An interesting but little touched upon topic is the symbolism of the five-pointed star. This simple symbol is one of the oldest, it began to be used several thousand years before our era. It has become widespread in many cultures and has a great semantic load. The same star, differing only in color, is present in the symbols of the United States, the European Union, Soviet Union, China and many other countries and social movements.
Since it is widely used to convey various meanings and ideas, for a better understanding of them, we will briefly consider some of its main meanings.
Andrei Rublev. Transfiguration. 1405
In general, the first known use of a five-pointed star falls on the states of Sumer in Mesopotamia in 3000 BC. e. In their writing, such a pictogram denoted a corner, a small room, a pit.
Among the ancient Pythagoreans, the pentagram (from the word pentagramos - five-lined), meant five shelters where the primitive chaos was placed during the creation of the world, and they were in Tartarus. The darkness in these shelters was considered the source of the soul of the world, as well as the source of wisdom. This pentagram was drawn with two rays up.
The symbol of the goddess ruling this other world is an apple, since when cut in it you can see a pentagram. Therefore, the pentagram was also a symbol of health and the goddess Hygieia. In addition, Pythagoras argued that in geometry, the pentagram is a mathematical perfection. But, without delving into the mathematical characteristics of this figure, let's go further.
In Kabbalah, a pentagram with one ray up means the messiah. The pentagram is also the symbol of Solomon's seal and was for some time the official seal of Jerusalem.
For a Muslim, it can mean the five pillars of the Muslim faith and the five daily prayers.
In Christian Europe, the five-pointed star had whole line symbolic meanings. Except for what's left of time ancient world symbol of health, it symbolized five rays of five senses, five fingers. In religion, the pentagram was used as a symbol of the five wounds of Christ, the five joys of Mary, which brought her the perfection of her son Jesus. It also symbolized the Star of Bethlehem at Christmas (in Russia, the Star of Bethlehem was seven-pointed).
One of the main meanings of the five-pointed star was the symbol of the human nature of Christ, so in the Renaissance, when man and the human person began to take on more and more importance, this symbol also became more important. The five-pointed star resembles a man with outstretched arms and legs apart, like drawings by Leonardo da Vinci. With the development of humanism and atheism, the star began to mean simply the human person, as a new highest value. new era.
In fact, the five-pointed star and humanistic ideals became widespread during the Great french revolution. With the advent of a new atheistic ideology, a person was placed in first place in the system of values, and the star in a humanistic sense became one of the most important symbols. As a result of these changes, the star also became widespread in military symbols, first of the French Republic, and then of other countries. In this sphere, she symbolized the god of war Mars, according to legend, was born from a lily, which resembles a five-pointed star. This sign is used both for identification and for various other designations.
With the spread of values and social forces of the new era, the five-pointed star also began to spread. She has always been an important sign in the symbolism of the Masons, a social force that began to gain global importance after the French and American revolutions. In addition to ancient and occult meanings, the star began to be widely used by them for the public expression of their ideas - the spiritual improvement of man and the elevation of man to the head of the entire value system in an atheistic version. Therefore, the star is widely used in the state symbols of many countries built according to Masonic drawings - the United States, where the stars on the flag also mean the Kingdom of Heaven, the European Union and others.
The five-pointed star is also used by many movements and organizations, and its symbolism is often associated either with the Masonic forces behind them, or with the communist movement that adopted it into its symbolism.
A star with two rays up is used by the church of "saints last day or Mormons. An inverted star with rays of different colors symbolizing the Star of Bethlehem is also a symbol of the largest fraternalist organization - the Order of the Eastern Star. This order brings together about a million masons in the rank of not less than a master and is known for its charitable activities.
An inverted pentagram with two rays up is one of the main symbols of Satanists. Such a pentagram means Tartarus or hell, the place where fallen angels are imprisoned. Inside the inverted pentagram, the head of Baphomet is also often drawn in the form of a goat's head. All this symbolizes the anti-human nature and the worship of animal passion. The three rays of the star turned downward also signify the rejection of the Holy Trinity.
