The State Flag of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, also simply known as the Soviet flag or the Red Banner, was a red flag with two communist symbols displayed in the canton: a gold

hammer and sickle The hammer and sickle (Unicode: ) is a communist symbol representing proletarian solidarity between industrial and agricultural workers. It was first adopted during the Russian Revolution at the end of World War I, the hammer representing wo ...

topped off by a red five-point star bordered in gold. The flag's design and symbolism are derived from several sources, but emerged during the

Russian Revolution The Russian Revolution was a period of Political revolution (Trotskyism), political and social revolution, social change in Russian Empire, Russia, starting in 1917. This period saw Russia Dissolution of the Russian Empire, abolish its mona ...

. It has also come to serve as the standard symbol representing

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 ...

as a whole, recognized as such in international circles, even after the

dissolution of the Soviet Union The Soviet Union was formally dissolved as a sovereign state and subject of international law on 26 December 1991 by Declaration No. 142-N of the Soviet of the Republics of the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union. Declaration No. 142-Н of ...

in 1991. The plain red flag, which was a traditional revolutionary symbol long before 1917, was incorporated into the Soviet flag to pay tribute to the international aspect of the workers' revolution. On the other hand, the unique hammer-and-sickle design was a modern industrial touch adopted from the Russian Revolution; it represented the "victorious and enduring revolutionary alliance" by unifying the hammer (i.e. workers) and the sickle (i.e.

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 peasan ...

s). The gold-bordered five-point star situated above the hammer and sickle was a representation of the

Communist Party of the Soviet Union The Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU),. Abbreviated in Russian as КПСС, ''KPSS''. at some points known as the Russian Communist Party (RCP), All-Union Communist Party and Bolshevik Party, and sometimes referred to as the Soviet ...

. The first flag was adopted in December 1922. In 1923, 1924, 1936, and in 1955, statutes were adopted that resulted in adjustments to the hammer's handle length and the sickle's shape. In 1980, an amendment was made to the 1955 decree that removed the hammer and sickle displayed on the flag's reverse side, though the legal description remained completely unchanged. The design of the 1955 Soviet flag served as the basis for all of the flags of the Union Republics.

Symbolism and design

The flag of the Soviet Union consisted of a plain red flag with a gold hammer crossed with a gold sickle placed beneath a gold-bordered

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

. This symbol is in the upper left canton of the red flag. The colour red honours the red flag of the

Paris Commune The Paris Commune (, ) was a French revolutionary government that seized power in Paris on 18 March 1871 and controlled parts of the city until 28 May 1871. During the Franco-Prussian War of 1870–71, the French National Guard (France), Nation ...

of 1871; the red star and the hammer and sickle are symbols of communism and

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 ...

. The hammer symbolises urban industrial workers while the sickle symbolises agricultural workers (peasants), who form the state together with the proletarian class. The red star represents the Communist Party, and its position over the hammer and sickle symbolises its leading role in socialist society to unify and enlighten the workers and peasants in the building of a

communist society In Marxist thought, a communist society or the communist system is the type of society and economic system postulated to emerge from technological advances in the productive forces, representing the ultimate goal of the political ideology of ...

. The flag's design was legislated in 1955, which gave a clear way to define and create the flag. This resulted in a change of the hammer's handle length and the shape of the sickle. The adopted statute stated that: #The ratio of width to length of the flag is 1:2. #The hammer and sickle are in a square with sides equal to of the flag's height. The sharp tip of the sickle lies in the center of the upper side of the square, and the handles of the hammer and sickle rest in the bottom corners of the square. The length of the hammer and its handle is of the square diagonal. #The five-pointed star is inscribed into a circle with a diameter of of the flag's height, the circle being tangent to the upper side of the square. #The distance of the vertical axis of the star, hammer and sickle from the hoist is of the flag's height. The distance from the upper side of the flag to the center of the star is of the flag's height. Officially since 1980, the reverse side of the flag was a plain red field without the hammer and sickle. In practice, however, this was very commonly disregarded by flag makers as it was far easier and less costly to simply print the flag through and through, with the obverse design mirrored on the reverse. It was also common to see the reverse of the flag bear the hammer and sickle in the obverse formation. An example of the flag demonstrating its ''de jure'' status as being only one-sided is that of the Soviet flag atop the

