Last modified: 2005-05-13 by antónio martins
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![[Army flag of the Soviet Union]](../images/s/su^.gif)
War flag of USSR, i.e. Red Army flag. It was plain red
with a large red star edged yellow. Proportions 3:5.
Source: [smi82]
Željko Heimer, 12 Jul 1996
This flag, red flag with red star bordered yellow, is an invention, a big vexillological fiction!. It has been published in many famous flag books (W. Smith 1975 and others — russian books too) but it never existed as “Army Flag of the Soviet Union”. There were only regimental (division etc.) colours in Soviet Army. No army flag.
Some postcards with drawings of this flag were issued sometimes in 1960-1980ths. They were congratulation postcards for the Soviet Army Day. In former USSR this holiday, 23 of february, was the informal Male Day, and all the men (as former soldiers, universal 2-year military conscription existed in USSR) and boys (as defenders of Motherland in future) received congratulations and gifts in their families. There were three flags on the post-cards: flag of Navy (real flag of 1935 — white field with red star, hammer and sickle, blue stripe in bottom), Flag of Aviation (real flag) and this “Flag of Army”. Artists who made the post-cards drew as the non-existing “Army Flag” the Armed Forces Colours but without name and number of unit and in rectangular form (because two other flags, Navy and Aviation, on the post-card were in this form).
(I was surprised when saw this fictional flag in russian book on flags [iva71]. W. Smith published this fiction but he is american and not a big specialist in russian flags. But why Ivanov repeated this fiction? Was he copying Smithʼs information?...)
Viktor Lomancov, 10 Dec 1999 and 12 Aug 2000
There is a photo in page 30 of Inside the Soviet Army by
Carey Schofield (photos by by Leonid Yakutin) which shows the army
flag. It is not fictional, just unofficial (it is not
mentioned in the Voennay Entsiklopedicheskiy Slovar, the
official encyclopedia of the Soviet Military).
Miles Li, 09 Jun 2001
"The Red Army of Workers and Peasants" had its name
changed to "Soviet Army" some time after WW II.
Tom Gregg, 25 Feb 1997
In 1946 the name was changed to Soviet Army and starting 1972, Army ranks below starŝina wore the abbreviation "СА" on their shoulder straps. In addition from c. 1972, others followed:
W.Smith states [smi80] that
these flags of republics (introduced
in 1950's) were also military (or army) flags. Was there
separate armies in USSR (which I doubt), or was there parts
of Red Army stationed in each Republic that used republicʼs
flags?
Željko Heimer, 10 Apr 1996
The flags of republics of USSR were only state flags (not war flags).
The Army in USSR was indivisible. The republics had no armed forces,
and the republican flags were not used in Army. Only in 1920ʼies
several Republics adopted “state and war flags”
(Russia, Ucraine,
Bukhara, Khoresm
and others). It was confirmed by constitutions of
each republic. I think this fact misleaded W. Smith.
After foundation of USSR old constitutions were in force some time
until adoption of new ones. New constitutions said only about "state
flags". I donʼt know when new constitutions were adopted first time,
but to 1936-1938 all constitutions were renewed.
Victor Lomantsov, 10 Dec 1999