The pentagram is also often found among the pagans, serving them as one of the symbols of faith - the five ends of the star mean earth, water, air, fire and spirit. Although in ancient times the pagan pentagram was drawn with two beams up, now it is usually depicted with one beam up, so as not to evoke associations with Satanists. Both in antiquity and today, the pentagram remains an important symbol for druids, Wiccans, neo-Pythagoreans and other groups that profess paganism and practice magic.
In the 20th century, when the communist movement began to acquire global significance, and a socialist revolution took place in Russia, new symbols were needed for the new state. Initially, the red star with a plow and a hammer was adopted as the emblem and identification mark of the Red Army. Here the star symbolized the god of war Mars, and this emblem personified the protection of peaceful labor.
After February Revolution The interim government abolished shoulder straps, but did not abandon the "Mars Star". On April 21, 1917, Minister of War and Naval A. Guchkov places a five-pointed star on the pegs of sailors' caps - right above the anchor.
However, the “Mars star” proved itself most clearly after another revolution - the Great October Revolution. No sooner had the young Soviet government begun to form the Red Army than an urgent need arose for new symbols. This was largely due to the fact that in the fire civil war the opposing sides were often dressed in clothes of the same cut and in battle it was not easy to distinguish strangers from their own.
So the famous red five-pointed star appears for the first time in the symbolism of the Land of the Soviets.
Unfortunately, accurate, documented evidence of the author of this symbol has not been preserved. Some historians believe that the star was proposed by one of the commissars of the Moscow Military District N. Polyansky, others - that this was done by a member of the All-Russian Collegium for the Organization and Management of the Red Army - K. Eremeev.
However, in the early years, due to the presence of anti-Christian and Zionist elements in the core of the Bolshevik organization, the image of a star with two ends up was accepted. The first Soviet Order of the Red Banner had just such an inverted image of a star.
But such a symbol caused such rejection in society that they soon abandoned it and officially approved the image of a star with one ray up.
But the new country also needed new state symbols, and the red star turned out to be a fairly suitable and popular symbol for this. Therefore, it soon moved from the banners of the army carrying the liberation of the world proletariat to the coat of arms and banners of the first country building communism. In Soviet state symbols, the red star next to the hammer and sickle began to mean the unity of the working people of five continents with a single beginning and goal. The red color symbolized the brotherhood and the blood shed for the freedom of the working people of the whole world.
It is authentically known that for the first time the new symbol was mentioned in the newspaper Izvestia on April 19, 1918. There was published a note that the Commissariat for Military Affairs approved a drawing of a badge in the form of a red star with a golden image of a hammer and a plow. Initially, the red star also carried the image of the book, but it looked too clumsy and the book was removed.
Officially, the symbol called “Mars star with a plow and a hammer” was approved by L. Trotsky’s order of May 7, 1918. The following was also said there: “The Red Army badge belongs to persons serving in the Red Army. Persons who are not in the service of the Red Army are invited to remove these signs immediately. For failure to comply with this order, the guilty will be brought to trial by a military tribunal.
At first, the "Mars star" was worn on a triangular block, clinging to the left side of the chest. However, this form turned out to be inconvenient, and the jewelry company suggested placing stars on wreaths of laurel and oak leaves, which were left over from the old signs.
For a while, the shape and location of the star varied greatly. On July 29, 1918, Trotsky issues another order, where the red star was required to be worn on the band of the cap. Lacquered, the cockade badge had a more convex shape, and the rays of the star had more rounded edges.
The greatest number of rumors, then and now, caused the meaning of the symbol of the red star. Haters of Soviet power immediately remembered the Masons, and even Satanists. About Masons. Of course, they were in Russia for a long time. At first, the Freemasons carried educational ideas, and after Radishchev and the Decembrist uprising, they began to express the interests of the pro-Western liberal nobility, the intelligentsia and the big bourgeoisie.