Moscow Kremlin The Moscow Kremlin (also the Kremlin) is a fortified complex in Moscow, Russia. Located in the centre of the country's capital city, the Moscow Kremlin comprises five palaces, four cathedrals, and the enclosing Kremlin Wall along with the K ...

which bore the single-side official design. For vertical display, the flag was made with the distinct difference of having the hammer and sickle rotated 90 degrees in order to compensate for the change in dimensions. Although common in official practice, a typical flag owner would simply turn a standard design flag 90 degrees to the right and hang it by the hoist (not flipped like in the US flag).

History

During the establishment 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 ...

Vladimir Lenin Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov ( 187021 January 1924), better known as Vladimir Lenin, was a Russian revolutionary, politician and political theorist. He was the first head of government of Soviet Russia from 1917 until Death and state funeral of ...

and his followers had considered the inclusion of a sword symbol in addition to the hammer and sickle as part of the state seal on which the flag was eventually based. The idea was dismissed as too visually aggressive, with Lenin apparently affirming, "A sword is not one of our symbols." The first official flag was adopted in December 1922 at the First Congress of Soviets of the USSR. It was agreed that the red banner "was transformed from the symbol of the Party to the symbol of a state, and around that flag gathered the peoples of the soviet republics to unite into one state — the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics". On 30 December 1922, the Congress adopted a Declaration and Agreement on the establishment of the USSR. Article 22 of the Agreement states: "The USSR has a flag, coat of arms and a state seal." The description of the first flag was given in the

1924 Soviet Constitution The 1924 Constitution of the Soviet Union was the constitution of the Soviet Union adopted on 31 January 1924. History of the Constitution The 1924 Constitution was the first constitution of the Soviet Union and ratified by the Second Congres ...

, accepted in the second session of the executive committee (CIK) of the USSR on 6 July 1923. The text of Article 71 states: "The state flag of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics consists of a red or scarlet field with the state's

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 ...

." It was ordered with the unusual ratio of 4:1 in proportion and consisted of a red flag with the state coat of arms in the center. However, such a flag was never mass-produced. This flag was the official flag for four months, and was replaced as the official flag by the more familiar hammer and sickle design during the third session of the CIK of the USSR on 12 November 1923. In the third session of the CIK of the USSR, the description of Soviet flag in the Constitution was changed, and article 71 was edited to read: "The state flag of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics consists of a red or scarlet field, and in the canton a golden sickle and hammer, and a red five-pointed star bordered in gold above them. The ratio of width to length is 1:2." On 19 August 1955, the Statute on the State Flag of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics was adopted by a decision of the

Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR The Presidium of the Supreme Soviet () was the standing body of the highest body of state authority in the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR).The Presidium of the Soviet Union is, in short, the legislative branch of the great Soviet ...

. This resulted in a change of the hammer's handle length and the shape of the sickle. On 15 August 1980, a new edition of the Statute on the State Flag of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics was adopted, which did not make any changes to the flag's description aside from removing the hammer and sickle on the reverse side of the flag. From this point on, the flag stayed in use with this design until the disintegration of the USSR on 26 December 1991, at which time it ceased to be a national flag and replaced by national flags of the post-Soviet republics. On 15 April 1996,

Boris Yeltsin Boris Nikolayevich Yeltsin (1 February 1931 – 23 April 2007) was a Soviet and Russian politician and statesman who served as President of Russia from 1991 to 1999. He was a member of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU) from 1961 to ...

signed a presidential decree giving the Soviet flag (called the Victory Banner, after the banner that was raised above the Reichstag on 1 May 1945) status similar to that of the national flag. The hammer and sickle were removed from the flag, leaving only the star, but they were reinstated later. On certain holidays, the Victory Banner is flown along with the Russian flag.

