Flag of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic

"Flag of Soviet Russia" redirects here. For the flag of the socialist state as a whole, see Flag of the Soviet Union.
Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic
Flag of the Russian SFSR (1954–1991)
UseCivil and state flag, civil and state ensign Small vexillological symbol or pictogram in black and white showing the different uses of the flag Small vexillological symbol or pictogram in black and white showing the different uses of the flag
Proportion1:2
Adopted9 January 1954
Relinquished22 August 1991 (de facto)
1 November 1991 (de jure)
DesignSmall vexillological symbol or pictogram in black and white showing the different uses of the flag A red flag with a light-blue stripe at the pole, with a gold-bordered red star and a hammer and sickle.
Designed byValentin Petrovich Viktorov
Reverse flag
Proportion1:2
DesignA red field with a light blue strip on the hoist side.
Preview warning: Page using Template:Infobox flag with unknown parameter "Article"
Flag of the Russian SFSR (right) on a 1954 stamp with the flag of the Ukrainian SSR (left). The stamp celebrates the 300th anniversary of the reunification of Ukraine with Russia.

The penultimate USSR-era flag was adopted by the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic (RSFSR) in 1954 and used until 1991. The flag of the Russian SFSR was a defacement of the flag of the USSR. The constitution stipulated:

The state flag of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic (SFSR) presents itself as a red, rectangular sheet with a light-blue stripe at the pole extending all the width [read height] which constitutes one eighth length of the flag.

The symbol of the hammer and sickle represented the working class; more specifically, the hammer represented the urban industrial workers and the sickle represented the rural and agricultural peasants. The red star represented the Communist Party and Communism. The red of the flag represented revolution in general and the Russian Revolution in particular. The blue stripe symbolized the wide Russian skies and the waters of its seas and rivers.