As you know, the Bolsheviks disliked liberals for a long time, and after the February Revolution, they generally stood on the other side of the barricade. Well, the Masons did not complain at all. Whether it's the case - the symbolism of the United States, which was really created by the Masons, and which no one really hid (hence the stars on the flag, and the pyramid with an eye on the dollar, etc.).
As for the red star, the Bolsheviks were guided in their choice by the relative novelty of the symbol and its completely traditional meanings - military (“Mars Star”), protective (pentagram, as a talisman) and guiding (as a symbol of high aspirations).
Of course, the new symbolism (not without the propaganda of opponents of Soviet power) at first aroused superstitious fear among a part of the common people. It was not for nothing that on February 11, 1919, at a conference of the 2nd Soviet (Ukrainian) division, the head of its political department, I. Mints, complained that "peasant youth is full of prejudices against the" communes ", against the new" cockade "- the Red Army star ...".
And here the Bolsheviks also made an oversight, placing the new symbol with two rays up. This can be seen from the first badges, and on some Bolshevik posters (for example, D. Moor's poster “ Soviet Russia- besieged camp. All on defense! 1919). And, as I already wrote, after the work of E. Levy, this position of the star began to be interpreted as a sign of Satanism. At the same time, it was completely forgotten that the inverted pentagram was on the seal of Emperor Constantine (the one who made Christianity the official Roman religion) and was generally interpreted for a long time as a symbol of the Transfiguration of Jesus Christ (this can be seen, for example, on the icon of Andrei Rublev). Naturally, having discovered such a reaction, the Bolsheviks gave the star a more "decent" position.
Let's see how the commissars of the Red Army themselves explained the symbols of the Red Star to the common people in a 1918 leaflet:
“... The red star of the Red Army is the star of Truth ... Therefore, the plow and hammer are depicted on the Red Army star. The plow of a plowman-man. Hammer hammer-worker.
This means that the Red Army is fighting to ensure that the star of Truth shines on the plowman-peasant and the hammer-worker, so that for them there is a will and a share, rest and bread, and not just need, poverty and uninterrupted work .... She is the star of happiness for all the poor, peasants and workers. This is what the red star of the Red Army means.
The story of the Red Star did not end there. On January 16, 1919, embroidered stars adorned the new headdress of the Red Army. In form, he copied the helmets of Russian knights, and therefore at first he was dubbed the “hero”. However, soon they began to call him by the names of the famous red commanders - “Frunzevka” and “Budyonovka” (the latter name stuck).
There were changes in the design of the star. April 13, 1922, depicted on it, the plow was replaced by a more elegant sickle. And on July 11 of the same year, the shape of the star also changed - it ceased to be convex, and its rays straightened again. In this form, she finally established herself in the Red (and then Soviet) Army.
In 1923, already without tools (so as not to repeat the military emblem), the Red Star crowned the emblem of the Soviet Union and the emblems of almost all Soviet republics. It is interesting that she got on the coat of arms of the RSFSR later than everyone else - in 1978! It is also interesting that in the 1930s a project was proposed to make an 11-ray star (according to the number of union republics).
Having switched to the coat of arms of the USSR, the five-pointed star has already acquired a more global symbolism. It was already about the five continents, where there is a bloody struggle for the liberation of the working people from exploitation.
In 1924, a five-pointed star appeared on the flag of the USSR, in 1928 (with a portrait of young Lenin) an October star appeared, in 1935 a star decorated with gems crowned the Spasskaya Tower of the Kremlin, and in 1942 a pioneer badge took the form of a star (before that it wore a flag).
It would seem that with the collapse of the Soviet Union, the time of the Red Star also ended. The fragments of the state chose new symbols for themselves, the star remained only in symbolism Communist parties. It was even said in Russia that it would not hurt to replace the Kremlin stars with double-headed eagles.
