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

symbol A symbol is a mark, Sign (semiotics), sign, or word that indicates, signifies, or is understood as representing an idea, physical object, object, or wikt:relationship, relationship. Symbols allow people to go beyond what is known or seen by cr ...

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 Socialism is an economic ideology, economic and political philosophy encompassing diverse Economic system, economic and social systems characterised by social ownership of the means of production, as opposed to private ownership. It describes ...

symbol in the 21st century. It has been widely used in

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

s, state

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

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, historical ...

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 that it represents, as in ...

s. A golden star or yellow star is also a closely-associated symbol to the red star in the context of contemporary

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...

and

Vietnam Vietnam, officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (SRV), is a country at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of about and a population of over 100 million, making it the world's List of countries and depende ...

, similarly representing

socialism Socialism is an economic ideology, economic and political philosophy encompassing diverse Economic system, economic and social systems characterised by social ownership of the means of production, as opposed to private ownership. It describes ...

communism Communism () is a political sociology, sociopolitical, political philosophy, philosophical, and economic ideology, economic ideology within the history of socialism, socialist movement, whose goal is the creation of a communist society, a ...

, and national unity. Some former

Warsaw Pact The Warsaw Pact (WP), formally the Treaty of Friendship, Co-operation and Mutual Assistance (TFCMA), was a Collective security#Collective defense, collective defense treaty signed in Warsaw, Polish People's Republic, Poland, between the Sovi ...

nations have passed laws banning it, describing it as a symbol of far-left totalitarian ideology. The 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 () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...

and the U.S. state of

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

. The 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 Independ ...

and beer multinational Heineken.

History

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

Russian Civil War The Russian Civil War () was a multi-party civil war in the former Russian Empire sparked by the 1917 overthrowing of the Russian Provisional Government in the October Revolution, as many factions vied to determine Russia's political future. I ...

, 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 The Bolsheviks, led by Vladimir Lenin, were a radical Faction (political), faction of the Marxist Russian Social Democratic Labour Party (RSDLP) which split with the Mensheviks at the 2nd Congress of the Russian Social Democratic Labour Party, ...

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 toward the end of

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

. 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

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 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. 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, sometimes collectively called America, are a landmass comprising the totality of North America and South America.'' Webster's New World College Dictionary'', 2010 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio. When viewed as a sin ...

as one). A lesser-known suggestion is that in communist symbolism, the five points on the star were intended to represent the five social groups 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 (psychological), maturity), but it can also refer to one's peak, in terms of health or the period of life known as bei ...

, the military, the industrial labourers, the

agricultural Agriculture encompasses crop and livestock production, aquaculture, and forestry for food and non-food products. Agriculture was a key factor in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created f ...

workers or peasantry and the intelligentsia. In Soviet heraldry, the red star symbolized the Red Army and military service, as opposed to the hammer and sickle, which symbolized peaceful labour. 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 during the Pancho Villa Expedition to apprehend the Mexican revolutionary

Pancho Villa Francisco "Pancho" Villa ( , , ; born José Doroteo Arango Arámbula; 5 June 1878 – 20 July 1923) was a Mexican revolutionary and prominent figure in the Mexican Revolution. He was a key figure in the revolutionary movement that forced ...

Use in the USSR and its constituent republics

The symbol became one of the most prominent of the

Soviet Union The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...

, 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 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 Army cap badge (1918–1922) File:Вступайте в красную конницу, 1920.jpg, Red Cavalry poster depicting a red star on a budenovka hat (1920) File:Kremlin Star.jpg, Kremlin Star,

Moscow Moscow is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Russia by population, largest city of Russia, standing on the Moskva (river), Moskva River in Central Russia. It has a population estimated at over 13 million residents with ...

(1937) File:Orden-Pobeda-Marshal Vasilevsky 09.jpg, Soviet Order of Victory, USSR (1945) File:Red Star Plate by Adamovich 1921.jpg, Plate by Adamovich, Russian SFSR (1921) File:Roundel of the Soviet Union (1945–1991).svg, Roundel of the Soviet Air Force

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 country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...

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 last two being outer garments), originating in Europe. The coat of arms on an escutcheon f ...

of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics File:Emblem of the Azerbaijan SSR.svg,

of the Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic File:Emblem of the Byelorussian SSR (1981-1991).svg,

of the Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic File:Emblem of the Estonian SSR.svg,

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

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

of the

Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic The Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic, also known as Soviet Kazakhstan, the Kazakh SSR, KSSR, or simply Kazakhstan, was one of the transcontinental country, transcontinental Republics of the Soviet Union, constituent republics of the Soviet Un ...

