Red star
The
five-pointed red star (a
pentagram without the inner
pentagon) is a symbol of
Communism and
Socialism and represents the five fingers of the
worker's hand, as well as the five
continents (as traditionally counted). A lesser known suggestion is that the five points on the star were intended to represent the five social groups that would lead the nation to communism. In no particular order, they are: the youth (the future generations), the military (to protect and defend socialism), industrial workers (labourers), agricultural workers (peasantry), and the
intelligentsia (to criticize and to improve the ideas and practices of life in order to attain communism). In general, it was the emblem, symbol, and signal that indicated the truth of the new order under the rule and guidance of the
Communist Party.
The origins of the Red Star are found in the
Russian civil war and the end of the
First World War. Those Russian troops fleeing from the Austrian and German fronts who found themselves in
Moscow in
1917 mixed with the local Moscow garrison. To distinguish the Moscow troops from the influx of retreating Russians the officers gave out tin stars to the Moscow garrison soldiers, to wear on their hats. When those troops joined the
Red army and the
Bolsheviks they painted their tin stars red (for
Communism), thus creating the original Red Star. Another story has it that the Red Star was introduced by
Jews in the Red Army. According to this story these Jewish members of the Red Army believed that the Revolution would create the Promised Land in Russia, although this story is believed to be dubious. This presumption is based on a common confusion among both
anti-semites and
anti-communists that the Jewish star (with six points) is similar to the Communist red star (with five points). Yet another claimed origin for the red star relates to an alleged encounter between
Leon Trotsky and
Nikolai Krylenko. Krylenko, an
esperantist, was wearing a
green star lapel badge; Trotsky enquired as to its meaning and received an explanation that each arm of the star represented one of the five traditional continents. On hearing this, he specified that a red star should be worn by soldiers of the Red Army[
1].
The red star is or was used on several
flags and
coats of arms of
communist states, for example on the
flag of former Yugoslavia, and in some separatist and socialist movements, like
estelada flag in
Catalan Countries. Sometimes the
hammer and sickle was depicted inside or below the star. Since the fall of the
Soviet bloc, the red star has been banned in some countries (e.g. in
Hungary, it is a criminal offense to publicly show or use the symbol).The Russian military still uses the Red Star and many former
USSR member nations still have it on military equipment and uniforms.The
Russian military
newspaper is also called the
Red Star (
Russian Krasnaya Zvezda). Several
sporting clubs from communist countries used the red star as a symbol, and these named themselves after it:
*
Crvena zvezda (
Serbian:
Црвена звезда),
Belgrade*
Roter Stern,
LeipzigThe red star has been used by many supporters of socialism in the US, perhaps the best-known contemporary example being
Rage Against the Machine, a rock band of the 1990s. The band members used the red star as a symbolic representation of their own progressive ideas, and used their music to advocate for activism and social change.
A yellow star, particularly on a red field, often has the same symbolism. The
Far Eastern Republic used a yellow star on its military uniforms (The People's Revolutionary Army), with the same symbolism as that of the Red Star. The
flag of the
People's Republic of China has five yellow stars on a red field.
A five-pointed red star is also used by
California,
Heineken,
Mozilla, and
Macy's, but without any socialist connotation.
*
Red flag*
Hammer and Sickle*
Communist symbolism*
Order of the Red Star*
SSCB RedStar homepage