However, the growing social tension, moral and economic decline in the post-Soviet space made some political leaders treat Soviet symbols more cautiously. So in 2002, trying to somehow restore the "broken connection of times", Russian Defense Minister S. Ivanov proposed, and President V. Putin approved the return of the five-pointed star to the symbols of the Russian army.
sources
http://shkolazhizni.ru
http://ricolor.org/history/rsv/good/zvezda/
Great Russian revolution 1917 made noticeable adjustments to all signs, ranks, ranks and attributes of our armed forces. They were simply cancelled. On January 16, 1918, the All-Russian Central Executive Committee announced the creation of the Red Army, which was supposed to be a new type of army. Together with various questions of its organization, the question of insignia arose. new form. took place in the same country, the opposing forces spoke the same language, had the same weapons, and the basic military uniform not much different from opponents. How to determine who is yours, who is a stranger?
Source: https://www.liveinternet.ru
Five-pointed symbol of the Red Army
Initially, the red armbands were the difference between the revolutionary units. They were placed on the sleeve or on the headdress. But it was very unreliable, and they were replaced by five-pointed stars. For the first time they were mentioned in the newspaper "Izvestia" dated April 19, 1918. The newspaper informed that a draft badge for fighters was created new army, which will be represented as a red star, and on a golden background in the center there will be an image of a plow and a hammer. This option has become a symbol of the unity of the world proletariat, and the five continents. And the red color in Russia is the color of the proletarian revolution.
We must be fair and say that the five-pointed star for military personnel is not a Bolshevik invention. Back in 1827, forged stars of various sizes and numbers first appeared on the epaulettes of Russian generals and officers, and already in 1854 they were replaced by sewn stars on new shoulder straps. The star was perceived as a direct attribute of the god Mars and was called the Mars star. Whether or not the developers of insignia looked into the future, but the fact is obvious: military symbols have retained their continuity.
Anniversary badge of the 5th battery of the 3rd artillery brigade. Source: https://encyclopedia.mil.ru
Unfortunately, there is no exact evidence of who is the author of this symbol. Some experts believe that the star was proposed by one of the commissars of the Moscow Military District N. Polyansky, others are inclined to believe that K. Eremeev, a member of the collegium for the organization and management of the Red Army, became the author.
Initially, it was decided that the star was worn on the chest, but on November 15, 1918, the order of the Revolutionary Military Council No. 773 was issued, according to which the star was placed on the headdresses not only of soldiers, but also of sailors.
The first Red Army soldiers. Source: https://www.liveinternet.ru
The main symbol of the USSR
The army red star very soon began to personify Soviet Russia itself. In 1923, she appeared as an element on the coat of arms of the USSR, and in 1924 - on the flag of the Land of Soviets. In 1930, red ruby stars appeared on the first five towers of the Moscow Kremlin. Members of the October organization began to wear a red star with the image of a young man, in 1942 the star also adorned the pioneer badge.
The victory of the Soviet people is also inseparable from the main symbol of the Red Army. The red star was the identification mark of the Armed Forces of the USSR and in postwar period. This sign is known all over the world, and like no other it embodies the heroism and courage of the people who defended peace on earth.
Badges of the Red Army. 1919-1922
Factory hammer, rural plow
They burn in its rays.
Worker, plowman - brother and friend -
We are in a close line!
Demyan Bedny, Guiding Star
The first mention of a five-pointed star was found in Mesopotamia and dates back to 3000 BC. The ancient Jews used a star with five rays as a symbol of the city of Jerusalem. The Greeks, deifying Venus, designated it with a five-pointed star. The human figure, considered as the “golden proportion”, which was used by ancient Greek sculptors and architects, also fit into the pentagram. The five rays of the star personified in the teachings of the Pythagoreans the unity of the five elements - water, earth, air, fire and the world of Pythagorean ideas (eidoses). This theme of the unification of the five components has constantly arisen in human history. Among Christians, the five-pointed star connected the five wounds of Christ and served as a reliable protection against witches and demons. The star of the Soviet era symbolized the unity of interests of the working people of the whole world; it is also a symbol of the Red Army.
