer to something that has a major, sudden impact on society or on some aspect of human endeavor. ...

Zapatista Army of National Liberation (EZLN) in

Chiapas Chiapas (; Tzotzil language, Tzotzil and Tzeltal language, Tzeltal: ''Chyapas'' ), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Chiapas ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Chiapas), is one of the states that make up the Political divisions of Mexico, ...

, Mexico. A number of communist parties in Turkey utilize the red star. Likewise, a number of Kurdish revolutionary organizations connected to the Kurdistan Communities Union utilize the red star in their iconography. Those include the flags of the

Kurdistan Workers' Party The Kurdistan Workers' Party or PKK is a Kurdish militant political organization and armed guerrilla movement, which historically operated throughout Kurdistan, but is now primarily based in the mountainous Kurdish-majority regions of south ...

and the battle flag pennants of the People's Defence Forces and Free Women's Units in Turkish Kurdistan, the People's Protection Units and Women's Protection Units in

Syrian Kurdistan Syrian Kurdistan is a Kurdish-inhabited area in northern Syria surrounding three noncontiguous enclaves along the Turkish and Iraqi borders: Afrin in the northwest, Kobani in the north, and Jazira in the northeast. Syrian Kurdistan is often ...

, and the Eastern Kurdistan Units and Women's Defense Forces in Iranian Kurdistan. The Iranian Islamist-Socialist militant opposition group the Mojahedin-e-Khalq uses the red star with the rifle, sickle and the map of Iran in the background. File:RAF-Logo.svg, Red Army Faction (West German militant group) (RAF) File:Flag of the EZLN.svg, Zapatista Army of National Liberation (EZLN) File:MLKP_Badge.svg, Marxist Leninist Communist Party (MLKP) File:Birleşik_Özgürlük_Güçleri_(United_Freedom_Forces)_logo.svg, United Freedom Forces (BÖG) File:International_Freedom_Battalion's_Badge.svg, International Freedom Battalion (IFB) File:IRPGF_Flag.svg, International Revolutionary People's Guerrilla Forces (IRPGF) File:Flag of Koma Civakên Kurdistanê.svg, Kurdistan Communities Union (KCK) File:Flag_of_Kurdistan_Workers'_Party.svg,

(PKK) File:Flag_of_Hêzên_Parastina_Gel.svg, People's Defence Forces (HPG) File:Flag_of_YJA-Star.svg, Free Women's Units (YJA-STAR) File:Flag_of_the_YPS_-_Vertical.svg,

Civil Protection Units The Civil Protection Units ( ku, Yekîneyên Parastina Sivîl, ; YPS), also known as Civil Defense Units, is a primarily Kurdish rebel group and main armed force in Turkish Kurdistan. The YPS was formed by the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) to bet ...

(YPS) File:People's_Protection_Units_Flag.svg, People's Protection Units (YPG) File:YPJ_Flag.svg, Women's Protection Units (YPJ) File:Flag_of_Hêzên_Rojhilata_Kurdistan.svg, Eastern Kurdistan Units (HRK) File:The_Official_Logo_Of_Komala.png,

Komalah Komala may refer to: * Komala (Pokémon), a Gen VII Normal-type ''Pokémon'' species introduced in ''Pokémon Sun and Moon'' * Komala Party of Iranian Kurdistan, a Kurdish political party led by Abdullah Mohtadi * Komalah (CPI), a Kurdish political ...

File:Flag of the People's Mujahedin of Iran.svg, People's Mujahedin of Iran (MEK) File:Flag of the Combat Organization of Anarcho-Communists.svg,

Combat Organization of Anarcho-Communists , allies = Revolutionary Action Resistance Committee Black Bridge , opponents = Government of Russia Government of Belarus PMC Wagner , flag = , website boakmirror.noblogs.org, module = ...

(BOAK) File:Flag of the Communist (Maoist) Party of Afghanistan.svg, Flag of the

Communist (Maoist) Party of Afghanistan The Communist (Maoist) Party of Afghanistan ( fa, حزب كمونيست (مائوئيست) افغانستان, ''Hezb-e Komunist (Ma'uist) Afghanistan''), previously known as the Communist Party of Afghanistan, is an underground communist party ...

Political parties and movements

The Brazilian leftist Worker's Party uses a red star as its symbol with the party acronym ( pt, Partido dos Trabalhadores – PT) inside.

