Coat of arms of the Byelorussian SSR
Encyclopedia
The Byelorussian SSR
emblem was used as the coat of arms
of the Soviet Socialist Republic until the fall of the Soviet Union
. The coat of arms is based on the coat of arms of the Soviet Union
.
The central feature of the emblem is the crossed hammer and sickle
, the universal Communist symbol signifying the unity of the worker and the peasant
. Below the hammer and sickle is a globe
, which is superimposed atop a rising sun
. Wheat
ears surround the central device, with flowers on each ear; clover
on the left and flax
on the right. A red ribbon is wrapped around the wheat ears, signifying the red flag
used by the Communist movement. At the base of the emblem, the letters БССР (BSSR) appear, shorthand for the full name of the republic, Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic (Беларуская Савецкая Сацыялістычная Рэспубліка), shown only once, since it reads the same in both Russian and Belarusian. On each side of the ribbon, the USSR State motto
(Workers of the world, unite!
) appear in Belarusian
on the left (Пралетарыі ўсіх краін, яднайцеся!) and in Russian
on the right (Пролетарии всех стран, соединяйтесь!). At the top of the emblem, a red star
for Communism is present.
The Byelorussian SSR had a coat of arms since 1926, yet the last emblem that was used was adopted in the 1950s. The earliest version also had the text in Yiddish and Polish. Other than that, the latest emblem and the earliest emblem only differed in minor details. The 1950s arms was designed by I.I. Dubasov, People's Artist of the USSR
.
After independence, Belarus
adopted the Pahonia
as the national coat of arms. This changed under the presidency of Alexander Lukashenko
after a controversial 1995 referendum
in which the basic Soviet design was reintroduced
with the outline map of Belarus replacing the hammer and sickle.
Byelorussian SSR
The Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic was one of fifteen constituent republics of the Soviet Union. It was one of the four original founding members of the Soviet Union in 1922, together with the Ukrainian SSR, the Transcaucasian SFSR and the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic...
emblem was used as the coat of arms
Coat of arms
A coat of arms is a unique heraldic design on a shield or escutcheon or on a surcoat or tabard used to cover and protect armour and to identify the wearer. Thus the term is often stated as "coat-armour", because it was anciently displayed on the front of a coat of cloth...
of the Soviet Socialist Republic until the fall of the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
. The coat of arms is based on the coat of arms of the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
.
The central feature of the emblem is the crossed hammer and sickle
Hammer and sickle
The hammer and sickle is a part of communist symbolism and its usage indicates an association with Communism, a Communist party, or a Communist state. It features a hammer and a sickle overlapping each other. The two tools are symbols of the industrial proletariat and the peasantry; placing them...
, the universal Communist symbol signifying the unity of the worker and the peasant
Peasant
A peasant is an agricultural worker who generally tend to be poor and homeless-Etymology:The word is derived from 15th century French païsant meaning one from the pays, or countryside, ultimately from the Latin pagus, or outlying administrative district.- Position in society :Peasants typically...
. Below the hammer and sickle is a globe
Globe
A globe is a three-dimensional scale model of Earth or other spheroid celestial body such as a planet, star, or moon...
, which is superimposed atop a rising sun
Rising Sun
Rising Sun may refer to sunrise. It may also refer to:-Music:*"Rising Sun" , a song written by Fats Domino* Rising Sun , 2005* Rising Sun , 2010* Rising Sun , 1986...
