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Hammer and sickle

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An artistic drawing of a hammer and sickle, a symbol historically associated with communist and socialist movements.

The hammer and sickle (Unicode: U+262D ☭ HAMMER AND SICKLE) is a symbol that shows the unity between workers and peasants. It was made in 1918 by Yevgeny Kamzolkin and became well-known during the Russian Revolution at the end of World War I. After the Russian Civil War, this symbol came to stand for labor in the Soviet Union (USSR) and the idea of international proletarian unity.

Many communist movements around the world began using the hammer and sickle, sometimes changing it to suit local needs. Today, you can still see this symbol in communist states like China, Cuba, Laos, North Korea, and Vietnam. Some places that were once part of the Soviet Union, such as Belarus and Russia, also use it. However, a few countries have laws that ban communist symbols, so people cannot show the hammer and sickle there.

History

The hammer and sickle is a symbol that stands for the unity of workers and farmers. It was first designed in 1918 by Yevgeny Kamzolkin for May Day celebrations in Moscow. It used to include a sword, but this was removed because it looked too aggressive.

The symbol became well-known after it was adopted by the Soviet Union. It was used on the Soviet Union's official emblem and on the red star badge worn by soldiers. It also appeared on coins in Chile and was part of Austria's coat of arms at different times. The hammer and sickle was used to show support for workers and farmers in many countries.

Main article: State Emblem of the Soviet Union

Meaning

The hammer and sickle is a symbol that shows unity between workers and farmers. The hammer stands for workers and the sickle stands for farmers. Over time, this symbol has become famous around the world as a sign for Marxism, communist parties, and socialist states.

Current usage

Some areas and groups still use the hammer and sickle symbol today. In Russia, two regions, Vladimir Oblast and Bryansk Oblast, include the hammer and sickle on their flags. The city of Oryol also uses this symbol on its flag. The old Russian airline, Aeroflot, still uses the hammer and sickle in its logo.

In some countries, ruling communist parties use the hammer and sickle as their symbol. This includes the Chinese Communist Party, the Communist Party of Vietnam, and the Lao People's Revolutionary Party. Many other communist parties around the world also use this symbol.

Variations

Many symbols look like the original hammer and sickle. The Angolan flag shows part of a cog with a crossed machete and a socialist star. The flag of Mozambique has an AKM crossed with a hoe. The logo of the Communist Party USA has a circle made from a half cog and a curved semicircular sickle-blade. A hammer sits over the handle of the sickle.

Other designs use tools like the brush, spade, flaming torch, and quill. The flag of Chama Cha Mapinduzi in Tanzania uses a hammer and a hoe instead of a sickle. The election symbol of the Communist Party of India shows a horizontal sickle crossed by Ears of Corn.

Art

The hammer and sickle is often seen in art about socialist ideas, but it has also appeared in other popular culture.

Famous artist Andy Warhol made many drawings and photos of the symbol.

Examples include a metro station named Plošča Lienina in Minsk, a sculpture called Hammer and Sickle by Sándor Pinczehelyi, a scene from a communist rally in Kerala, India, and a design called "Worker, peasant and the intellectual" near the Juche Tower in Pyongyang. In the book Animal Farm, there is a flag called the Hoof and Horn that makes fun of the hammer and sickle.

Legal status

See also: Red star § Legal status, and Bans on communist symbols

In some countries that were once part of a group called the Eastern Bloc, there are laws that say showing the hammer and sickle and other communist symbols in public is not allowed. Countries like Georgia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, and Ukraine have banned these symbols. In Ukraine, leaders say showing these symbols is similar to showing Nazi symbols.

Some European countries have talked about making it a crime to support actions by communist leaders, but rules for all of Europe don’t allow this. Each country decides its own laws about this.

In Indonesia, showing communist symbols is not allowed, and the country’s communist party was banned a long time ago. In Poland, sharing items with communist symbols was made illegal, but later this rule was changed.

Usage gallery

Flags

Europe and Russia/Soviet Union

Current
Flag of the [Communist Party of the Russian Federation](/wiki/Communist_Party_of_the_Russian_Federation)

Flag of the [Communists of Russia](/wiki/Communists_of_Russia)

Flag of the [United Communist Party](/wiki/United_Communist_Party) ([Russia](/wiki/Russia))

Flag of the [Russian Communist Workers' Party of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union](/wiki/Russian_Communist_Workers'_Party_of_the_Communist_Party_of_the_Soviet_Union)

Flag of the [SERB](/wiki/SERB) (Russia)

Flag of [Bryansk Oblast](/wiki/Bryansk_Oblast) (Russia)

Flag of [Vladimir Oblast](/wiki/Vladimir_Oblast) (Russia)

Flag of [Oryol](/wiki/Oryol) (Russia)

