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 Communism (from Latin la, communis, lit=common, universal, label=none) is a far-left sociopolitical, philosophical, and economic ideology and current within the socialist movement whose goal is the establishment of a communist society, a so ...

, particularly in combination with the hammer and sickle, but is also used as a purely

socialist Socialism is a left-wing economic philosophy and movement encompassing a range of economic systems characterized by the dominance of social ownership of the means of production as opposed to private ownership. As a term, it describes the e ...

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 ...

state State may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Literature * ''State Magazine'', a monthly magazine published by the U.S. Department of State * ''The State'' (newspaper), a daily newspaper in Columbia, South Carolina, United States * ''Our S ...

emblem An emblem is an abstract or representational pictorial image that represents a concept, like a moral truth, or an allegory, or a person, like a king or saint. Emblems vs. symbols Although the words ''emblem'' and '' symbol'' are often use ...

monument A monument is a type of structure that was explicitly created to commemorate a person or event, or which has become relevant to a social group as a part of their remembrance of historic times or cultural heritage, due to its artistic, his ...

s, ornaments, and

logo A logo (abbreviation of logotype; ) is a graphic mark, emblem, or symbol used to aid and promote public identification and recognition. It may be of an abstract or figurative design or include the text of the name it represents as in a wordma ...

s. 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 group In the social sciences, a social group can be defined as two or more people who interact with one another, share similar characteristics, and collectively have a sense of unity. Regardless, social groups come in a myriad of sizes and varieties ...

s that would lead Russia to communism: the

youth Youth is the time of life when one is young. The word, youth, can also mean the time between childhood and adulthood ( maturity), but it can also refer to one's peak, in terms of health or the period of life known as being a young adult. You ...

, the military, the

industrial labour Capitalism is an economic system based on the private ownership of the means of production and their operation for profit. Central characteristics of capitalism include capital accumulation, competitive markets, price system, priva ...

ers, 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

peasant A peasant is a pre-industrial agricultural laborer or a farmer with limited land-ownership, especially one living in the Middle Ages under feudalism and paying rent, tax, fees, or services to a landlord. In Europe, three classes of peasants ...

ry 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 The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army (Russian: Рабо́че-крестья́нская Кра́сная армия),) often shortened to the Red Army, was the army and air force of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic and, after ...

and military service, as opposed to the hammer and sickle, which symbolized peaceful labour. Different countries across

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...

treat the symbol very differently. Some former

Warsaw Pact The Warsaw Pact (WP) or Treaty of Warsaw, formally the Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Mutual Assistance, was a collective defense treaty signed in Warsaw, Poland, between the Soviet Union and seven other Eastern Bloc socialist republic ...

nations have passed laws banning it, claiming that it represents "a

totalitarian Totalitarianism is a form of government and a political system that prohibits all opposition parties, outlaws individual and group opposition to the state and its claims, and exercises an extremely high if not complete degree of control and regul ...

ideology", but other Eastern European countries hold a very positive view of it as a symbol of

antifascism Anti-fascism is a political movement in opposition to fascist ideologies, groups and individuals. Beginning in European countries in the 1920s, it was at its most significant shortly before and during World War II, where the Axis powers wer ...

and resistance against

Nazi Nazism ( ; german: Nazismus), the common name in English for National Socialism (german: Nationalsozialismus, ), is the far-right totalitarian political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in ...

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 New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...

and the U.S. state of

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

. Red star has also been used as logo by private agencies and corporations, such as the oil giant

Texaco Texaco, Inc. ("The Texas Company") is an American Petroleum, oil brand owned and operated by Chevron Corporation. Its flagship product is its Gasoline, fuel "Texaco with Techron". It also owned the Havoline motor oil brand. Texaco was an Indepe ...

and beer multinational

Heineken Heineken Lager Beer ( nl, Heineken Pilsener), or simply Heineken () is a pale lager beer with 5% alcohol by volume produced by the Dutch brewing company Heineken N.V. Heineken beer is sold in a green bottle with a red star. History On 15 Feb ...