Contemporary usage

In current times, the Soviet national flag (and similar flags) are widely used by those on the political far left, most often by those who support

Marxism–Leninism Marxism–Leninism () is a communist ideology that became the largest faction of the History of communism, communist movement in the world in the years following the October Revolution. It was the predominant ideology of most communist gov ...

, although the earlier (pre-

Stalinist Stalinism (, ) is the totalitarian means of governing and Marxist–Leninist policies implemented in the Soviet Union (USSR) from 1927 to 1953 by dictator Joseph Stalin and in Soviet satellite states between 1944 and 1953. Stalinism in ...

) flags are occasionally used by

Trotskyists Trotskyism (, ) is the political ideology and branch of Marxism developed by Russian revolutionary and intellectual Leon Trotsky along with some other members of the Left Opposition and the Fourth International. Trotsky described himself as a ...

and those on the modern communist left. The Soviet flag is also actively promoted in Russia as a symbol of

nostalgia for the Soviet Union The social phenomenon of nostalgia for the Soviet Union (), can include sentimental attitudes towards politics of the Soviet Union, its politics, Soviet people, its society, culture of the Soviet Union, its culture and cultural artifacts, Sovi ...

. Various politicians frequently utilize it as a symbol of the superpower status Russia lost in 1991. Amidst the backdrop of the

2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine On 24 February 2022, , starting the largest and deadliest war in Europe since World War II, in a major escalation of the Russo-Ukrainian War, conflict between the two countries which began in 2014. The fighting has caused hundreds of thou ...

, the

Communist Party of the Russian Federation The Communist Party of the Russian Federation (CPRF; ) is a communist political party in Russia that officially adheres to Marxist–Leninist philosophy. It is the second-largest political party in Russia after United Russia. The youth o ...

proposed to the

State Duma The State Duma is the lower house of the Federal Assembly (Russia), Federal Assembly of Russia, with the upper house being the Federation Council (Russia), Federation Council. It was established by the Constitution of Russia, Constitution of t ...

the adoption of the Soviet flag as the official

flag of Russia The national flag of the Russia, Russian Federation (, ) is a tricolour of three equal horizontal bands: white on the top, blue in the middle, and red on the bottom. The design was first introduced by Tsar Peter the Great in 1693, and in 1705 ...

on 19 April 2022. The use of Soviet symbols including its flag became very extensive by invading Russian forces over the course of the war along with the letter "Z". On 17 June 2023, during the celebration for the 300th anniversary of

Saint Petersburg Saint Petersburg, formerly known as Petrograd and later Leningrad, is the List of cities and towns in Russia by population, second-largest city in Russia after Moscow. It is situated on the Neva, River Neva, at the head of the Gulf of Finland ...

, the respective flags of the Russian Empire (), Soviet Union, and

Russian Federation 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 ...

were raised simultaneously at the

Gulf of Finland The Gulf of Finland (; ; ; ) is the easternmost arm of the Baltic Sea. It extends between Finland to the north and Estonia to the south, to Saint Petersburg—the second largest city of Russia—to the east, where the river Neva drains into it. ...

. Flag of the Soviet Union (1922–1923).svg, (30 December 1922 – 12 November 1923) Flag of the Soviet Union (1924).svg, (12 November 1923 – 18 April 1924) Flag of the Soviet Union (1924–1936).svg, (18 April 1924 – 5 December 1936) Flag of the Soviet Union (1924–1955).svg, (5 December 1936 – 19 August 1955) Flag of the Soviet Union.svg, (19 August 1955 – 26 December 1991)

Derived flags

The flags of the Soviet republics that constituted the

USSR 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 ...

and the Victory Banner were all defaced or modified versions of the Soviet flag. File:Flag of Russian SFSR.svg,

(1954–91) File:Flag of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic (1937–1949).svg,

Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic The Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic, abbreviated as the Ukrainian SSR, UkrSSR, and also known as Soviet Ukraine or just Ukraine, was one of the Republics of the Soviet Union, constituent republics of the Soviet Union from 1922 until 1991. ...