Many may not know that the history of the five-pointed star in Russia began long before the 1917 revolution and has its origins in another revolution - the French.It was in France at the turn of the 18th-19th centuries that stars appeared on the epaulettes and headdresses of officers and generals, determining their rank. In this case, the pentagram drew its justification from mythology. ancient rome, where it symbolized Mars and depicted a lily from which this god of war was born.
The Red Star is a heraldic sign that was a symbol of the Red Army, was present on the flag and emblem of the USSR, flags and emblems of some countries of the Warsaw Pact.In the USSR, it meant the unity of the world proletariat of all five continents of the Earth: the five ends of a star are the five continents of the planet. Red is the color of the proletarian revolution, it was supposed to unite all five continents with a single goal and a single beginning.
The red star was commonly referred to as the "Mars star" after the ancient Roman god of war, Mars. In the Soviet tradition, Mars symbolized the protection of peaceful labor. Therefore, it is no coincidence that it is the red star that is located above the planet in the coat of arms of the USSR. The red star symbolized the liberation of workers from hunger, war, poverty and slavery.
Under the influence of the French, Emperor Nicholas I introduced a pentagram and Russian army. On January 1, 1827, gold forged stars appeared on epaulettes, and on April 29, 1854, already embroidered ones adorned the introduced shoulder straps.
After the February Revolution, the Provisional Government abolished shoulder straps, but did not abandon the "Mars Star". On April 21, 1917, Minister of War and Naval A. Guchkov places a five-pointed star on the pegs of sailors' caps - right above the anchor.
However, the “Mars star” proved itself most clearly after another revolution - the Great October Revolution. No sooner had the young Soviet government begun to form the Red Army than an urgent need arose for new symbols. This was largely due to the fact that in the fire of the Civil War, the opposing sides were often dressed in clothes of the same cut and in battle it was not easy to distinguish strangers from their own. So the famous red five-pointed star appears for the first time in the symbolism of the Land of the Soviets.
Unfortunately, accurate, documented evidence of the author of this symbol has not been preserved. Some historians believe that the star was proposed by one of the commissars of the Moscow Military District N. Polyansky, others - that this was done by a member of the All-Russian Collegium for the Organization and Management of the Red Army - K. Eremeev.
It is authentically known that for the first time the new symbol was mentioned in the newspaper Izvestia on April 19, 1918. There was published a note that the Commissariat for Military Affairs approved a drawing of a badge in the form of a red star with a golden image of a hammer and a plow. Initially, the red star also carried the image of a book, but it looked too clumsy and the book was removed.
Officially, the symbol called “Mars star with a plow and a hammer” was approved by L. Trotsky’s order of May 7, 1918. The following was also said there: “The Red Army badge belongs to persons serving in the Red Army. Persons who are not in the service of the Red Army are invited to remove these signs immediately. For failure to comply with this order, the guilty will be brought to trial by a military tribunal.
At first, the "Mars star" was worn on a triangular block, clinging to the left side of the chest. However, this form turned out to be inconvenient, and the jewelry company suggested placing stars on wreaths of laurel and oak leaves, which were left over from the old signs.
For a while, the shape and location of the star varied greatly. On July 29, 1918, Trotsky issues another order, where the red star was required to be worn on the band of the cap. Lacquered, the cockade badge had a more convex shape, and the rays of the star had more rounded edges.
The greatest number of rumors, then and now, caused the meaning of the symbol of the red star. Haters of Soviet power immediately remembered the Masons, and even Satanists. About Masons. Of course, they were in Russia for a long time. At first, the Freemasons carried educational ideas, and after Radishchev and the Decembrist uprising, they began to express the interests of the pro-Western liberal nobility, the intelligentsia and the big bourgeoisie. As you know, the Bolsheviks disliked liberals for a long time, and after the February Revolution, they generally stood on the other side of the barricade. Well, the Masons did not complain at all. Whether it's the case - the symbolism of the United States, which was really created by the Masons, and which no one really hid (hence the stars on the flag, and the pyramid with an eye on the dollar, etc.).
As for the red star, the Bolsheviks were guided in their choice by the relative novelty of the symbol and its completely traditional meanings - military (“Mars Star”), protective (pentagram, as a talisman) and guiding (as a symbol of high aspirations).