History

The star's origins as a symbol of communist mass movements dates from the time of the

Bolshevik Revolution The October Revolution,. officially known as the Great October Socialist Revolution. in the Soviet Union, also known as the Bolshevik Revolution, was a revolution in Russia led by the Bolsheviks, Bolshevik Party of Vladimir Lenin that was ...

and the

Russian Civil War , date = October Revolution, 7 November 1917 – Yakut revolt, 16 June 1923{{Efn, The main phase ended on 25 October 1922. Revolt against the Bolsheviks continued Basmachi movement, in Central Asia and Tungus Republic, the Far East th ...

, but the precise first use remains unknown. The red star as a symbol of the

was proposed by the Military Collegium for the organization of the Red Army and the creator of the Red Star emblem was the

Bolshevik The Bolsheviks (russian: Большевики́, from большинство́ ''bol'shinstvó'', 'majority'),; derived from ''bol'shinstvó'' (большинство́), "majority", literally meaning "one of the majority". also known in English ...

commander of the

Petrograd Military District The Petersburg Military District (Питербургский вое́нный о́круг) was a Military District of the Russian Empire originally created in August 1864 following Order B-228 of Dmitry Milyutin, the Minister of War of the Russia ...

Konstantin Eremeev Konstantin Stepanovich Eremeev (Russian: Константи́н Степа́нович Ереме́ев; 6 June 1874, Minsk – 28 January 1931, Moscow) was a Russian Bolshevik revolutionary, Soviet military leader, journalist and newspaper editor ...

. 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 World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

. 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

and the

s 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 by Bolshevik revolutionary Alexander Bogdanov, which describes a technologically advanced communist civilization on Mars. Another claimed origin for the red star relates to an alleged encounter between

Leon Trotsky Lev Davidovich Bronstein. ( – 21 August 1940), better known as Leon Trotsky; uk, link= no, Лев Давидович Троцький; also transliterated ''Lyev'', ''Trotski'', ''Trotskij'', ''Trockij'' and ''Trotzky''. (), was a Russian ...

and

Nikolai Krylenko Nikolai Vasilyevich Krylenko ( rus, Никола́й Васи́льевич Крыле́нко, p=krɨˈlʲenkə; May 2, 1885 – July 29, 1938) was an Old Bolshevik and Soviet politician. Krylenko served in a variety of posts in the Sovie ...

. Krylenko, an

Esperantist An Esperantist ( eo, esperantisto) is a person who speaks, reads or writes Esperanto. According to the Declaration of Boulogne, a document agreed upon at the first World Esperanto Congress in 1905, an Esperantist is someone who speaks Esperanto ...

, 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

'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 ) , colors = Orange and white , colors_label = Corps colors , march = , mascot = , equipment = , equipment_label = ...

' aviation section used the red star for the national insignia for U.S. aircraft on the aircraft of the Signal Corps' 1st Aero Squadron during the

Pancho Villa Expedition The Pancho Villa Expedition—now known officially in the United States as the Mexican Expedition, but originally referred to as the "Punitive Expedition, U.S. Army"—was a military operation conducted by the United States Army against the p ...

to apprehend the Mexican revolutionary

Pancho Villa Francisco "Pancho" Villa (,"Villa"
''Collins English Dictionary''. ; ;

Use in the USSR and its constituent republics

The symbol became one of the most prominent of the

Soviet Union The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen national ...

, adorning nearly all official buildings, awards and insignia. Sometimes the hammer and sickle 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

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 Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...

military newspaper bore and bears the name ''Red Star'' (

Russian Russian(s) refers to anything related to Russia, including: *Russians (, ''russkiye''), an ethnic group of the East Slavic peoples, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries *Rossiyane (), Russian language term for all citizens and peo ...