File:Emblem of the Kirghiz SSR.svg,

of the Kirghiz Soviet Socialist Republic File:Emblem of the Latvian SSR.svg,

of the Latvian Soviet Socialist Republic File:Emblem of the Lithuanian SSR.svg,

of the Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Republic File:Emblem of the Moldavian SSR (1981-1990).svg,

of the Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic File:Emblem of the Russian SFSR.svg,

of the

Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic The Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic (Russian SFSR or RSFSR), previously known as the Russian Socialist Federative Soviet Republic and the Russian Soviet Republic, and unofficially as Soviet Russia,Declaration of Rights of the labo ...

File:Emblem of the Tajik SSR.svg,

of the

Tajik Soviet Socialist Republic The Tajik Soviet Socialist Republic, also commonly known as Soviet Tajikistan, the Tajik SSR, TaSSR, or simply Tajikistan, was one of the constituent republics of the Soviet Union which existed from 1929 to 1991 in Central Asia. The Tajik Rep ...

File:Emblem of the Turkmen SSR.svg,

of the Turkmen Soviet Socialist Republic File:Emblem of the Ukrainian SSR.svg,

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

of the Uzbek Soviet Socialist Republic File:Emblem of the Transcaucasian SFSR (1930-1936).svg, Emblem of the Transcaucasian Socialist Federative Soviet Republic (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) File:Emblem of the Armenian SSR.png, Coat of Arms of the Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic (1936–1990)

Gallery of Soviet flags

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 in which the totality of the power belongs to a party adhering to some form of Marxism–Leninism, a branch of the communist ideology. Marxism–Leninism was ...

s subsequently adopted the red star symbol, often placing it on their respective flags and coats of arms – for example on the

flag of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia The flag of Yugoslavia was the official flag of the Yugoslavia, Yugoslav state from 1918 to 1992. The flag's design and symbolism are derived from the Pan-Slavism, Pan-Slavic movement, which ultimately led to the unification of the South Slavs a ...

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

Eastern Bloc

The red star became a common element of the flags and heraldry of socialist states in the Eastern Bloc, appearing in heraldry for virtually all of the countries, and on the flags of

Bulgaria Bulgaria, officially the Republic of Bulgaria, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern portion of the Balkans directly south of the Danube river and west of the Black Sea. Bulgaria is bordered by Greece and Turkey t ...

Hungary Hungary is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning much of the Pannonian Basin, Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Croatia and ...

Romania Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern and Southeast Europe. It borders Ukraine to the north and east, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Bulgaria to the south, Moldova to ...

, and

Albania Albania ( ; or ), officially the Republic of Albania (), is a country in Southeast Europe. It is located in the Balkans, on the Adriatic Sea, Adriatic and Ionian Seas within the Mediterranean Sea, and shares land borders with Montenegro to ...

. From 1991 to 1995,

Belarus Belarus, officially the Republic of Belarus, is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by Russia to the east and northeast, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest. Belarus spans an a ...

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 The People's Republic of Bulgaria (PRB; , NRB; ) was the official name of Bulgaria when it was a socialist republic from 1946 to 1990, ruled by the Bulgarian Communist Party (BCP; ) together with its coalition partner, the Bulgarian Agraria ...

(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

(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

(1995–2012) File:Coat of arms of Belarus (1995-2021).svg, Emblem of

(2012–2020) File:Coat of arms of Belarus (2020–present).svg, Emblem of

(since 2020)

Yugoslavia

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

Fascism Fascism ( ) is a far-right, authoritarian, and ultranationalist political ideology and movement. It is characterized by a dictatorial leader, centralized autocracy, militarism, forcible suppression of opposition, belief in a natural social hie ...

and the Nazi occupation of Yugoslavia, as well as of opposition to its associated ethnic policies. Tito's partisans 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 The flag of Yugoslavia was the official flag of the Yugoslavia, Yugoslav state from 1918 to 1992. The flag's design and symbolism are derived from the Pan-Slavism, Pan-Slavic movement, which ultimately led to the unification of the South Slavs a ...

File:Flag of the Socialist Republic of Serbia.svg, Flag of the

Socialist Republic of Serbia The Socialist Republic of Serbia ( sh-Cyrl-Latn, separator=" / ", Социјалистичка Република Србија, Socijalistička Republika Srbija), previously known as the People's Republic of Serbia ( sh-Cyrl-Latn, separator=" / " ...