Flag of the [Communist Party of Greece](/wiki/Communist_Party_of_Greece)

Flag of the [Communist Refoundation Party](/wiki/Communist_Refoundation_Party) ([Italy](/wiki/Italy))

Flag of the [Communist Party of Ireland](/wiki/Communist_Party_of_Ireland)

Flag of the [Portuguese Communist Party](/wiki/Portuguese_Communist_Party)

Flag of the [Maoist Communist Party (Turkey)](/wiki/Maoist_Communist_Party_\(Turkey\))

Flag of the [Revolutionary People's Liberation Party–Front](/wiki/Revolutionary_People's_Liberation_Party–Front) ([Turkey](/wiki/Turkey))

Flag of the [Communist Party of Britain](/wiki/Communist_Party_of_Britain)
Former

  • .svg)

    Flag of the Soviet Union from 1922 to November 1923

  • .svg)

    Flag of the Soviet Union from November 1923 to April 1924

  • .svg)

    Flag of the Soviet Union from April 1924 to December 1936

  • .svg)

    Flag of the Soviet Union from December 1936 to 1955

Flag of the Soviet Union from 19 August 1955 to 26 December 1991

[Naval Jack of the Soviet Union](/wiki/List_of_Soviet_navy_flags#Jack) and Russia from 16 November 1950 to 26 July 1992

Flag of [Aeroflot](/wiki/Aeroflot) from 1961 to 1991

Flag of the [Ukrainian SSR](/wiki/Ukrainian_SSR) from 1950 to 1992

Flag of the [Kirghiz SSR](/wiki/Kirghiz_SSR) from 1952 to 1992

Flag of the [Tajik SSR](/wiki/Tajik_SSR) from 1953 to 1991

Flag of the [Turkmen SSR](/wiki/Turkmen_SSR) from 1953 to 1992

Flag of the [Karelo-Finnish SSR](/wiki/Karelo-Finnish_SSR) from 1953 to 1956

Flag of the [Communist Party of the Donetsk People's Republic](/wiki/Communist_Party_of_the_Donetsk_People's_Republic)

Flag of the [Decommunization](/wiki/Decommunization_\(Russian_political_movement\)) (Russia)

Flag of the [Romanian Communist Party](/wiki/Romanian_Communist_Party)

Flag of the [National Bolshevik Party](/wiki/National_Bolshevik_Party)

Flag of [Communist Party of Czechoslovakia](/wiki/Communist_Party_of_Czechoslovakia)

Flag of the [Communist Party of Germany](/wiki/Communist_Party_of_Germany)

  • .svg)

    Reverse side of the Communist Party of Germany flag

Flag of [East Germany](/wiki/East_Germany) from 1959 to 1990

Flag of the [Italian Communist Party](/wiki/Italian_Communist_Party)

Flag of the [Sammarinese Communist Party](/wiki/Sammarinese_Communist_Party)

Flag of the [League of Communists of Yugoslavia](/wiki/League_of_Communists_of_Yugoslavia)

Asia and Oceania except Russia/Soviet Union

Current
Flag of the [Vietnamese Communist Party](/wiki/Communist_Party_of_Vietnam)

Flag of the [Chinese Communist Party](/wiki/Chinese_Communist_Party)

Flag of the [Taiwan People's Communist Party](/wiki/Taiwan_People's_Communist_Party)

Flag of the [Workers' Party of Korea](/wiki/Workers'_Party_of_Korea)

Flag of the [Communist Party of India](/wiki/Communist_Party_of_India)

Flag of the [Communist Party of India (Marxist)](/wiki/Communist_Party_of_India_\(Marxist\))

Flag of various South Asian communist parties, including the [Communist Party of India (Maoist)](/wiki/Communist_Party_of_India_\(Maoist\))

Flag of the [Socialist Unity Centre of India](/wiki/Socialist_Unity_Centre_of_India)

Flag of the [Communist Party of Bangladesh](/wiki/Communist_Party_of_Bangladesh)

Flag of the [Communist Party of Bhutan (Marxist–Leninist–Maoist)](/wiki/Communist_Party_of_Bhutan_\(Marxist–Leninist–Maoist\))

Flag of the [Socialist Party of Timor](/wiki/Socialist_Party_of_Timor)

Flag of the [Lao People's Revolutionary Party](/wiki/Lao_People's_Revolutionary_Party)

Flag of the [Lebanese Communist Party](/wiki/Lebanese_Communist_Party)

Flag of the [Jordanian Communist Party](/wiki/Jordanian_Communist_Party)

Flag of the [Palestinian Communist Party](/wiki/Palestinian_Communist_Party_\(1990s\))
Former

  • .svg)

    Flag of the Chinese Communist Party (before 1996)

