Red star

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Symbol associated with communist ideology

title: "Red star" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["article-10-of-the-european-convention-on-human-rights", "symbols-of-communism", "socialist-symbols", "military-symbols", "star-symbols", "red-symbols", "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-latvia", "national-symbols-of-lithuania", "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"] description: "Symbol associated with communist ideology" topic_path: "law" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_star" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Symbol associated with communist ideology ::

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/34/Red_star.svg" caption="A red five-pointed star"] ::

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/77/Volokolamsk_(Moscow_Oblast)_12.jpg" caption="A New Year tree with a red star in front of a church cupola in [[Volokolamsk]], Russia, 2010."] ::

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. It has been widely used in flags, state emblems, monuments, ornaments, and logos. A golden star or yellow star is also a closely-associated symbol to the red star in the context of contemporary China and Vietnam, similarly representing socialism, communism, and national communism.

Some former Warsaw Pact nations have passed laws banning it, describing it as a symbol of far-left totalitarian ideology.Poroshenko signed the laws about decomunization. Ukrayinska Pravda. 15 May 2015

Poroshenko signs laws on denouncing Communist, Nazi regimes, Interfax-Ukraine. 15 May 2015 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 and the U.S. state of California. The red star has also been used as logo by private agencies and corporations, such as the oil brand Texaco and the beer Heineken.

History

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/58/Красная_звезда.jpg" caption="Red Star (1908)"] ::

The star's origins as a symbol of communist mass movements dates from the time of the Bolshevik Revolution and the Russian Civil War, but the precise first use remains unknown. The red star as a symbol of the Red Army was proposed by the Military Collegium for the organization of the Red Army and the creator of the Red Star emblem was the Bolshevik commander of the Petrograd Military District, Konstantin Eremeev. On the other hand, one account of the symbol's origin traces its roots to the Moscow troop garrison toward the end of World War I. At this time, many troops were fleeing from the Austrian and German fronts, joining the local Moscow garrison upon their arrival in the city. To distinguish the Moscow troops from the influx of retreating front-liners, officers gave out tin stars to the Moscow garrison soldiers to wear on their hats. When those troops joined the Red Army and the Bolsheviks they painted their tin stars red, the color of socialism, thus creating the original red star.

The red star was used in communist media as early as in 1908 with the publication of the novel Red Star 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 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, the military, the industrial labourers, the agricultural 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.

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c7/Curtiss_JN-3.jpg" caption="U.S. Army Signal Corps Curtiss JN-3 biplanes with red star insignia, 1915"] ::

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.

Use in the USSR and its constituent republics

The symbol became one of the most prominent of the Soviet Union, adorning nearly all official buildings, awards and insignia. Sometimes the 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 (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 since the 1991 dissolution of the Soviet Union.

Gallery of the heraldry of Soviet republics

File:State Emblem of the Soviet Union.svg|Coat of arms of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics File:Emblem of the Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic (1978–1991), Emblem of Azerbaijan (1991–1993).svg|Coat of arms of the Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic File:Emblem of the Byelorussian SSR (1981-1991).svg|Coat of arms of the Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic File:Emblem of the Estonian SSR.svg|Coat of arms of the Estonian Soviet Socialist Republic File:Emblem of the Georgian SSR.svg|Coat of arms of the Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic File:Emblem of Kazakh SSR.svg|Coat of arms of the Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic File:Emblem of the Kirghiz SSR.svg|Coat of arms of the Kirghiz Soviet Socialist Republic File:Emblem of the Latvian SSR.svg|Coat of arms of the Latvian Soviet Socialist Republic File:Emblem of the Lithuanian SSR.svg|Coat of arms of the Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Republic File:Emblem of the Moldavian SSR (1981-1990).svg|Coat of arms of the Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic File:Emblem of the Russian SFSR.svg|Coat of arms of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic File:Emblem of the Tajik SSR.svg|Coat of arms of the Tajik Soviet Socialist Republic File:Emblem of the Turkmen SSR.svg|Coat of arms of the Turkmen Soviet Socialist Republic File:Emblem of the Ukrainian SSR.svg|Coat of arms of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic File:Emblem of the Uzbek SSR.svg|Coat of arms of the Uzbek Soviet Socialist Republic File:Emblem of the Transcaucasian SFSR (1930-1936).svg|Emblem of the Transcaucasian Socialist Federative Soviet Republic (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 states 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. 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, Hungary, Romania, and Albania. From 1991 to 1995, Belarus dropped its Soviet-style emblem in favor of an emblem featuring the Pahonia; the Soviet-era heraldry was re-adopted in 1995, and continues to be used today with minor modifications in 2012 and 2020.

