The coat of arms and the flag are the invariable symbols of any modern state. The beginnings of heraldry appeared in antiquity, in the Middle Ages it became the property of every noble house, and in modern times it was firmly entrenched as an obligatory attribute of all countries of the world.
In terms of having its own symbols, the RSFSR was no exception - a state entity that existed from 1917 to 1991. It was the forerunner of the modern Russian Federation. But, before considering the attributes of this republic, let's see what it was. How is RSFSR deciphered?
RSFSR is a republic of the Soviet Union
The birth of the RSFSR can be attributed to 1917, when, after the victory in the October Revolution, the Bolsheviks came to power in the country. True, the original name of the new state was somewhat different - the Russian Soviet Republic (RSR) or the Russian Federative Republic (RFR). The name of the RSFSR was officially fixed on July 19, 1918, after the entry into force of the Constitution. Then a large number of other innovations were introduced. For example, in the same 1918, the capital of the RSFSR was replaced. She moved from Petrograd to Moscow.
Since 1922 Russiaalong with other republics, it became part of the USSR, where it remained until its collapse in 1991. This ended the period of the RSFSR, the era of the Russian Federation began. It lasts until today.
Deciphering the abbreviation of the RSFSR
But how is RSFSR deciphered? Since 1918, this abbreviation has been read as the Russian Socialist Federative Soviet Republic. In 1936 the word order was changed. Since then, the name has been deciphered as the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic.
State flag
One of the main symbols of the state is the national flag. It is with this attribute that any country is primarily associated. The state flag of the RSFSR has undergone several significant changes over the period of its existence.
Flag of post-revolutionary times
Immediately after the Bolshevik revolution, the role of the state flag was claimed by an absolutely red banner without additional images and inscriptions on it. True, this fact was not confirmed by any official document.
The Constitution, adopted in 1918, stated that the state flag of the country would be a red cloth, in the upper left corner of which is the inscription "RSFSR" embroidered in golden letters. There was no more accurate description of the alleged banner in the main law of the country at that time.
In 1920, a more detailed description was given in the decree of the Presidium of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee. In particular, it was indicated that the inscription "RSFSR" should be framed in goldrectangle. This form was valid until 1937.
Stalin era banner
The adoption of the new Constitution in 1937 brought some adjustments to the state flag of the RSFSR. The talented artist A. N. Milkin was involved in the development of a new version. In particular, the golden framing was removed, and the font for writing letters was changed from stylized Old Slavonic to ordinary. This form of the flag was officially used for seventeen years, including during the Great Patriotic War.
Flag (1954 - 1991)
In 1954, the official banner of the RSFSR was radically redesigned. The artist V. P. Viktorov undertook the implementation of the new project. Now the flag included the official symbols of the USSR - the hammer and sickle, as well as the five-pointed star, which were located in the upper left edge. In addition, there was a light blue stripe near the flagpole. The main background of the flag remained invariably red. All inscriptions from the cloth have disappeared.
This official version of the banner lasted much longer than others (37 years) and was replaced only in 1991 with the flag of the Russian Federation.
State Emblem
Along with the flag, the coat of arms is considered the most important national symbolism. This attribute has been included in modern heraldry since the Middle Ages. The RSFSR also had its own emblem, and during its existence it has undergone no less changes than the flag.
The first official seal of the RSFSR
The coat of arms of the RSFSR has becomebe developed since the beginning of 1918 by a special commission. Immediately there were a large number of proposals. Most of all, the commission was satisfied with the version of the artist Alexander Leo. In his performance, the coat of arms represented an image in the center of which a crossed sickle, hammer and sword were placed. At the bottom there should have been an inscription: "Council of People's Commissars." But V. I. Lenin proposed to abandon the sword, which he wanted to emphasize the peaceful nature of the future communist society. He also expressed a desire to replace the inscription with the motto: "Proletarians of all countries, unite."
In the final version, the coat of arms of the RSFSR of 1918 was a symbol in the shape of a circle, which depicted a crossed hammer and sickle on a red shield in the rays of the rising sun and framed by grain ears.
Coat of arms (1925 – 1978)
Already in 1920, it was decided to improve the coat of arms of the RSFSR. Immediately, work began on this, led by the artist N. A. Andreev. First of all, the full inscription "Russian Socialist Federative Soviet Republic" was replaced with an abbreviation. In addition, the coat of arms ceased to have an absolutely rounded shape, the ears framed it completely, and not just a red shield with a hammer and sickle. Some other smaller graphical changes have also been made.
This form was finally enshrined in the Constitution of 1925. In this form, the coat of arms existed practically unchanged until the very collapse of the Soviet Union. The exception was one small but important detail,which will be discussed below.
Another change in the coat of arms
In 1978, a new constitution was introduced. In connection with its adoption, it was decided to bring the coat of arms of the RSFSR to the all-Union standard. This was expressed in the addition of just one detail, namely a five-pointed star at the top of the shield, in the place where the grain ears closed.
No more changes were made in the symbolism until the very collapse of the USSR. But even after the creation of an independent Russian Federation, the coat of arms of the RSFSR served as the basis for its paraphernalia until December 1993, when the double-headed eagle was adopted as the state symbol. Until that time, the only difference between the emblem of the new state and the emblem of the union republic was only the change of the inscription with the name of the country in the upper part of the shield. Nevertheless, absolutely nothing remains of the Soviet era in the heraldry of the modern Russian state.
Results
Over the years of the existence of the RSFSR as an integral part of the Soviet Union, the flag and coat of arms of this state entity have experienced significant external changes. This was due to the desire to bring the symbols of individual republics closer to the all-Union standards. The predominant importance of the paraphernalia of the communist movement in the elements of the coat of arms and flag of the RSFSR should be highlighted.