. Wheat
Wheat
Wheat is a cereal grain, originally from the Levant region of the Near East, but now cultivated worldwide. In 2007 world production of wheat was 607 million tons, making it the third most-produced cereal after maize and rice...
ears surround the central device, with flowers on each ear; clover
Clover
Clover , or trefoil, is a genus of about 300 species of plants in the leguminous pea family Fabaceae. The genus has a cosmopolitan distribution; the highest diversity is found in the temperate Northern Hemisphere, but many species also occur in South America and Africa, including at high altitudes...
on the left and flax
Flax
Flax is a member of the genus Linum in the family Linaceae. It is native to the region extending from the eastern Mediterranean to India and was probably first domesticated in the Fertile Crescent...
on the right. A red ribbon is wrapped around the wheat ears, signifying the red flag
Red flag
In politics, a red flag is a symbol of Socialism, or Communism, or sometimes left-wing politics in general. It has been associated with left-wing politics since the French Revolution. Socialists adopted the symbol during the Revolutions of 1848 and it became a symbol of communism as a result of its...
used by the Communist movement. At the base of the emblem, the letters БССР (BSSR) appear, shorthand for the full name of the republic, Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic (Беларуская Савецкая Сацыялістычная Рэспубліка), shown only once, since it reads the same in both Russian and Belarusian. On each side of the ribbon, the USSR State motto
USSR State motto
The Soviet Union state motto is a quotation from Karl Marx's and Friedrich Engels' Communist Manifesto, meaning Workers of the world, unite!....
(Workers of the world, unite!
Workers of the world, unite!
The political slogan Workers of the world, unite! is one of the most famous rallying cries of communism, found in The Communist Manifesto , by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels...
) appear in Belarusian
Belarusian language
The Belarusian language , sometimes referred to as White Russian or White Ruthenian, is the language of the Belarusian people...
on the left (Пралетарыі ўсіх краін, яднайцеся!) and in Russian
Russian language
Russian is a Slavic language used primarily in Russia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. It is an unofficial but widely spoken language in Ukraine, Moldova, Latvia, Turkmenistan and Estonia and, to a lesser extent, the other countries that were once constituent republics...
on the right (Пролетарии всех стран, соединяйтесь!). At the top of the emblem, a red star
Red star
A red star, five-pointed and filled, is an important ideological and religious symbol which has been used for various purposes, such as: state emblems, flags, monuments, ornaments, and logos.- Symbol of communism :...
for Communism is present.
The Byelorussian SSR had a coat of arms since 1926, yet the last emblem that was used was adopted in the 1950s. The earliest version also had the text in Yiddish and Polish. Other than that, the latest emblem and the earliest emblem only differed in minor details. The 1950s arms was designed by I.I. Dubasov, People's Artist of the USSR
People's Artist of the USSR
People's Artist of the USSR, also sometimes translated as National Artist of the USSR, was an honorary title granted to citizens of the Soviet Union.- Nomenclature and significance :...
.
After independence, Belarus
Belarus
Belarus , officially the Republic of Belarus, is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe, bordered clockwise by Russia to the northeast, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest. Its capital is Minsk; other major cities include Brest, Grodno , Gomel ,...
adopted the Pahonia
Pahonia
The Pahonia , transliteration: Pahonya, , Lithuanian: Vytis, Pagaunė, is a historical symbol of Grand Duchy of Lithuania, of which the eastern part later became known as Belarus...
as the national coat of arms. This changed under the presidency of Alexander Lukashenko
Alexander Lukashenko
Alexander Grigoryevich Lukashenko has been serving as the President of Belarus since 20 July 1994. Before his career as a politician, Lukashenko worked as director of a state-owned agricultural farm. Under Lukashenko's rule, Belarus has come to be viewed as a state whose conduct is out of line...
after a controversial 1995 referendum
1995 Belarus Referendum
A four-question referendum was held in Belarus on 14 May 1995, alongside parliamentary elections. The four issues were the possibility of giving the Russian language equal status with Belarusian, whether new national symbols should be adopted, whether there should be economic integration with...
in which the basic Soviet design was reintroduced
National emblem of Belarus
The national emblem of Belarus , which replaced the historic Pahonia arms in a 1995 referendum, features a ribbon in the colors of the national flag, a map of Belarus, wheat ears and a red star. It is sometimes referred to as the coat of arms of Belarus, although this is incorrect due to the lack...
with the outline map of Belarus replacing the hammer and sickle.