Hugo Chávez Hugo Rafael Chávez Frías (; 28 July 1954 – 5 March 2013) was a Venezuelan politician who was president of Venezuela from 1999 until his death in 2013, except for a brief period in 2002. Chávez was also leader of the Fifth Republ ...

and his supporters in Venezuela have used the red star in numerous symbols and logos, and have included it in the logo of the United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV). It was also used throughout 2007 as a symbol of the "5 Engines of the Bolivarian Socialist Revolution". It is also used by the militant South African

shack A shack (or, in some areas, shanty) is a type of small shelter or dwelling, often primitive or rudimentary in design and construction. Unlike huts, shacks are constructed by hand using available materials; however, whereas huts are usually ru ...

-dweller's movement Abahlali baseMjondolo. Like in Latin America and Africa, several European socialist parties continue to use a star as a part of their logos. The red star is also featured prominently in the independence flags of various separatist movements in Spain. File:PT (Brazil) logo 2021.svg, Symbol of Workers' Party (Brazil) File:Vereinigte Sozialistische Partei Venezuelas logo.svg, Symbol of the United Socialist Party of Venezuela File:DYFI-flag.svg, Symbol of the Democratic Youth Federation of India File:Logo – Parti communiste français (2018).svg, Symbol of the French Communist Party File:Pce 2014.svg, Symbol of the Communist Party of Spain File:Portuguese Communist Party logo.svg, Symbol of the Portuguese Communist Party File:Socialistische Partij (nl 2006) Logo.svg, Symbol of the Dutch Socialist Party File:PVDAPTB-2022-icon-profile01.png, Symbol of the Workers' Party of Belgium File:Logo of The Left (Slovenia).svg, Symbol of the Slovenian party The Left File:Potere al Popolo! - Logo (Italy, 2017).svg, Symbol of the Italian party Power to the People File:Rødt_logo_(bokmål).svg, Symbol of the Norwegian Red Party File:Uplogo2transparente-sinnombre.png, Symbol of the Ecuadorian party Popular Unity File:Party of Socialists of the Republic of Moldova logo.png, Symbol of the

Party of Socialists of the Republic of Moldova The Party of Socialists of the Republic of Moldova ( ro, Partidul Socialiștilor din Republica Moldova; russian: Партия социалистов Республики Молдова, Partya sotsialistov Respubliki Moldova, PSRM) is a democra ...

File:Abahlali_baseMjondolo_Logo.jpg, Symbol of the Abahlali baseMjondolo File:Bandera Andalucía Libre.svg, Flag of the Andalusian Nation party File:Flag_of_Castile_(with_star).svg, Castilian nationalist flag File:Bandeira galega nacionalista.svg,

Galician nationalist Galician nationalism is a form of nationalism found mostly in Galicia, which asserts that Galicians are a nation and that promotes the cultural unity of Galicians. The political movement referred to as modern Galician nationalism was born at t ...

flag Estreleira File:Estelada roja.svg, Catalan pro-independence flag Estelada Vermella

Uses without socialist symbolism

Some red stars adopted in emblems and flags have a significance that does not originally relate to socialism. Among these, the most well-known include the current state flag of California (echoing the Californian red star flag of 1836) and the flag of New Zealand (designed in 1869, officially adopted in 1902). The flag of the District of Columbia (designed in 1921, adopted in 1938) recalls George Washington's coat of arms. DC Comics' Wonder Woman also wears a 5 point red star headband with gold or yellow background.

Crescent moon and star

The crescent moon and star was a symbol used by the Ottoman Empire. Various states with Ottoman history have thus adopted this symbol into their present-day flags. File:Flag of Tunisia.svg,

Flag of Tunisia The flag of Tunisia is a rectangular panel of red color with an aspect ratio of 2:3. In the center of the cloth in a white circle is placed a red crescent, surrounding a red five-pointed star on three sides. Bey Tunisia Hussein II decided to crea ...