: ''

Krasnaya Zvezda ''Krasnaya Zvezda'' (russian: Кра́сная звезда́, literally "Red Star") is the official newspaper of the Soviet and later Russian Ministry of Defence. Today its official designation is "Central Organ of the Russian Ministry of Defe ...

''). 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, 1920 File:Kremlin Star.jpg,

Kremlin Star The Kremlin ( rus, Московский Кремль, r=Moskovskiy Kreml', p=ˈmɐˈskofskʲɪj krʲemlʲ, t=Moscow Kremlin) is a fortified complex in the center of Moscow founded by the Rurik dynasty. It is the best known of the kremlins (Ru ...

Moscow Moscow ( , US chiefly ; rus, links=no, Москва, r=Moskva, p=mɐskˈva, a=Москва.ogg) is the capital and largest city of Russia. The city stands on the Moskva River in Central Russia, with a population estimated at 13.0 million ...

, (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 Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...

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 A coat of arms is a heraldry, heraldic communication design, visual design on an escutcheon (heraldry), escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the latter two being outer garments). The coat of arms on an escutcheon forms the central ele ...

of the

Union of Soviet Socialist Republics The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, ...

File:Emblem of the Armenian SSR.svg,

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,

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,

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,

of the

Estonian Soviet Socialist Republic The Estonian SSR,, russian: Эстонская ССР officially the Estonian Soviet Socialist Republic,, russian: Эстонская Советская Социалистическая Республика was an ethnically based adminis ...

File:Emblem of the Georgian SSR.svg,

of the

Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic The Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic (Georgian SSR; ka, საქართველოს საბჭოთა სოციალისტური რესპუბლიკა, tr; russian: Грузинская Советская Соц� ...

File:Emblem of Kazakh SSR.svg,

of the

Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic ; kk, Қазақ Советтік Социалистік Республикасы) *1991: Republic of Kazakhstan (russian: Республика Казахстан; kk, Қазақстан Республикасы) , linking_name = the ...

File:Emblem of the Kirghiz SSR.svg,

of the

Kirghiz Soviet Socialist Republic The Kirghiz Soviet Socialist Republic (Kirghiz SSR; ky, Кыргыз Советтик Социалисттик Республикасы, Kyrgyz Sovettik Sotsialisttik Respublikasy, ky, Кыргыз ССР, Kyrgyz SSR, russian: Киргизск ...

File:Emblem of the Latvian SSR.svg,

of the

Latvian Soviet Socialist Republic The Latvian Soviet Socialist Republic (Latvian SSR), also known as Soviet Latvia or simply Latvia, was a federated republic within the Soviet Union, and formally one of its 16 (later 15) constituent republics. The Latvian Soviet Socialist Rep ...

File:Emblem of the Lithuanian SSR.svg,

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,

of the

Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic The Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic ( ro, Republica Sovietică Socialistă Moldovenească, Moldovan Cyrillic: ) was one of the 15 republics of the Soviet Union which existed from 1940 to 1991. The republic was formed on 2 August 1940 ...

File:Emblem of the Russian SFSR.svg,

of the

Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic The Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic, Russian SFSR or RSFSR ( rus, Российская Советская Федеративная Социалистическая Республика, Rossíyskaya Sovétskaya Federatívnaya Soci ...

File:Emblem of the Tajik SSR.svg,

of the

Tajik Soviet Socialist Republic The Tajik Soviet Socialist Republic,, ''Çumhuriji Şūraviji Sotsialistiji Toçikiston''; russian: Таджикская Советская Социалистическая Республика, ''Tadzhikskaya Sovetskaya Sotsialisticheskaya Resp ...

File:Emblem of the Turkmen SSR.svg,

of the

Turkmen Soviet Socialist Republic The Turkmen Soviet Socialist Republic (, ; russian: Туркменская Советская Социалистическая Республика, ''Turkmenskaya Sovetskaya Sotsialisticheskaya Respublika''), also commonly known as Turkmenistan o ...