Flag of [Chinese Workers' and Peasants' Red Army](/wiki/Chinese_Workers'_and_Peasants'_Red_Army)

Flag of the [Taiwan Democratic Communist Party](/wiki/Taiwan_Democratic_Communist_Party)

Flag of the [Chinese Soviet Republic](/wiki/Chinese_Soviet_Republic) (1931–1937)

Flag of various South Asian communist parties, including the [Communist Party of India (Maoist)](/wiki/Communist_Party_of_India_\(Maoist\))

Flag of the [Communist Mazdoor Kissan Party](/wiki/Communist_Mazdoor_Kissan_Party)

Flag of [Communist Party of Indonesia](/wiki/Communist_Party_of_Indonesia)

Flag of the [Communist Party of Kampuchea](/wiki/Communist_Party_of_Kampuchea)

Flag of the [Malayan Communist Party](/wiki/Malayan_Communist_Party) (1930–1989)

Flag of the [Kurdistan Workers' Party](/wiki/Kurdistan_Workers'_Party) (1978–1995)

Africa

Current
[Flag of Angola](/wiki/Flag_of_Angola)

Flag of the [Communist Party of Kenya](/wiki/Communist_Party_of_Kenya)

Flag of the [South African Communist Party](/wiki/South_African_Communist_Party)

Flag of the [Communist Party Marxist – Kenya](/wiki/Communist_Party_Marxist_–_Kenya)

Flag of the [Communist Party of Swaziland](/wiki/Communist_Party_of_Swaziland)

Flag of the [People's Republic of the Congo](/wiki/People's_Republic_of_the_Congo) and the [Congolese Party of Labour](/wiki/Congolese_Party_of_Labour)
Former
Flag of the [Algerian Communist Party](/wiki/Algerian_Communist_Party)

Americas

Current
Flag of the [PCCE](/wiki/Communist_Party_of_Argentina_\(Extraordinary_Congress\))

Flag of the [PCB](/wiki/Brazilian_Communist_Party)

Flag of the [PCdoB](/wiki/Communist_Party_of_Brazil)

Flag of the [Workers' Cause Party](/wiki/Workers'_Cause_Party) ([Brazil](/wiki/Brazil))

Flag of the [Communist Party of Chile](/wiki/Communist_Party_of_Chile)

Flag of the [Communist Party of Ecuador](/wiki/Communist_Party_of_Ecuador)

Flag of the [Shining Path](/wiki/Shining_Path) ([Peru](/wiki/Peru))

Flag of the [Communist Party USA](/wiki/Communist_Party_USA)

Flag of the Revolutionary Communist Party ([Argentina](/wiki/Argentina))

State emblems

Soviet Union (in the constitutional order)

[State emblem](/wiki/State_Emblem_of_the_Soviet_Union) of the [Union of Soviet Socialist Republics](/wiki/Soviet_Union)

Emblem of the [Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic](/wiki/Russian_Soviet_Federative_Socialist_Republic)

[Emblem of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic](/wiki/Emblem_of_the_Ukrainian_Soviet_Socialist_Republic)

[Emblem of the Uzbek Soviet Socialist Republic](/wiki/Emblem_of_the_Uzbek_Soviet_Socialist_Republic)

[Emblem of the Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic](/wiki/Emblem_of_the_Kazakh_Soviet_Socialist_Republic)

[Emblem of the Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic](/wiki/Emblem_of_the_Georgian_Soviet_Socialist_Republic)

[Emblem of the Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Republic](/wiki/Emblem_of_the_Lithuanian_Soviet_Socialist_Republic)

[Emblem of the Latvian Soviet Socialist Republic](/wiki/Emblem_of_the_Latvian_Soviet_Socialist_Republic)

[Emblem of the Kirghiz Soviet Socialist Republic](/wiki/Emblem_of_the_Kirghiz_Soviet_Socialist_Republic)

[Emblem of the Tajik Soviet Socialist Republic](/wiki/Emblem_of_the_Tajik_Soviet_Socialist_Republic)

[Emblem of the Turkmen Soviet Socialist Republic](/wiki/Emblem_of_the_Turkmen_Soviet_Socialist_Republic)

[Emblem of the Estonian Soviet Socialist Republic](/wiki/Emblem_of_the_Estonian_Soviet_Socialist_Republic)

[Emblem of the Karelo-Finnish Soviet Socialist Republic](/wiki/Emblem_of_the_Karelo-Finnish_Soviet_Socialist_Republic) (1941‒1956)

Other

Current
Emblem of the self-proclaimed [Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic](/wiki/Transnistria)

[Emblem of Angola](/wiki/Emblem_of_Angola)

[Coat of arms of Bryansk Oblast](/wiki/Coat_of_arms_of_Bryansk_Oblast), Russia
Former
State emblem of the [Lao People's Democratic Republic](/wiki/Laos) (1975‒1991)