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 Croatia (1947–1990).svg, Flag of the

Socialist Republic of Croatia The Socialist Republic of Croatia ( sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Socijalistička Republika Hrvatska, Социјалистичка Република Хрватска), commonly abbreviated as SR Croatia and referred to as simply Croatia, was a ...

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 The Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (commonly abbreviated as SFRY or SFR Yugoslavia), known from 1945 to 1963 as the Federal People's Republic of Yugoslavia, commonly referred to as Socialist Yugoslavia or simply Yugoslavia, was a country ...

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

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

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 The Cultural Revolution, formally known as the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution, was a Social movement, sociopolitical movement in the China, People's Republic of China (PRC). It was launched by Mao Zedong in 1966 and lasted until his de ...

). File:Emblem of North Korea (1948–1993).svg, Emblem of

North Korea North Korea, officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the northern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and borders China and Russia to the north at the Yalu River, Yalu (Amnok) an ...

(1948–1993) File:Emblem of Laos 1975-1991.svg, Emblem of

Laos Laos, officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic (LPDR), is the only landlocked country in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by Myanmar and China to the northwest, Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the southeast, and Thailand to the west and ...

(1975–1992) File:State emblem of the People's republic of Mongolia (1960–1992).svg, State emblem of the

Mongolian People's Republic The Mongolian People's Republic (MPR) was a socialist state that existed from 1924 to 1992, located in the historical region of Outer Mongolia. Its independence was officially recognized by the Nationalist government of Republic of China (1912� ...

(1960–1992) File:Coat of arms of South Yemen (1970-1990).svg, Coat of arms of South Yemen (1970–1990) File:Flag of 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

File:Flag of South Yemen.svg, Flag of South Yemen (1967–1990) 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

NHS The National Health Service (NHS) is the term for the publicly funded health care, publicly funded healthcare systems of the United Kingdom: the National Health Service (England), NHS Scotland, NHS Wales, and Health and Social Care (Northern ...

COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. In January 2020, the disease spread worldwide, resulting in the COVID-19 pandemic. The symptoms of COVID‑19 can vary but often include fever ...

lateral flow test, manufactured in Xiamen, Fujian Province,

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 political philosophy and method of socioeconomic analysis. It uses a dialectical and materialist interpretation of historical development, better known as historical materialism, to analyse class relations, social conflic ...

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 (; sometimes translated literally as the Benin Popular Republic or Popular Republic of Benin) was a socialist state located in the Gulf of Guinea on the African continent, which became present-day Benin in 1990 ...

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 Madagascar, officially the Republic of Madagascar, is an island country that includes the island of Madagascar and numerous smaller peripheral islands. Lying off the southeastern coast of Africa, it is the world's List of islands by area, f ...

File:Emblem of the Democratic Republic of Madagascar.svg, Emblem of the Democratic Republic of Madagascar

State military units

By March 2010, the

Government of Russia The Russian Government () or fully titled the Government of the Russian Federation () is the highest federal executive governmental body of the Russian Federation. It is accountable to the president of the Russian Federation and controlled by ...

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

Soviet The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the 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 a symbol used in various Eurasian religions and cultures, as well as a few Indigenous peoples of Africa, African and Indigenous peoples of the Americas, American cultures. In the Western world, it is widely rec ...

and red star emblem of the Mongolian Revolutionary Youth League, used from 1921 to 1924. File:Badge of the Mongolian Revolutionary Youth League (1925-1942).svg, Early taijitu and red star emblem of the Mongolian Revolutionary Youth League, used from 1925 to 1942. File:Emblem of Mongolian Revolutionary Youth League.svg, Emblem of Mongolian Revolutionary Youth League. File:Emblem of the Korean People's Army (1948).svg, First emblem of the Korean People's Army used from February 1948, the taeguk was dropped several months later. File:Roundel of the Soviet Union (1945–1991).svg, Soviet Military Air Force (1943–1991), Russian Military Air Force (1992–2010), Belarusian Air Force, and Tajik Air Force roundel File:Roundel of Russia.svg, Russian Military Air Force roundel File:Emblem of the Armed Forces of Belarus.svg, Symbol of the

Armed Forces A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. Militaries are typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with their members identifiable by a ...

of the Republic of Belarus File:Coat of arms military-of-kazakhstan.svg, Emblem of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Kazakhstan File:Emblem of the Korean People's Army.svg, Emblem of the Korean People's Army File:China Emblem PLA.svg, Emblem of the Chinese

People's Liberation Army The People's Liberation Army (PLA) is the military of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and the People's Republic of China (PRC). It consists of four Military branch, services—People's Liberation Army Ground Force, Ground Force, People's ...