File:Emblem of the Ukrainian SSR.svg,

of the

Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic The Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic ( uk, Украї́нська Радя́нська Соціалісти́чна Респу́бліка, ; russian: Украи́нская Сове́тская Социалисти́ческая Респ ...

File:Emblem of the Uzbek SSR.svg,

of the

Uzbek Soviet Socialist Republic Uzbekistan (, ) is the common English name for the Uzbek Soviet Socialist Republic (Uzbek SSR; uz, Ўзбекистон Совет Социалистик Республикаси, Oʻzbekiston Sovet Sotsialistik Respublikasi, in Russian: Уз� ...

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 th ...

(1923-1936) File:Emblem_of_the_Karelo-Finnish_SSR.svg,

Emblem of the Karelo-Finnish Soviet Socialist Republic The emblem of the Karelo-Finnish Soviet Socialist Republic was adopted on February 10, 1941 by the government of the Karelo-Finnish Soviet Socialist Republic and used until it was absorbed into the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic in ...

(1941-1956) File:Emblem of the Latvian SSR (1918-1920).svg, Coat of arms of the

Latvian Socialist Soviet Republic The Latvian Socialist Soviet Republic ( lv, Latvijas Sociālistiskā Padomju Republika, LSPR) was a short-lived socialist republic formed during the Latvian War of Independence. It was proclaimed on 17 December 1918 with the political, econom ...

(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 The flag of the Armenian SSR was adopted on 17 December 1952 by the government of the Armenian SSR. The flag is similar to the flag of the Soviet Union but has a ¼-width horizontal blue stripe in the middle. The red represents the "revolutionary ...

File:Flag of the Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic.svg,

Flag of the Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic The flag of the Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic was a plain red flag with a golden hammer and sickle and a gold-bordered red star in its upper canton and an horizontal dark blue band on the bottom fourth, representing the Caspian Sea. The la ...

File:Flag of Byelorussian SSR.svg,

Flag of the Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic The Flag of the Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic was adopted on 25 December 1951. Prior to this, the flag was red with the Cyrillic characters ''БССР'' (''BSSR'') in gold in the top-left corner, surrounded by a gold border. Between 1937 ...

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

Flag of the Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic The flag of the Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic was adopted by the Georgian SSR on April 11, 1951. It was the only Union Republic flag in which the hammer and sickle was not gold in colour. History Before 1937 the flag was red with the Geo ...

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 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 The flag of the Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic was adopted on 31 January 1952. The flag has three horizontal bands of red, green (1/4) and red, with a hammer and sickle in the canton. As defined by the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the ...

File:Flag of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic.svg, Flag of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic 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 The first flag of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic (UkSSR) was adopted on 10 March 1919 to serve as the symbol of state of the Ukrainian SSR. Details of the official flag changed periodically before the Dissolution of the Soviet Union, bre ...

File:Flag of the Uzbek SSR.svg,

Flag of the Uzbek Soviet Socialist Republic The flag of the Uzbek SSR was adopted by the Uzbek SSR on 29 August 1952. The red represents the "revolutionary struggle of the working masses", the hammer and sickle represents the peasants' and workers' union, and the red star is the symbol of ...

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 The flag of the Karelo-Finnish SSR was adopted by the Karelo-Finnish SSR on 3 March 1953. This flag is similar to the flag of the Soviet Union but with the blue (1/6 width), and green (1/5 width) placed on the bottom. At the top of the flag at th ...

(1940–1956) File:Flag of Transcaucasian SFSR (1925-1936).svg,

Flag of the Transcaucasian Socialist Federative Soviet Republic The flag of the Transcaucasian Socialist Federative Soviet Republic (russian: Флаг Закавка́зской СФСР, ) was adopted by the Transcaucasian Socialist Federative Soviet Republic in 1925. It consists of a red star bordered by ...