(1937–50) File:Flag of Ukrainian SSR.svg, Ukrainian SSR
(1950–90) File:Flag of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic (1949–1991, reverse).svg, Flag of the Ukrainian SSR (1990) File:Flag of the Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic (1937–1951).svg,

Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic The Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic (BSSR, Byelorussian SSR or Byelorussia; ; ), also known as Soviet Belarus or simply Belarus, was a Republics of the Soviet Union, republic of the Soviet Union (USSR). It existed between 1920 and 19 ...

(1937–51) File:Flag of Byelorussian SSR.svg, Byelorussian SSR (1951–91) (served as an inspiration for the

flag of Belarus The national flag of Belarus is an unequal red-green bicolour with a red-on-white ornament pattern placed at the hoist (staff) end. The current design was introduced in 2012 by the State Committee for Standardisation of the Republic of Bela ...

since 1995) File:Flag of the Uzbek SSR.svg,

Uzbek Soviet Socialist Republic The Uzbek Soviet Socialist Republic (, ), also known as Soviet Uzbekistan, the Uzbek SSR, UzSSR, or simply Uzbekistan and rarely Uzbekia, was a Republics of the Soviet Union, union republic of the Soviet Union. It was governed by the Communist ...

(1952–91) File:Flag of the Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic (1937-1940).svg,

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 ...

(1937–40) File:Flag of the Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic (1940-1953).svg, Kazakh SSR (1940–53) File:Flag of Kazakh SSR.svg, Kazakh SSR and

Kazakhstan Kazakhstan, officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a landlocked country primarily in Central Asia, with a European Kazakhstan, small portion in Eastern Europe. It borders Russia to the Kazakhstan–Russia border, north and west, China to th ...

(1953–92) File:Flag of Georgian SSR.svg,

Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic The Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic, also known as Soviet Georgia, the Georgian SSR, or simply Georgia, was one of the republics of the Soviet Union from its second occupation (by the Red Army) in 1921 to its independence in 1991. Cotermin ...

(1951–90) File:Flag of the Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic (1924-1927).svg,

Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic The Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic, also referred to as the Azerbaijani Soviet Socialist Republic, Azerbaijan SSR, Azerbaijani SSR, AzSSR, Soviet Azerbaijan or simply Azerbaijan, was one of the Republics of the Soviet Union, constituent re ...

(1924–27) File:Flag of the Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic (1927-1931).svg,

Azerbaijan SSR The Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic, also referred to as the Azerbaijani Soviet Socialist Republic, Azerbaijan SSR, Azerbaijani SSR, AzSSR, Soviet Azerbaijan or simply Azerbaijan, was one of the constituent republics of the Soviet Union be ...

(1927–31) File:Flag of the Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic (1931-1937).svg, Azerbaijan SSR
(1931–37) File:Flag of the Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic (1937-1940).svg, Azerbaijan SSR
(1937–40) File:Flag of the Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic (1940-1952).svg, Azerbaijan SSR
(1940–52) File:Flag of the Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic (1952–1956).svg, Azerbaijan SSR
(1952–56) File:Flag of Azerbaijan SSR.svg, Azerbaijan SSR
(1956–91) File:Flag of the Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Republic (1940–1953).svg,

Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Republic The Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Republic (Lithuanian SSR; ; ), also known as Soviet Lithuania or simply Lithuania, was ''de facto'' one of the Republics of the Soviet Union, constituent republics of the Soviet Union between 1940–1941 and 1944 ...

(1940–53) File:Flag of Lithuanian SSR.svg, Lithuanian SSR
(1953–88) File:Flag of the Moldavian ASSR (1925-1932).svg,

Moldavian Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic The Moldavian Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic, shortened to Moldavian ASSR, was an Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republics, autonomous republic of the Ukrainian SSR between 12 October 1924 and 2 August 1940, encompassing the modern territory ...