Of course, the new symbolism (not without the propaganda of opponents of Soviet power) at first aroused superstitious fear among a part of the common people. It was not for nothing that on February 11, 1919, at a conference of the 2nd Soviet (Ukrainian) division, the head of its political department, I. Mints, complained that "peasant youth is full of prejudices against the" communes ", against the new" cockade "- the Red Army star ...".
And here the Bolsheviks also made an oversight, placing the new symbol with two rays up. This can be seen both in the first badges and on some Bolshevik posters (for example, D. Moor's poster "Soviet Russia - a besieged camp. All for defense!" 1919). And, after the work of E. Levy, this position of the star began to be interpreted as a sign of Satanism. At the same time, it was completely forgotten that the inverted pentagram was on the seal of Emperor Constantine (the one who made Christianity the official Roman religion) and was generally interpreted for a long time as a symbol of the Transfiguration of Jesus Christ (this can be seen, for example, on the icon of A. Rublev). Naturally, having discovered such a reaction, the Bolsheviks gave the star a more "decent" position.
Let's see how the commissars of the Red Army themselves explained the symbolism of the Red Star to the common people in a leaflet of 1918: “... The Red Star of the Red Army is the Star of Truth ... Therefore, a plow and a hammer are depicted on the Red Army star. The plow of a plowman-man. Hammer hammer-worker. This means that the Red Army is fighting to ensure that the star of Truth shines on the plowman-man and the hammer-worker, so that for them there is a will and a share, rest and bread, and not just need, poverty and uninterrupted work ... It is the star of happiness for all the poor , peasants and workers. This is what the red star of the Red Army means. In general, no satanic, occult or Masonic interpretations.
The story of the Red Star did not end there. On January 16, 1919, embroidered stars adorned the new headdress of the Red Army. In form, he copied the helmets of Russian knights, and therefore at first he was dubbed the “hero”. However, soon they began to call him by the names of the famous red commanders - "Frunzevka" and "Budyonovka" (the latter name stuck).
There were changes in the design of the star. April 13, 1922, depicted on it, the plow was replaced by a more elegant sickle. And on July 11 of the same year, the shape of the star also changed - it ceased to be convex, and its rays straightened again. In this form, she finally established herself in the Red (and then Soviet) Army.
In 1923, already without tools (so as not to repeat the military emblem), the Red Star crowned the emblem of the Soviet Union and the emblems of almost all Soviet republics. It is interesting that she got on the coat of arms of the RSFSR later than everyone else - in 1978! It is also interesting that in the 1930s a project was proposed to make an 11-ray star (according to the number of union republics).
Having switched to the coat of arms of the USSR, the five-pointed star has already acquired a more global symbolism. It was already about the five continents, where there is a bloody struggle for the liberation of the working people from exploitation.
In 1924, a five-pointed star appeared on the flag of the USSR, in 1928 (with a portrait of young Lenin) an October star appeared, in 1935 a star decorated with gems crowned the Spasskaya Tower of the Kremlin, and in 1942 a pioneer badge took the form of a star (before that it wore a flag).
It would seem that with the collapse of the Soviet Union, the time of the Red Star also ended. The fragments of the state chose new symbols for themselves, the star remained only in the symbols of the Communist Parties. It was even said in Russia that it would not hurt to replace the Kremlin stars with double-headed eagles.
However, the growing social tension, moral and economic decline in the post-Soviet space made some political leaders treat Soviet symbols more cautiously. So in 2002, trying to somehow restore the "broken connection of times", Russian Defense Minister S. Ivanov proposed, and President V. Putin approved the return of the five-pointed star to the symbols of the Russian army.
No matter how hard the evil tongues try to equate the Soviet Union with Nazi Germany, and the Red Star with the Nazi swastika, they have not yet succeeded. And nothing threatens the pentagram at all. Otherwise, you will have to make 50 holes in the US flag, 12 holes in the EU flag, not to mention the mass of other flags and coats of arms.
