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For the first time since the breakup of the Soviet Union, the flags of all federal subjects of Russia—Republics, Oblasts, Krais, and more—are documented in one volume in English. Based on a paper which won the Captain William Driver Award for scholarly achievement in vexillology, this book belongs on every flag-lover’s bookshelf. Its 89 articles cover current and merged federal subjects. Each article provides the description of the territory’s flag, including its proportions, year of adoption, designer(s), history, and meaning. A locator map places the territory in Russia, with grayscale illustrations of the flag and arms in each article. (81 of 83 current subjects have flags—8 more merged subjects are covered.) 32 pages of full-color plates illustrate the flags and arms described in the articles in beautiful detail. All of the federal subjects are identified in English, Russian, and transliterated Russian. An extensive analysis of the flags explores their design, colors, symbolism, and meaning. This work was originally presented at NAVA's 42nd annual meeting in 2008; the author won the Captain William Driver Award for the best paper. For this volume of Raven, she was awarded the coveted Vexillon by the Fédération internationale des associations veillologiques in 2011 for the most important contribution to world vexillology in the previous two years.

In the Soviet Union (1922-1991) small flags designed for and used by children were more than just toys. Deep scholarship and extensive illustrations of flags from the author’s collection show how such flags played a significant role in the socialization of Soviet children.

A newly-developed flag displayed by avid Russian sports fans in support of their national teams marks a change in the use of the bear symbol—first only used by outsiders to represent Russia but now claimed by Russians as their own.

A discussion of the Znamia Pobedy — the Soviet Banner of Victory from World War II — covering the sometimes contradictory stories behind the flag raised by Soviet soldiers over the Reichstag in Berlin. It also discusses post-war use in the U.S.S.R. and the countries of the former Soviet Union.

“Soiuz” in Russian means “union”—a key word in the formal name of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. Once the world’s largest state, the Soviet Union comprised 15 republics and more than 100 distinct ethnic groups. The country celebrated its diversity while at the same time emphasizing the unity of all Soviet peoples. Throughout the 1922–1991 history of the USSR a highly-developed system of symbolic representations was used to portray the strength of the union. This paper examines the many ways in which the concepts of union and unity were symbolically portrayed in Soviet society including the use of flags, emblems, imagery, and slogans. It demonstrates the importance of the concept of “soiuz” in the Soviet Union. Finally, it shows how unity symbols were central to Soviet messaging both domestically and internationally.

For the first time since the breakup of the Soviet Union, the flags of all federal subjects of Russia—Republics, Oblasts, Krais, and more—are documented in one volume in English. Based on a paper which won the Captain William Driver Award for scholarly achievement in vexillology, this book belongs on every flag-lover’s bookshelf. Its 89 articles cover current and merged federal subjects. Each article provides the description of the territory’s flag, including its proportions, year of adoption, designer(s), history, and meaning. A locator map places the territory in Russia, with grayscale illustrations of the flag and arms in each article. (81 of 83 current subjects have flags—8 more merged subjects are covered.) 32 pages of full-color plates illustrate the flags and arms described in the articles in beautiful detail. All of the federal subjects are identified in English, Russian, and transliterated Russian. An extensive analysis of the flags explores their design, colors, symbolism, and meaning. This work was originally presented at NAVA's 42nd annual meeting in 2008; the author won the Captain William Driver Award for the best paper. For this volume of Raven, she was awarded the coveted Vexillon by the Fédération internationale des associations veillologiques in 2011 for the most important contribution to world vexillology in the previous two years.

In the mid-twentieth century scholars in the United States began to examine American society through the lens of civil religion, a term first coined by Jean-Jacques Rousseau in the eighteenth century. Although much of the discussion focused on civil religion in the US, other scholars began to recognise that a civil religion also existed in the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. While American civil religion developed organically within all strata of society, it can be argued that in the Soviet Union there was a deliberate strategy to use civil religion as a tool to replace established religion, and to create a single sense of Soviet identity among a geographically-dispersed and ethnically-diverse population. Most studies on Soviet civil religion have focused on communist rites and rituals, and the 'cult' of Lenin. Few scholars have examined the elaborate system of symbols that were essential to reinforcing Soviet civil religion so that it became an everyday aspect of life in the USSR. This thesis seeks to fill that gap by examining the simvolika, or set of symbols, of the Soviet Union. While the official state symbols included the Soviet flag, state emblem, and national anthem, the set of symbols that were vital to the practice of Soviet civil religion was much more extensive. This study will examine the usage of an array of flags, seals, symbolic elements, imagery, and motifs that were essential to the socialisation of children and the reinforcement of Soviet civil religion in adulthood. Finally, it will examine the symbolic legacies of the USSR in the countries that were once part of the Soviet Union "An adaptation of the doctoral thesis in history submitted as part of the requirements for the PhD degree at the University of Leicester (UK), 2021".,

In the mid-twentieth century scholars in the United States began to examine American society through the lens of civil religion, a term first coined by Jean-Jacques Rousseau in the eighteenth century. Although much of the discussion focused on civil religion in the US, other scholars began to recognise that a civil religion also existed in the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. While American civil religion developed organically within all strata of society, it can be argued that in the Soviet Union there was a deliberate strategy to use civil religion as a tool to replace established religion, and to create a single sense of Soviet identity among a geographically-dispersed and ethnically-diverse population. Most studies on Soviet civil religion have focused on communist rites and rituals, and the ‘cult’ of Lenin. Few scholars have examined the elaborate system of symbols that were essential to reinforcing Soviet civil religion so that it became an everyday aspect of life in the USSR. This thesis seeks to fill that gap by examining the simvolika, or set of symbols, of the Soviet Union. While the official state symbols included the Soviet flag, state emblem, and national anthem, the set of symbols that were vital to the practice of Soviet civil religion was much more extensive. This study will examine the usage of an array of flags, seals, symbolic elements, imagery, and motifs that were essential to the socialisation of children and the reinforcement of Soviet civil religion in adulthood. Finally, it will examine the symbolic legacies of the USSR in the countries that were once part of the Soviet Union.

For the first time since the breakup of the Soviet Union, the flags of all federal subjects of Russia—Republics, Oblasts, Krais, and more—are documented in one volume in English. Based on a paper which won the Captain William Driver Award for scholarly achievement in vexillology, this book belongs on every flag-lover’s bookshelf. Its 89 articles cover current and merged federal subjects. Each article provides the description of the territory’s flag, including its proportions, year of adoption, designer(s), history, and meaning. A locator map places the territory in Russia, with grayscale illustrations of the flag and arms in each article. (81 of 83 current subjects have flags—8 more merged subjects are covered.) 32 pages of full-color plates illustrate the flags and arms described in the articles in beautiful detail. All of the federal subjects are identified in English, Russian, and transliterated Russian. An extensive analysis of the flags explores their design, colors, symbolism, and meaning. This work was originally presented at NAVA's 42nd annual meeting in 2008; the author won the Captain William Driver Award for the best paper. For this volume of Raven, she was awarded the coveted Vexillon by the Fédération internationale des associations veillologiques in 2011 for the most important contribution to world vexillology in the previous two years.