(1925–32) File:Flag of the Moldavian ASSR (1937-1938).svg, Moldavian ASSR
(1937–38) File:Flag of the Moldavian ASSR.svg, Moldavian ASSR
(1938–40) File:Flag of the Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic (1941-1952).svg, Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic
(1940–52) File:Flag of the Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic (1952–1990).svg, Moldavian SSR (1952–1990) File:Flag of Transnistria (state).svg,

Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic Transnistria, officially known as the Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic and locally as Pridnestrovie, is a landlocked breakaway state internationally recognized as part of Moldova. It controls most of the narrow strip of land between the Dni ...

(1991–present) File:Flag of the Latvian Soviet Socialist Republic (1940–1953).svg,

Latvian Soviet Socialist Republic The Latvian Soviet Socialist Republic (Also known as the Latvian SSR, or Latvia) was a constituent republic of the Soviet Union from 1940 to 1941, and then from 1944 until 1990. The Soviet occupation and annexation of Latvia began between J ...

(1940–53) File:Flag of the Latvian Soviet Socialist Republic (1953–1967, variant).svg, Latvian SSR (1953–67) File:Flag of Latvian SSR.svg, Latvian SSR (1967–90) File:Flag of Kyrgyz SSR.svg,

Kirghiz Soviet Socialist Republic The Kirghiz Soviet Socialist Republic (Kirghiz SSR), also known as the Kyrgyz Soviet Socialist Republic (Kyrgyz SSR), KySSR or Kirgiz Soviet Socialist Republic (Kirgiz SSR), was one of the constituent republics of the Soviet Union (USSR) from 1 ...

and

Kyrgyzstan Kyrgyzstan, officially the Kyrgyz Republic, is a landlocked country in Central Asia lying in the Tian Shan and Pamir Mountains, Pamir mountain ranges. Bishkek is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Kyrgyzstan, largest city. Kyrgyz ...

(1952–92) File:Flag of the Tajik Soviet Socialist Republic (1936–1938).svg,

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 ...

(1936–38) File:Flag of the Tajik Soviet Socialist Republic (1938–1940).svg, Tajik SSR (1938–40) File:Flag of the Tajik Soviet Socialist Republic (1940–1953).svg, Tajik SSR (1940–53) File:Flag of Tajik SSR.svg, Tajik SSR (1953–91) File:Flag of the Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic (1936–1940).png,

Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic The Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic (ArSSR), also known as Soviet Armenia, or simply Armenia, was one of the Republics of the Soviet Union, constituent republics of the Soviet Union, located in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Soviet Armenia ...

(1936–40) File:Flag of The Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic (1940-1952).png, Armenian SSR
(1940–52) File:Flag of Armenian SSR.svg, Armenian SSR
(1952–90) File:Flag of the Turkmen Soviet Socialist Republic (1926-1937).svg,

Turkmen Soviet Socialist Republic The Turkmen Soviet Socialist Republic, also known as Soviet Turkmenistan, the Turkmen SSR, TuSSR, Turkmenistan, or Turkmenia, was one of the constituent republics of the Soviet Union located in Central Asia existed as a republic from 1925 to 199 ...

(1926–37) File:Flag of the Turkmen Soviet Socialist Republic (1953–1973).svg, Turkmen SSR (1953–73) File:Flag of the Turkmen Soviet Socialist Republic (1973–1991).svg, Turkmen SSR and

Turkmenistan Turkmenistan is a landlocked country in Central Asia bordered by Kazakhstan to the northwest, Uzbekistan to the north, east and northeast, Afghanistan to the southeast, Iran to the south and southwest and the Caspian Sea to the west. Ash ...

(1973–92) File:Flag of the Estonian Soviet Socialist Republic (1940–1953).svg,

Estonian Soviet Socialist Republic The Estonian Soviet Socialist Republic, (abbreviated Estonian SSR, Soviet Estonia, or simply Estonia ) was an administrative subunit (Republics of the Soviet Union, union republic) of the former Soviet Union (USSR), covering the Occupation o ...