File:Flag of Algeria.svg, Flag of Algeria File:Flag of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.svg, Flag of Northern Cyprus File:Emblem of Turkey.svg, Emblem of Turkey

Assorted Flags and Coats of Arms

File:Flag of New Zealand.svg, Flag of New Zealand. File:Flag of Panama.svg, Flag of Panama. File:Flag of Syria 2011, observed.svg, Flag of Syria (opposition group during the civil war). Was the independence flag first used in 1932. File:Flag of California.svg, Flag of California. File:California Lone Star Flag 1836.svg, California Lone Star Flag – 1836. File:Flag of Washington, D.C..svg, Flag of Washington, D.C. File:Bandeira do Acre.svg, Flag of Acre State, Brazil. File:Flag of Nagasaki, Nagasaki.svg, Flag of Nagasaki city. File:Flag of Birmingham, Alabama.svg, Flag of Birmingham, Alabama. File:Gharghur coa.svg, Arms of Għargħur, Malta. File:Escudo de Moríñigo.svg,

Moríñigo Moríñigo is a municipality located in the province of Salamanca, Castile and León Castile and León ( es, Castilla y León ; ast-leo, Castiella y Llión ; gl, Castela e León ) is an autonomous community in northwestern Spain. It was cr ...

coat of arms. File:Coat of Arms of Canton of Valais 3D.svg, Valais coat of arms File:Blason Crain.svg,

Crain, Yonne Crain () is a commune in the Yonne department in Bourgogne-Franche-Comté in north-central France. See also *Communes of the Yonne department The following is a list of the 423 communes of the Yonne department of France. The communes cooper ...

coat of arms. File:Blason ville fr Chauriat (Puy-de-Dôme).svg, Chauriat coat of arms.

Symbol of animal relief

The red star was adopted as the symbol of the

International Red Star Alliance International is an adjective (also used as a noun) meaning "between nations". International may also refer to: Music Albums * ''International'' (Kevin Michael album), 2011 * ''International'' (New Order album), 2002 * ''International'' (The T ...

, a Geneva international treaty signed in 1914 with the purpose of bringing about international cooperation on behalf of sick and wounded

war animal Military animals are trained animals that are used in warfare and other combat related activities. As working animals, different military animals serve different functions. Horses, elephants, camels, and other animals have been used for both trans ...

s, while securing the neutral status of the personnel engaged in such work. Besides the International Alliance, national Red Star societies were also established. Regarding animal relief, the International Red Star Alliance had an analogous role of that of the

International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is a humanitarian movement with approximately 97 million volunteers, members and staff worldwide. It was founded to protect human life and health, to ensure respect for all human beings, an ...

. To identify their neutral status, white brassards with red stars were worn by military veterinary personnel in World War I in a similar way medical personal worn brassards with red crosses. Following the War, the American Red Star turned to focus on domestic issues, including care for animals during disasters. The organization waxed and waned over the decades, and exists as the American Humane Association's

Red Star Animal Emergency Services Red is the color at the long wavelength end of the visible spectrum of light, next to orange and opposite violet. It has a dominant wavelength of approximately 625–740 nanometres. It is a primary color in the RGB color model and a seconda ...

Red stars in labels and logos

File:SanPellegrinoBottle A.jpg, A San Pellegrino bottle File:Heineken Bottle.jpg, Label of a Heineken bottle File:AKO Crabmeat 003.jpg, Logo of AKO, product of the Soviet Union File:Macy's logo.svg, Logo of Macy's department stores File:Texaco Logo.jpg, Texaco logo, circa 1913 File:Caltex logo.png,

Caltex Caltex is a petroleum brand name of Chevron Corporation used in the Asia-Pacific region, the Middle East, and Southern Africa. It is also the brand name of non-Chevron petroleum companies in some countries (such as New Zealand, and previously ...

logo, circa 1936 The red star was used by the Texaco oil company in various forms from 1909 to 1981. Its overseas division

also used the red star until 1996. Red Star Yeast was produced for a century in Milwaukee, Baltimore, and Oakland before its subsumption as a brand by

Lesaffre Lesaffre is a French yeast manufacturer, and the world's largest producer. History The company was founded by Louis Lesaffre, the co-founder of Bonduelle, in the mid-19th century. One of its subsidiaries, Bio Springer, was founded by Baron Max ...

. The brand of

Erguotou ''Erguotou'' () is a Chinese liquor. It is a type of light-aroma ''baijiu'' made from sorghum. The most famous brands are Red Star (红星, ''Hóngxīng'') and Niulanshan (牛栏山), both from Beijing. It is available in various strengths, the ...

in Beijing, a Chinese Baijiu, was named after "Red star" in 1949 to celebrate the founding of the People's Republic of China. North Korea's Red Star operating system takes its name from the communist red star.