The first official sketch of a red star as a sign of the Red Army was approved in the spring of 1918. On April 19, a correspondence appeared in the newspaper Izvestia of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee of Soviets of Peasants', Workers', Soldiers' and Cossacks' Deputies, stating that the Commissariat for Military Affairs approved a drawing of a badge for the Red Army soldiers in the form of a red star with a golden image of a plow and a hammer in the center. The star itself, which, by the way, was called the “Mars star” both in the article and for some time after its official adoption, personified, on the one hand, the god of war Mars, on the other hand, due to its red color, the protection of the revolution. And it was even easier to read the symbolism of the hammer and plow: they, of course, personified the “worker-peasant” character of the new army.
Interestingly, on one of the preliminary sketches, drawn and proposed by the Commissar of the Moscow Military District Nikolai Polyansky, in addition to a plow and a hammer, there was also a book - as a symbol of the intelligentsia. But the book was rejected, believing that it overloads the sign and makes it hard to read. The idea itself to combine the symbols of workers and peasants in one sign was first realized in March 1917, when an image of a crossed hammer, plow and rifle appeared on the banner of the workers of the Moscow Faberge factory.
When officially approved by order of the People's Commissar of the Republic of the Republic No. 321 of May 7, 1918, the new sign of the Red Army was called the "Mars star with a plow and a hammer" and was to be worn on the chest on the left. By the way, many Red Army soldiers, especially red commanders, preferred to wear a badge on the belt - so that it would not cling to it and close it, turning the red warrior into an unknown armed man. And this consideration in July 1918 forced the Revolutionary Military Council of the Republic to give the order to transfer the red star from the chest to the band of the cap - a place that has become familiar to several generations Soviet soldiers. And on November 15 of the same year, order No. 773 of the Revolutionary Military Council was issued, by which the red star was finally placed on headdresses, not only of the Red Army, but also of the Red Navy.
The first enamel red star, called "Mars", had a characteristic shape. Its rays were thicker than we are used to seeing, and their edges were slightly convex, which made the whole star seem more voluminous. In this form - with convex thick rays, a hammer and a plow - it lasted four years. On April 13, 1922, the plow, which was considered a symbol of the wealthy peasantry, that is, the kulaks, was replaced with a poor sickle (although, most likely, this replacement had a more mundane design explanation: the sickle is easier to depict and easier to perceive). Three months later, on July 11, the shape of the rays of the star was also changed - they were straightened, giving the sign a look familiar to us.
About the red star: the origins of the symbol
An interesting but little touched upon topic is the symbolism of the five-pointed star. This simple symbol is one of the oldest, it began to be used several thousand years before our era. It has become widespread in many cultures and has a great semantic load. The same star, which differs only in color, is present in the symbols of the United States, the European Union, the Soviet Union, China and many other countries and social movements. Since it is widely used to convey various meanings and ideas, for a better understanding of them, we will briefly consider some of its main meanings.
The first known use of the five-pointed star is in the states of Sumer in Mesopotamia in 3000 BC. e. In their writing, such a pictogram denoted a corner, a small room, a pit.
For the ancient Pythagoreans, the pentagram (from the word pentagramos - five-lined) meant five shelters where primitive chaos was placed during the creation of the world, and they were in Tartarus. The darkness in these shelters was considered the source of the soul of the world, as well as the source of wisdom. This pentagram was drawn with two rays up.
The symbol of the goddess ruling this other world is an apple, since when cut in it you can see a pentagram. Therefore, the pentagram was also a symbol of health and the goddess Hygieia. In addition, Pythagoras argued that in geometry, the pentagram is a mathematical perfection. But, without delving into the mathematical characteristics of this figure, let's go further.
In Kabbalah, a pentagram with one ray up means the messiah. The pentagram is also the symbol of Solomon's seal and was for some time the official seal of Jerusalem.
For a Muslim, it can mean the five pillars of the Muslim faith and the five daily prayers.