(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 state A communist state, also known as a Marxist–Leninist state, is a one-party state that is administered and governed by a communist party guided by Marxism–Leninism. Marxism–Leninism was the state ideology of the Soviet Union, the Comint ...

s 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 The flag of Yugoslavia / ; sl, zastava Jugoslavije; mk, знаме на Југославија, translit=zname na Jugoslavija was the official flag of the Yugoslav state from 1918 to 1992. The flag's design and symbolism are derived from the ...

. Separatist and socialist movements also sometimes adopted the red star, as on the Estelada flag in the

Catalan countries The Catalan Countries ( ca, països catalans, , ) refers to those territories where the Catalan language is spoken. They include the Spanish regions of Catalonia, the Balearic Islands, Valencian Community, Valencia, and parts of Aragon (''La F ...

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 People's Republic of Bulgaria, Bulgaria, Hungarian People's Republic, Hungary, Socialist Republic of Romania, Romania, and People's Socialist Republic of Albania, 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 (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 (1946–1992) File:Flag of Hungary (1949-1956; 1-2 aspect ratio).svg, Flag of the Hungarian People's Republic (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, as well as of opposition to its associated ethnic policies. Yugoslav partisans, Tito's partisans wore the red star as an identification symbol during World War II. File:Flag of SFR Yugoslavia.svg , Flag of Yugoslavia, Flag of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia File:Flag of the Socialist Republic of Serbia.svg , Flag of the Socialist Republic of Serbia and flag of the Socialist Republic of Montenegro File:Flag of Slovenia (1945-1991).svg , Flag of the Socialist Republic of Slovenia 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 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 Socialist Republic of Serbia File:Coat of Arms of the Socialist Republic of Slovenia.svg , Coat of arms of the Yugoslav Socialist Republic of Slovenia 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 Socialist Republic of Macedonia 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 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 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 (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 (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 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 File:Flag of Afghanistan (1980–1987).svg , Flag of the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan (1980-1987) File:Scan of red star covid test.jpg, Red star seen on a stamp on the qualification certificate of an National Health Service (England), NHS COVID-19 lateral flow test, manufactured in Xiamen, Fujian Province, China.

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 Decolonization, anti-colonial Wars of national liberation, national liberation struggles, which often involved Marxism, Marxist 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 File:Flag of Angola.svg , Flag of Angola File:Flag of Ethiopia (1987–1991).svg , Flag of Ethiopia (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

n 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 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 USSR, 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 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 Defence Ministry of Belarus, 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

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, the Estrela Vermelha (Beira), Estrela Vermelha from Beira, Mozambique or the Czechoslovak Rudá Hvězda Brno. Some sports teams from non-communist countries used it, such as French Red Star F.C., Red Star from Paris, Swiss club FC Red Star Zürich, English Seaham Red Star F.C., 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 and D.C. United also use red stars in their logos, referencing the flags of Flag of California, California and the Flag of the District of Columbia, District of Columbia respectively. The German rowing club Pirnaer Ruderverein 1872 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, Pirnaer Ruderverein 1872

Use by socialist groups

Armed revolutionary organizations

In 1970, the Red Army Faction, a West Germany, 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 Zapatista Army of National Liberation (EZLN) in Chiapas, 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 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, and the Kurdistan Free Life Party, Eastern Kurdistan Units and Kurdistan Free Life Party, Women's Defense Forces in Iranian Kurdistan. The Iranian Islamist-Socialist militant opposition group the People's Mujahedin of Iran, 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, 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 (Turkey), 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, Kurdistan Workers' Party (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 (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, Komala Party of Iranian Kurdistan, Komalah 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 (BOAK) File:Flag of the Communist (Maoist) Party of Afghanistan.svg, Flag of the Communist (Maoist) Party of Afghanistan