File:Roundel of South Yemen (1969–1980).svg, People's Republic of Yemen Air Force roundel (1967–1980) File:Roundel of South Yemen (1980–1990).svg, People's Republic of Yemen Air Force roundel (1980–1990)

By states with limited recognition

Transnistria Transnistria, officially known as the Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic and locally as Pridnestrovie, is a Landlocked country, landlocked Transnistria conflict#International recognition of Transnistria, breakaway state internationally recogn ...

and the Luhansk People's Republic are proto-states located in

Eastern Europe Eastern Europe is a subregion of the Europe, European continent. As a largely ambiguous term, it has a wide range of geopolitical, geographical, ethnic, cultural and socio-economic connotations. Its eastern boundary is marked by the Ural Mountain ...

. Due to their historical association with the Soviet Union, they have adopted socialist imagery – including the red star – into their flags and heraldry. The Zapatista autonomous territories also make use of the symbol. File:Flag of Transnistria (state).svg,

Flag of Transnistria Transnistria (officially the Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic or PMR), a breakaway state internationally recognised as part of Moldova, has a state flag, a presidential standard, and a customs flag. Additionally, the flag of Russia shares equal ...

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 ( / ), the East German Roter Stern Leipzig, the Angolan Estrela Vermelha do Huambo, the 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 from Paris, Swiss club FC Red Star Zürich, English Seaham Red Star F.C., and even an American women's soccer club ( Chicago Stars FC (formerly 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

and the

District of Columbia Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and Federal district of the United States, federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from ...

respectively. The German rowing club Pirnaer Ruderverein 1872 began (and continues) to use red star since the 19th century. File:Fahne Pirnaer Ruderverein 1872.svg, Pirnaer Ruderverein 1872

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 Zapatista Army of National Liberation (EZLN) in

Chiapas Chiapas, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Chiapas, is one of the states that make up the Political divisions of Mexico, 32 federal entities of Mexico. It comprises Municipalities of Chiapas, 124 municipalities and its capital and large ...

Mexico Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...

. A number of communist parties in

Turkey Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively small part called East Thrace in Southeast Europe. It borders the Black Sea to the north; Georgia (country), Georgia, Armen ...

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 the PKK, isDespite the PKK's 12th Congress announcing plans for total organisational dissolution, the PKK has not yet been dissolved de facto or de jure. a Kurds, Kurdish militant political organization and armed ...

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 Eastern Kurdistan Units and Women's Defense Forces in Iranian Kurdistan. The

Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and also known as Persia, is a country in West Asia. It borders Iraq to the west, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia to the northwest, the Caspian Sea to the north, Turkmenistan to the nort ...

ian 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:Bandera del GRAPO.svg, First of October Anti-Fascist Resistance Groups (GRAPO) File:Bandera FPRM Manipur.png, People's Liberation Army of Manipur (PLAM) 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 (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 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 uses a red star as its symbol with the party acronym () 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 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 r ...

-dweller's movement Abahlali baseMjondolo. Like in

Latin America Latin America is the cultural region of the Americas where Romance languages are predominantly spoken, primarily Spanish language, Spanish and Portuguese language, Portuguese. Latin America is defined according to cultural identity, not geogr ...

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 Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...

. 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 The Portuguese Communist Party (, , PCP) is a Communism, communist and Marxism–Leninism, Marxist–Leninist List of political parties in Portugal, political party in Portugal. It is one of the strongest List of communist parties, communist par ...

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 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 flag Estreleira File:Estelada roja.svg, Catalan pro-independence flag Estelada Vermella File:Yemeni Socialist Party Flag.svg, flag of the Yemeni Socialist Party File:Emblem of the Yemeni Socialist Party (1978‐1990).svg, Yemeni Socialist Party, pre 1990

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 George Washington's coat of arms.

DC Comics DC Comics (originally DC Comics, Inc., and also known simply as DC) is an American comic book publisher owned by DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery. DC is an initialism for "Detective Comics", an American comic book seri ...

Wonder Woman Wonder Woman is a superheroine who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in ''All Star Comics'' Introducing Wonder Woman, #8, published October 21, 1941, with her first feature in ''Sensation Comic ...

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 The Ottoman Empire (), also called the Turkish Empire, was an empire, imperial realm that controlled much of Southeast Europe, West Asia, and North Africa from the 14th to early 20th centuries; it also controlled parts of southeastern Centr ...