In Christian Europe, the five-pointed star had a number of symbolic meanings. In addition to the health symbol left over from the ancient world, it symbolized five senses, five fingers with five rays. In religion, the pentagram was used as a symbol of the five wounds of Christ, the five joys of Mary, which brought her the perfection of her son Jesus. It also symbolized the Star of Bethlehem at Christmas (in Russia, the Star of Bethlehem was seven-pointed).
One of the main meanings of the five-pointed star was the symbol of the human nature of Christ, so in the Renaissance, when man and the human person began to take on more and more importance, this symbol also became more important. The five-pointed star resembles a man with outstretched arms and legs apart, like drawings by Leonardo da Vinci. With the development of humanism and atheism, the star began to mean simply the human person, as the new highest value of the new era.
In fact, the five-pointed star and humanistic ideals became widespread during the French Revolution. With the advent of a new atheistic ideology, a person was placed in first place in the system of values, and the star in a humanistic sense became one of the most important symbols. As a result of these changes, the star also became widespread in military symbols, first of the French Republic, and then of other countries. In this sphere, she symbolized the god of war Mars, according to legend, was born from a lily, which resembles a five-pointed star. This sign is used both for identification and for various other designations.
With the spread of values and social forces of the new era, the five-pointed star also began to spread. She has always been an important sign in the symbolism of the Freemasons, a social force that began to acquire worldwide significance after the French and American revolutions. In addition to ancient and occult meanings, the star began to be widely used by them for the public expression of their ideas - the spiritual improvement of man and the elevation of man to the head of the entire value system in an atheistic version. Therefore, the star is widely used in the state symbols of many countries built according to Masonic drawings - the United States, where the stars on the flag also mean the Kingdom of Heaven, the European Union and others.
The five-pointed star is also used by many movements and organizations, and its symbolism is often associated either with the Masonic forces behind them, or with the communist movement that adopted it into its symbolism.
A star with two rays up is used by the Church of Latter Day Saints or Mormons. An inverted star with rays of different colors symbolizing the Star of Bethlehem is also a symbol of the largest fraternalist organization - the Order of the Eastern Star. This order brings together about a million masons in the rank of not less than a master and is known for its charitable activities.
An inverted pentagram with two rays up is one of the main symbols of Satanists. Such a pentagram means Tartarus or hell, the place where fallen angels are imprisoned. Inside the inverted pentagram, the head of Baphomet is also often drawn in the form of a goat's head. All this symbolizes the anti-human nature and the worship of animal passion. The three rays of the star turned downward also signify the rejection of the Holy Trinity.
The pentagram is also often found among the pagans, serving them as one of the symbols of faith - the five ends of the star mean earth, water, air, fire and spirit. Although in ancient times the pagan pentagram was drawn with two beams up, now it is usually depicted with one beam up, so as not to evoke associations with Satanists. Both in antiquity and today, the pentagram remains an important symbol for druids, Wiccans, neo-Pythagoreans and other groups that profess paganism and practice magic.
In the 20th century, when the communist movement began to acquire global significance, and a socialist revolution took place in Russia, new symbols were needed for the new state. Initially, the red star with a plow and a hammer was adopted as the emblem and identification mark of the Red Army. Here the star symbolized the god of war Mars, and this emblem personified the protection of peaceful labor.
However, in the early years, due to the presence of anti-Christian and Zionist elements in the core of the Bolshevik organization, the image of a star with two ends up was accepted. The first Soviet Order of the Red Banner had just such an inverted image of a star.
But such a symbol caused such rejection in society that they soon abandoned it and officially approved the image of a star with one ray up.
But the new country also needed new state symbols, and the red star turned out to be a fairly suitable and popular symbol for this. Therefore, it soon moved from the banners of the army carrying the liberation of the world proletariat to the coat of arms and banners of the first country building communism. In Soviet state symbols, the red star next to the hammer and sickle began to mean the unity of the working people of five continents with a single beginning and goal. The red color symbolized the brotherhood and the blood shed for the freedom of the working people of the whole world.
Alexander P.