Legal status

The red star and the

are regarded as occupation symbols as well as symbols of totalitarianism and

state terror State terrorism refers to acts of terrorism which a state conducts against another state or against its own citizens.Martin, 2006: p. 111. Definition There is neither an academic nor an international legal consensus regarding the proper def ...

by several countries that were formerly either members of or occupied by the Soviet Union. Accordingly,

Latvia Latvia ( or ; lv, Latvija ; ltg, Latveja; liv, Leţmō), officially the Republic of Latvia ( lv, Latvijas Republika, links=no, ltg, Latvejas Republika, links=no, liv, Leţmō Vabāmō, links=no), is a country in the Baltic region of ...

Lithuania Lithuania (; lt, Lietuva ), officially the Republic of Lithuania ( lt, Lietuvos Respublika, links=no ), is a country in the Baltic region of Europe. It is one of three Baltic states and lies on the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea. Lithuania ...

, Hungary and Ukraine have banned the symbol among others deemed to be symbols of totalitarian political ideologies and the Soviet Union or its republics. In Poland, the Parliament passed in 2009 a ban that referred generally to "fascist, communist or other totalitarian symbols", while not specifying any of them. Following a constitutional complaint, it has been abolished by the Constitutional Tribunal as contrary to articles in the Constitution of Poland guaranteeing the

freedom of speech Freedom of speech is a principle that supports the freedom of an individual or a community to articulate their opinions and ideas without fear of retaliation, censorship, or legal sanction. The right to freedom of expression has been recogni ...

. A similar law was considered in Estonia, but eventually failed in a parliamentary committee due to its conflict with freedoms guaranteed by the constitution of Estonia. The European Court of Human Rights has ruled, in a similar manner, against the laws that ban political symbols, which were deemed to be in clear opposition with basic human rights, such as freedom of speech, confirmed again in 2011 in case ''Fratanolo v. Hungary''. The decision has been compared to the legislation concerning the symbols of Nazism, which continue to be banned in several European Union member states, including Germany and France. There have been calls for an EU-wide ban on both Soviet and Nazi symbols, notably by politicians from Lithuania, Estonia, the Czech Republic, Hungary and Slovakia. The European Commissioner for Justice,

Franco Frattini Franco Frattini (14 March 1957 – 24 December 2022) was an Italian politician and magistrate. From January to December 2022, Frattini served as president of the Council of State. Frattini previously served as Minister of Foreign Affairs from ...

, felt it "might not be appropriate" to include communist symbols in the context of discussions on xenophobia and anti-Semitism. In 2003, Hungarian politician Attila Vajnai was arrested, handcuffed and fined for wearing a red star on his lapel during a demonstration. He appealed his sentence to the European Court of Human Rights, which decided that the ban was a violation of the freedom of expression, calling the Hungarian ban "indiscriminate" and "too broad". In Slovenia, the red star was historically associated with the resistance movement that fought against fascist occupation in World War II, but was also later a state symbol of Yugoslavia during the dictatorship of

Josip Broz Tito Josip Broz ( sh-Cyrl, Јосип Броз, ; 7 May 1892 – 4 May 1980), commonly known as Tito (; sh-Cyrl, Тито, links=no, ), was a Yugoslav communist revolutionary and statesman, serving in various positions from 1943 until his deat ...

. On 21 March 2011, Slovenia issued a two-euro commemorative coin to mark the 100th anniversary of the birth of

Franc Rozman Franc Rozman, nom de guerre Stane (Slovene convention: ''Franc Rozman – Stane'') or Stane MlinarKlanjšček, Zdravko. 1996. "Rozman, Franc – Stane." ''Enciklopedija Slovenije'', vol. 10. Ljubljana: Mladinska knjiga, pp. 297–98. (27 March 19 ...

, a partisan commander, featuring a large star that represented a red star. This led to criticism from the Slovenian democratic parties without a communist history.

Non five-pointed red stars

Emblems and flags where the red stars displayed are not five-pointed are much rarer. These include the following: File:Flag of the International Brigades.svg, Three-pointed red star in the flag of the

International Brigades The International Brigades ( es, Brigadas Internacionales) were military units set up by the Communist International to assist the Popular Front government of the Second Spanish Republic during the Spanish Civil War. The organization existed f ...

. File:Flag of Aruba.svg, Four-pointed red star in the flag of Aruba. File:Flag of Burundi.svg, Six-pointed red stars outlined in green in the flag of Burundi. File:Flag of Chicago, Illinois.svg, Six-pointed red stars in the flag of Chicago. File:Naval Ensign of Singapore.svg, Eight-pointed red star in the Naval Ensign of Singapore. File:Magen David Adom.svg, Emblem of Magen David Adom, the Israeli national aid society.

References

External links