File:Flag of Bulgaria (1971 – 1990).svg|Flag of the People's Republic of Bulgaria (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)

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. 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 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 Croatia (1947–1990).svg|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

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 and its associated symbols also have 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 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 (1967–1990) File:Flag of Afghanistan (1980–1987).svg|Flag of the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan (1980–1987) File:Seal Tsinghua University PRC.jpg|Red star being featured in Tsinghua University's official seal. Many Chinese organizations use the same red star seal template.

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 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 Government of Russia 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 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: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 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 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 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. The Zapatista autonomous territories also make use of the symbol. 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 ( / Crvena zvezda), 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 California and the District of Columbia 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, 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 Eastern Kurdistan Units and Women's Defense Forces in Iranian Kurdistan.

The Iranian Islamist-Socialist militant opposition group the Mojahedin-e-Khalq uses the red star with the rifle, sickle and the map of Iran in the background.

File:RAF-Logo.svg|Red Army Faction (West German militant group) (RAF) File:Bandera del GRAPO.svg|First of October Anti-Fascist Resistance Groups (GRAPO) File:Bandera FPRM Manipur.svg|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|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|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-dweller's movement Abahlali baseMjondolo. Like in Latin America and Africa, several European socialist parties continue to use a star as a part of their logos. The red star is also featured prominently in the independence flags of various separatist movements in Spain. File:PT (Brazil) logo 2021.svg|Symbol of Workers' Party (Brazil) File:Vereinigte Sozialistische Partei Venezuelas logo.svg|Symbol of the United Socialist Party of Venezuela File:DYFI-flag.svg|Symbol of the Democratic Youth Federation of India File:Logo – Parti communiste français (2018).svg|Symbol of the French Communist Party File:Pce 2014.svg|Symbol of the Communist Party of Spain File:Portuguese Communist Party logo.svg|Symbol of the Portuguese Communist Party File:Socialistische Partij (nl 2006) Logo.svg|Symbol of the Dutch Socialist Party File:PVDAPTB-2022-icon-profile01.png|Symbol of the Workers' Party of Belgium File:Logo of The Left (Slovenia).svg|Symbol of the Slovenian party The Left File:Potere al Popolo! - Logo (Italy, 2017).svg|Symbol of the Italian party Power to the People File:Rødt logo (bokmål).svg|Symbol of the Norwegian Red Party File:Uplogo2transparente-sinnombre.png|Symbol of the Ecuadorian party Popular Unity File:Party of Socialists of the Republic of Moldova logo.png|Symbol of the Party of Socialists of the Republic of Moldova 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:Flag of the Yemeni Socialist Party (bigger star version).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 New Zealand (designed in 1869, officially adopted in 1902). The flag of the District of Columbia (designed in 1921, adopted in 1938) recalls George Washington's coat of arms. DC Comics' Wonder Woman also wears a 5-point red star headband with gold or yellow background.

Crescent moon and star

The crescent moon and star was a symbol used by the Ottoman Empire. Various states with Ottoman history have thus adopted this symbol into their present-day flags. File:Flag of Tunisia.svg|Flag of Tunisia File:Flag of Algeria.svg|Flag of Algeria File:Flag of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.svg|Flag of Northern Cyprus File:Flag of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic.svg|Flag of Western Sahara File:Emblem of Turkey.svg|Emblem of Turkey

Assorted Flags and Coats of Arms

File:Flag of New Zealand.svg|Flag of New Zealand. File:Flag of Panama.svg|Flag of Panama. File:Flag of Syria 2011, observed.svg|Flag of Syria (opposition group during the civil war). Was the independence flag first used in 1932. File:Flag of California.svg|Flag of California. File:California Lone Star Flag 1836.svg|California Lone Star Flag – 1836. File:Flag of Washington, D.C..svg|Flag of Washington, D.C. File:Bandeira do Acre.svg|Flag of Acre State, Brazil. File:Flag of Nagasaki, Nagasaki.svg|Flag of Nagasaki city. File:Flag of Birmingham, Alabama.svg|Flag of Birmingham, Alabama. File:Gharghur coa.svg|Arms of Għargħur, Malta. File:Escudo de Moríñigo.svg|Moríñigo 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 World War I in a similar way medical personal worn brassards with red crosses.

