USSR National Flag, 1980s Variant.
This knitted polyester Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) national flag is unusual in that it reflects the description of the flag in the common laws that featured in 1977 and the subsequent Constitution of 1980, which both had a plain red reverse. Since this specification was disregarded in practice, actual surviving flags with a plain red reverse like this example are quite unusual.
Historically, the hammer and sickle emblem emanates from the traditional communist symbols for the workers. The red background has its origins in the red flags used at the Paris Commune in 1848 and demonstrates international solidarity with that initial "workers" flags. The red flag has since become ubiquitous with socialist and communist governments.
The star above the emblem represents the five continents into which it is hoped communism would eventually spread. The USSR was the nemesis of the West during the Cold War.
Provenance: AFrom the Louise Veninga Collection.
Sources:
Soviet Union, Flags of the World, 29 July 2012, from: http://www.crwflags.com/fotw/flags/su.html#rev
Flag of the Soviet Union, Wikipedia, 29 July 2012, from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flag_of_the_USSR
Image Credits:
Zaricor Flag Collection
ZFC Collectible Flag
