Emblems of the Soviet Republics

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The coats of arms of the constituent republics of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics all featured predominantly the hammer and sickle and the red star that symbolised communism, as well as a rising sun (although in the case of the Latvian SSR, since the Baltic Sea is west of Latvia, it could be interpreted as a setting sun), surrounded by a wreath of wheat. The USSR State motto, Workers of the world, unite!, in both the republic's language and Russian was also placed on each one of them. In addition to those repetitive motifs, coats of arms of many Soviet republics included also features that were characteristic of their local landscapes, economies or cultures.

The table below presents final versions of the renderings of the Soviet republics' coats of arms prior to the dissolution of the USSR in 1991, as well as the arms of three republics that ceased to exist before that time. For comparison, national arms of present day successor states of the Soviet republics are also shown. As can be seen, most Asian post-Soviet republics use arms based on or reminiscent of the Soviet-era emblems. Most European republics, on the other hand, reverted to their traditional pre-Soviet arms. Belarus used the traditional Pahonia as its coat of arms from 1991 to 1995 when it was replaced by a new emblem closely resembling the Soviet-era design. Additionally, the secessionist Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic (Transnistria), internationally recognised as part of Moldova, uses an emblem based on the coat of arms of the Moldavian SSR (see Coat of arms of Transnistria).

Republic Emblem Main article Republic-specific features Present-day national
coat of arms
Armenian SSR Coat of arms of the Armenian SSR Plants
(other than wheat)
grapes File:Coat of Arms of Armenia.svg
Coat of arms of Armenia
Landscapes,
geographic features
Mount Ararat
Industry
Ornaments
Azerbaijan SSR Coat of arms of the Azerbaijan SSR Plants
(other than wheat)
cotton
Coat of arms of Azerbaijan
Landscapes,
geographic features
Caspian Sea
Industry oil drilling rig
Ornaments
Byelorussian SSR Coat of arms of the Byelorussian SSR Plants
(other than wheat)
clover, flax
Coat of arms of Belarus
Landscapes,
geographic features
Industry
Ornaments
Estonian SSR Coat of arms of the Estonian SSR Plants
(other than wheat)
pine
Coat of arms of Estonia
Landscapes,
geographic features
Industry
Ornaments
Georgian SSR Coat of arms of the Georgian SSR Plants
(other than wheat)
grapes
Coat of arms of Georgia
Landscapes,
geographic features
Caucasus Mountains
Industry
Ornaments Georgian ornament with a seven-pointed star from the pre-1921 Georgian coat of arms
Kazakh SSR Coat of arms of the Kazakh SSR Plants
(other than wheat)
File:Coat of arms of Kazakhstan (flat).svg
Coat of arms of Kazakhstan
Landscapes,
geographic features
Industry
Ornaments
Kirghiz SSR Coat of arms of the Kirghiz SSR Plants
(other than wheat)
cotton
Coat of arms of Kyrgyzstan
Landscapes,
geographic features
Tian Shan Mountains
Industry
Ornaments Kyrgyz embroidery
Latvian SSR Coat of arms of the Latvian SSR Plants
(other than wheat)

Coat of arms of Latvia
Landscapes,
geographic features
Baltic Sea
Industry
Ornaments
Lithuanian SSR Coat of arms of the Lithuanian SSR Plants
(other than wheat)
oak
Coat of arms of Lithuania
Landscapes,
geographic features
Industry
Ornaments
Moldavian SSR Coat of arms of the Moldavian SSR Plants
(other than wheat)
maize, pears, grapes
Coat of arms of Moldova
Landscapes,
geographic features
Industry
Ornaments
Russian SFSR Coat of arms of the Russian SFSR Plants
(other than wheat)

Coat of arms of the Russian Federation
Landscapes,
geographic features
Industry
Ornaments Baroque cartouche
Tajik SSR Coat of arms of the Tajik SSR Plants
(other than wheat)
cotton
Coat of arms of Tajikistan
Landscapes,
geographic features
Industry
Ornaments
Turkmen SSR Coat of arms of the Turkmen SSR Plants
(other than wheat)
cotton, grapes File:Turkmenistan coa.png
Coat of arms of Turkmenistan
Landscapes,
geographic features
Industry oil drilling rig
Ornaments gillam detail from a Turkmen rug
Ukrainian SSR Coat of arms of the Ukrainian SSR Plants
(other than wheat)

Coat of arms of Ukraine
Landscapes,
geographic features
Industry
Ornaments Baroque cartouche
Uzbek SSR Coat of arms of the Uzbek SSR Plants
(other than wheat)
cotton
Coat of arms of Uzbekistan
Landscapes,
geographic features
Industry
Ornaments
Republics that dissolved before 1991
Karelo-Finnish SSR
(1940-1956)
Coat of arms of the Karelo-Finnish SSR Plants
(other than wheat)
pine
Coat of arms of Karelia
(autonomous part of Russia)
Landscapes,
geographic features
Karelian landscape
Industry
Ornaments Karelian embroidery
Transcaucasian SFSR
(1922-1936)
Coat of arms of the Transcaucasian SFSR Plants
(other than wheat)
Landscapes,
geographic features
Mount Ararat (symbolising Armenia)
Industry
Ornaments Crescent (symbolising Azerbaijan),
Georgian ornament (symbolising Georgia)


See also