Following the War, the American Red Star turned to focus on domestic issues, including care for animals during disasters. The organization waxed and waned over the decades, and exists as the American Humane Association's Red Star Animal Emergency Services.

Red 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 Soviet Union File:Macy's logo.svg|Logo of Macy's department stores File:Texaco Logo.jpg|Texaco logo, circa 1913 File:Caltex logo.png|Caltex 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 Texaco 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" () in 1949 to celebrate the founding of the People's Republic of China.

North Korea's Red Star operating system takes its name from the communist red star.

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 and state terror by several countries that were formerly either members of or occupied by the Soviet Union. Accordingly, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary and Ukraine have banned the symbol among others deemed to be symbols of totalitarian political ideologies and the Soviet Union or its republics. In Poland, the Parliament passed in 2009 a ban that referred generally to "fascist, communist or other totalitarian symbols", while not specifying any of them. Following a constitutional complaint, it has been abolished by the Constitutional Tribunal as contrary to articles in the Constitution of Poland guaranteeing the freedom of speech. A similar law was considered in Estonia, but eventually failed in a parliamentary committee due to its conflict with freedoms guaranteed by the constitution of Estonia.

The European Court of Human Rights has ruled, in a similar manner, against the laws that ban political symbols, which were deemed to be in clear opposition with basic human rights, such as freedom of speech, confirmed again in 2011 in case Fratanolo v. Hungary. The decision has been compared to the legislation concerning the symbols of Nazism, which continue to be banned in several European Union member states, including Germany and France.

There have been calls for an EU-wide ban on both Soviet and Nazi symbols, notably by politicians from Lithuania, Estonia, the Czech Republic, Hungary and Slovakia. The European Commissioner for Justice, Franco Frattini, felt it "might not be appropriate" to include communist symbols in the context of discussions on xenophobia and anti-Semitism.

In 2003, Hungarian politician Attila Vajnai was arrested, handcuffed and fined for wearing a red star on his lapel during a demonstration. He appealed his sentence to the European Court of Human Rights, which decided that the ban was a violation of the freedom of expression, calling the Hungarian ban "indiscriminate" and "too broad".

In Slovenia, the red star was historically associated with the resistance movement that fought against fascist occupation in World War II, but was also later a state symbol of Yugoslavia during the dictatorship of Josip Broz Tito. On 21 March 2011, Slovenia issued a 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

Okhlebkin, V.V. (2006). "Dictionary of international symbols and emblems.". ZAO Tsentrpoligraf.
Khvostov, Mikhail (1996), ''The Russian Civil War (1) The Red Army''. Published by Men-At-Arms. {{ISBN. 1-85532-608-6.
Możejko, Edward. (December 1985). "Reviewed Work: Red Star: The First Bolshevik Utopia by Alexander Bogdanov". Canadian Slavonic Papers.
[https://www.angelfire.com/ny2/ts/stelo.html Pri La Stelo: Militista simbolo]
The Russian Civil War (1): The Red Army By Mikhail Khvostov, Andrei Karachtchouk, page 37 (there are several mentions of the use of the red star from 1918)
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[http://izvestia.ru/news/543587 Военно-воздушные силы отказались от трехцветных звезд] Армия, Известия {{in lang. ru
"The Flag of Western Sahara".
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[https://web.archive.org/web/20111019064810/http://www.americanhumane.org/assets/pdfs/animals/pa-aes-redstar.pdf Celebrating 125 years, American Humane Association]
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"Про засудження комуністичного та націонал-соціалістичного (нацистського) тоталітарних режимів в Україні та заборону пропаганди їхньої символіки". Офіційний Вебпортал Парламенту України.
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[http://cmiskp.echr.coe.int/tkp197/view.asp?action=html&documentId=837602&portal=hbkm&source=externalbydocnumber&table=F69A27FD8FB86142BF01C1166DEA398649 ECHR judgment in case Vajnai v. Hungary]
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[http://cmiskp.echr.coe.int/tkp197/view.asp?action=open&documentId=894751&portal=hbkm&source=externalbydocnumber&table=F69A27FD8FB86142BF01C1166DEA398649 Press release 222(2011)]. Registrar of [[ECtHR]] 3 November 2011.
[http://index.hu/belfold/csillag0624/ European Court considers Labour Party's red star – in Hungarian]
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