UNION OF SOVIET SOCIALIST REPUBLICS
NAVAL ENSIGNS & FLAGS • 1923-35
In 1922 the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) was formally proclaimed, and the following year the existing naval flags of the RFSSR were replaced by a new ensign, jack and commissioning pennant. The ensign was red with white rays issuing from a central disk, somewhat like the Japanese naval ensign in reverse. On the disk was a red star charged with a white hammer and sickle. The jack, which in the Russian tradition doubled as the naval fortress flag, was similar but with blue, white-edged diagonal stripes, preserving the general appearance of the tsarist naval jack. The commissioning pennant was red with the naval ensign at the hoist.
The ensign formed the basis of the numerous additional naval flags that were adopted between 1924 and 1926. Most of these were command and appointment flags and pennants. Two special ensigns were also adopted: one for ships awarded the Order of the Red Banner (order in the hoist on a white ground) and one for the cruiser Aurora, the ship credited with firing the first shot of the October Revolution (order replacing the star on the white disk).
The 1923-pattern flags began to be replaced in 1935 when the final naval ensign of the USSR was introduced.
Flag Proportions: The 1935 ensigns and flags (except pennants) were made in 2:3 proportions.
Credits: My drawings are based on images posted to the FOTW Mailing List by Zeljko Heimer. Information was also taken from VEXILLOGRAPHIA, the outstanding website devoted to the historical and current flags of Russia and related countries.
Image Added May 2010
Inspector-General of the Navy