(1940–53) File:Flag of Estonian SSR.svg, Estonian SSR (1953–90) File:Flag of the Karelo-Finnish SSR (1940-1953).svg,

Karelo-Finnish Soviet Socialist Republic The Karelo-Finnish Soviet Socialist Republic (Karelo-Finnish SSR), also called Soviet Karelia or simply known as Karelia, was a republic of the Soviet Union. It existed from 31 March 1940 until it was made part of the Russian SFSR on 16 July 1956 ...

(1940–53) File:Flag of the Karelo-Finnish SSR.svg, Karelo-Finnish SSR (1953–56) File:Soviet Znamya Pobedy.svg, Victory Banner of the

Great Patriotic War The Eastern Front, also known as the Great Patriotic War (term), Great Patriotic War in the Soviet Union and its successor states, and the German–Soviet War in modern Germany and Ukraine, was a Theater (warfare), theatre of World War II ...

(1945) File:Flag of Vladimir Oblast (1999).svg, Flag of Vladimir Oblast (1999–2017) File:Flag of Vladimir Oblast.svg, Flag of Vladimir Oblast (2017–present)

Gallery

File:Raising a flag over the Reichstag - Restoration.jpg, '' Raising a Flag over the Reichstag'' File:Flag of the Soviet Union (Raising a Flag over the Reichstag).svg, Digital remake of the flag that was raised over the Reichstag File:Russian Power (6079327205).jpg, The Soviet flag along with an assortment of Russian and Soviet military flags File:Group of the Moldavian Television (1982). (26333523307).jpg, Flags of the Soviet Republics flown during a parade in

Chișinău Chișinău ( , , ; formerly known as Kishinev) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Moldova, largest city of Moldova. The city is Moldova's main industrial and commercial centre, and is located in the middle of the coun ...

, the capital of the

Moldavian SSR The Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic or Moldavian SSR (, mo-Cyrl, Република Советикэ Сочиалистэ Молдовеняскэ), also known as the Moldovan Soviet Socialist Republic, Moldovan SSR, Soviet Moldavia, Sovie ...

File:Germany-00336 - Last Kremlin Flag (30248015431).jpg, One of the last Soviet flags flown on the

Kremlin The Moscow Kremlin (also the Kremlin) is a fortified complex in Moscow, Russia. Located in the centre of the country's capital city, the Moscow Kremlin (fortification), Kremlin comprises five palaces, four cathedrals, and the enclosing Mosco ...

, displayed at the

Checkpoint Charlie Museum The Wall Museum – Museum Haus am Checkpoint Charlie () is a private museum in Berlin. It is named after the famous crossing point through the Berlin Wall, and was created to document the so-called "best border security system in the world" ...

Berlin Berlin ( ; ) is the Capital of Germany, capital and largest city of Germany, by both area and List of cities in Germany by population, population. With 3.7 million inhabitants, it has the List of cities in the European Union by population withi ...

File:Generál s vlajkou v pozadí - panoramio.jpg, Member of the

Armed Forces of Belarus The Armed Forces of the Republic of Belarus are the military forces of Belarus. It consists of the Ground Forces and the Air Force and Air Defence Forces, all under the command of the Ministry of Defence. As a landlocked country, Belarus has ...

pays tribute to the

Victory Day Victory Day is a commonly used name for public holidays in various countries, where it commemorates a nation's triumph over a hostile force in a war or the liberation of a country from hostile occupation. In many cases, multiple countries may ob ...

in 2014, in front of a Soviet flag File:Flag of the Soviet Union (1923, unofficial).svg, The unofficial flag of the USSR in 1923.

Notes

References

External links

* * {{Asia topic, Flag of, title= Flags of Asia Flags of the Soviet Union National symbols of the Soviet Union

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 ...

1923 establishments in the Soviet Union

Red and yellow flags Flags with stars