Political parties and movements

The Brazilian leftist Worker's Party (Brazil), Worker's Party uses a red star as its symbol with the party acronym ( pt, Partido dos Trabalhadores – PT) inside. Hugo Chávez 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 Revolution, Bolivarian Socialist Revolution". It is also used by the militant South African shack-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 Estelada#Other Spanish Estelades, 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 (Netherlands), 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 (Slovenia), The Left File:Potere al Popolo! - Logo (Italy, 2017).svg, Symbol of the Italian party Power to the People (Italy), Power to the People File:Rødt_logo_(bokmål).svg, Symbol of the Norwegian Red Party (Norway), Red Party File:Uplogo2transparente-sinnombre.png, Symbol of the Ecuadorian party Popular Unity (Ecuador), Popular Unity File:Party of Socialists of the Republic of Moldova logo.png, Symbol of the Party of Socialists of the Republic of Moldova 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 nationalism, Castilian nationalist flag File:Bandeira galega nacionalista.svg, Galician nationalism, Galician nationalist flag Estreleira File:Estelada roja.svg, Catalan independence movement, 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

(designed in 1869, officially adopted in 1902). The flag of the District of Columbia (designed in 1921, adopted in 1938) recalls Coat of arms of the Washington family, 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 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, National emblem of Turkey, 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 Syrian Civil War, 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, Lone Star of California, 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 coat of arms. File:Coat of Arms of Canton of Valais 3D.svg, Valais coat of arms File:Blason Crain.svg, Crain, Yonne 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, a Geneva international treaty signed in 1914 with the purpose of bringing about international cooperation on behalf of sick and wounded war animals, 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. To identify their neutral status, white brassards with red stars were worn by military veterinary personnel in

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 stars in labels and logos

File:SanPellegrinoBottle A.jpg, A S.Pellegrino, San Pellegrino bottle File:Heineken Bottle.jpg, Label of a

bottle File:AKO Crabmeat 003.jpg, Logo of AKO, product of the

File:Macy's logo.svg, Logo of Macy's department stores File:Texaco Logo.jpg,

logo, circa 1913 File:Caltex logo.png, Caltex logo, circa 1936 The red star was used by the

oil company in various forms from 1909 to 1981. Its overseas division Caltex 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. The brand of Erguotou 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 OS, Red Star operating system takes its name from the communist red star.

Legal status

The red star and the hammer and sickle are regarded as occupation symbols as well as symbols of totalitarianism and state terror by several countries that were formerly either members of or occupied by the

. Accordingly, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary and Decommunization in Ukraine, 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. 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 Swastika#Post-World War II stigmatization in Western countries, legislation concerning the symbols of Nazism, which continue to be banned in several European Union member states, including Strafgesetzbuch § 86a, 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, 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 Yugoslav Partisans, resistance movement that fought against fascist occupation in World War II, but was also later a state symbol of Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, Yugoslavia during the dictatorship of Josip Broz Tito. On 21 March 2011, Slovenia issued a €2 commemorative coins#2011 coinage, two-euro commemorative coin to mark the 100th anniversary of the birth of Franc Rozman, 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. 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

{{Wiktionary, Red Star
Blog: Heart in a Hearless World - on the origin of the red star
Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights Symbols of communism Military symbols Star symbols Red symbols, Star, red Heraldic charges National symbols of Armenia National symbols of Azerbaijan National symbols of Belarus National symbols of Georgia (country) National symbols of Kazakhstan National symbols of Kyrgyzstan National symbols of Moldova National symbols of Russia National symbols of the Soviet Union National symbols of Tajikistan National symbols of Turkmenistan National symbols of Ukraine National symbols of Uzbekistan

History

Use in the USSR and its constituent republics

As a holiday ornament

Gallery of the heraldry of Soviet republics

Gallery of Soviet flags

Use in other socialist countries

In the Eastern Bloc

In Yugoslavia

In Asia

In Africa

State military units

By states with limited recognition

By sports teams

Use by socialist groups

Armed revolutionary organizations

Political parties and movements

Uses without socialist symbolism

Crescent moon and star

Assorted Flags and Coats of Arms

Symbol of animal relief

Red stars in labels and logos

Legal status

Non five-pointed red stars

See also

References

External links