. 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, Emblem of Turkey

Assorted Flags and Coats of Arms

File:Flag of New Zealand.svg,

Flag of New Zealand The flag of New Zealand (), also known as the New Zealand Ensign, is based on the British maritime Blue Ensigna blue field with the Union Jack in the ''canton (flag), canton'' or upper hoist corneraugmented or ''Defacement (flag), defaced'' wit ...

. File:Flag of Panama.svg, Flag of Panama. File:Flag of Syria 2011, observed.svg, Flag of Syria (opposition group during the

civil war A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies.J ...

). 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 Birmingham ( ) is a city in the north central region of Alabama, United States. It is the county seat of Jefferson County, Alabama, Jefferson County. The population was 200,733 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it the List ...

. File:Gharghur coa.svg, Arms of Għargħur, Malta. File:Escudo de Moríñigo.svg, Moríñigo coat of arms. File:Wappen Wallis matt.svg, Coat of arms of Valais File:Flag of Canton of Valais.svg, Flag of Valais 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:Heineken logo.svg, Label of a Heineken 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 File:Red Star Line (1818–1835).svg, House flag of the Kermit Line (1818–1835) and Red Star Line (1871–1935). File:House flag of Kermit Line (1835–1867).svg, House flag of the Kermit Line (1835–1867) File:House flag of the Columbia Steamship Company.svg, House flag used by Columbia Transportation Division of the Oglebay Norton Corporation, used, among others, on board the SS Edmund Fitzgerald. 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. A brand of Erguotou, a type of Baijiu, was named " Hongxing" ( zh, s=红星, l=Red Star) in 1949 to celebrate the founding of the

People's Republic of China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...

's Red Star operating system takes its name from the communist red star. Red stars were included in the symbolism of many shipowners, such as Puget Sound Navigation Co. (1898–1927), Bombay Steam Navigation Co (since the 19th century), London & Overseas Freighters (1948–1997) and Columbia Transportation Division of the Oglebay Norton Corporation. The two companies were independently named Red Star Line in the 19th century.

Legal status

The red star and the hammer and sickle are regarded as occupation symbols as well as symbols of

totalitarianism Totalitarianism is a political system and a form of government that prohibits opposition from political parties, disregards and outlaws the political claims of individual and group opposition to the state, and completely controls the public s ...

and state terror by several countries that were formerly either members of or occupied by the

. Accordingly,

Latvia Latvia, officially the Republic of Latvia, is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is one of the three Baltic states, along with Estonia to the north and Lithuania to the south. It borders Russia to the east and Belarus to t ...

Lithuania Lithuania, officially the Republic of Lithuania, 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, bordered by Latvia to the north, Belarus to the east and south, P ...

and

Ukraine Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the List of European countries by area, second-largest country in Europe after Russia, which Russia–Ukraine border, borders it to the east and northeast. Ukraine also borders Belarus to the nor ...

have banned the symbol among others deemed to be symbols of totalitarian political ideologies and the Soviet Union or its republics. In

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It extends from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Sudetes and Carpathian Mountains in the south, bordered by Lithuania and Russia to the northeast, Belarus and Ukrai ...

, 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 rights, right to freedom of expression has been r ...

. A similar law was considered in

Estonia Estonia, officially the Republic of Estonia, is a country in Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland across from Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea across from Sweden, to the south by Latvia, and to the east by Ru ...

, 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 The European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR), also known as the Strasbourg Court, is an international court of the Council of Europe which interprets the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR). The court hears applications alleging that a co ...

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 Legislation is the process or result of enrolling, enacting, or promulgating laws by a legislature, parliament, or analogous governing body. Before an item of legislation becomes law it may be known as a bill, and may be broadly referred ...

concerning the symbols of Nazism, which continue to be banned in several

European Union The European Union (EU) is a supranational union, supranational political union, political and economic union of Member state of the European Union, member states that are Geography of the European Union, located primarily in Europe. The u ...

member states, including

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

and

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

. There have been calls for an EU-wide ban on both Soviet and Nazi symbols, notably by politicians from Lithuania, Estonia, the

Czech Republic The Czech Republic, also known as Czechia, and historically known as Bohemia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the south ...

, Hungary and

Slovakia Slovakia, officially the Slovak Republic, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east, Hungary to the south, Austria to the west, and the Czech Republic to the northwest. Slovakia's m ...

. 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

, 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.

Red Stars that are not five-pointed

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 Heartless 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

Eastern Bloc

Yugoslavia

Asia

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

Red Stars that are not five-pointed

See also

References

External links