Emblem of the [People's Republic of the Congo](/wiki/People's_Republic_of_the_Congo) (1970–1991)

State emblem of the [Chinese Soviet Republic](/wiki/Chinese_Soviet_Republic) (1934–1937)

Logos

Europe

Current

Logo of the [Communist Party of the Russian Federation](/wiki/Communist_Party_of_the_Russian_Federation)

Logo of the [Communist Party of Greece](/wiki/Communist_Party_of_Greece)

Logo of the [Communist Party of Spain](/wiki/Communist_Party_of_Spain)

Logo of the [Portuguese Communist Party](/wiki/Portuguese_Communist_Party)

Logo of the Communist Party of Ireland

Logo of the [Communist Party of Britain](/wiki/Communist_Party_of_Britain)

Logo of the [Communist Party of Great Britain (Provisional Central Committee)](/wiki/Communist_Party_of_Great_Britain_\(Provisional_Central_Committee\))

Logo of the [Communist Party of Sweden (1995)](/wiki/Communist_Party_of_Sweden_\(1995\))

The Logo of the [Communist Party of Norway](/wiki/Communist_Party_of_Norway)

Logo of the [Communist Party of Denmark](/wiki/Communist_Party_of_Denmark)

Logo of the [Communist Party of Belgium (1989)](/wiki/Communist_Party_of_Belgium_\(1989\))

Badge of the [Marxist–Leninist Communist Party of Turkey](/wiki/Marxist–Leninist_Communist_Party_\(Turkey\))

Logo of the [Revolutionary Communist Party of Turkey](/wiki/Revolutionary_Communist_Party_of_Turkey)

Logo of [Aeroflot](/wiki/Aeroflot)
Former
The hammer and sickle symbol used with the [red star](/wiki/Red_star) used as a symbol of Soviet Union.

Badge of the [Communist Party of the Soviet Union](/wiki/Communist_Party_of_the_Soviet_Union)

Emblem of the [Communist Party of Czechoslovakia](/wiki/Communist_Party_of_Czechoslovakia)

Emblem of the [Romanian Communist Party](/wiki/Romanian_Communist_Party)

Logo of the [Bulgarian Communist Party](/wiki/Bulgarian_Communist_Party)

Compass and hammer of [East Germany](/wiki/East_Germany).

Hammer and grain of the [Hungarian People's Republic](/wiki/Hungarian_People's_Republic)

Emblem of the [League of Communists of Yugoslavia](/wiki/League_of_Communists_of_Yugoslavia)

Logo of the [Italian Communist Party](/wiki/Italian_Communist_Party)

Logo of the [Proletarian Unity Party (Italy)](/wiki/Proletarian_Unity_Party_\(Italy\))

Logo of the [Communist Party of the Peoples of Spain](/wiki/Communist_Party_of_the_Peoples_of_Spain)

Logo of the [French Communist Party](/wiki/French_Communist_Party) (1980‒1996)

Logo of the [Communist Party of Germany](/wiki/Communist_Party_of_Germany)

Symbol of the [Group of Social Revolutionary Nationalists](/wiki/Karl_Otto_Paetel)

Asia

Current
Emblem of the [Workers' Party of Korea](/wiki/Workers'_Party_of_Korea)

Logo of the [Communist Party of Tajikistan](/wiki/Communist_Party_of_Tajikistan)

Logo of the [Socialist Party of Bangladesh](/wiki/Socialist_Party_of_Bangladesh)

Emblem of the [Communist Party of Vietnam](/wiki/Communist_Party_of_Vietnam)

Alternative emblem of the [Communist Party of Vietnam](/wiki/Communist_Party_of_Vietnam)

Logo of the [Ministry of State Security](/wiki/Ministry_of_State_Security_\(China\))

Emblem of the Chinese Communist Party (1996–present)

Logo of the [Lanka Sama Samaja Party](/wiki/Lanka_Sama_Samaja_Party), which features the symbol of the [Fourth International](/wiki/Fourth_International)

Logo of the Communist Party of India

Logo of the [Communist Party of India (Marxist)](/wiki/Communist_Party_of_India_\(Marxist\))
Former
Emblem of the [Communist Party of Indonesia](/wiki/Communist_Party_of_Indonesia) (1914‒1966)

Logo of the [Acoma Party](/wiki/Acoma_Party) ([Indonesia](/wiki/Indonesia))

Logo of the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist–Leninist) (1991–2018)

Africa

Current
Logo of the [People's Movement for the Liberation of Angola](/wiki/People's_Movement_for_the_Liberation_of_Angola)

Logo of the [Communist Party of Benin](/wiki/Communist_Party_of_Benin)

Logo of the [Congolese Party of Labour](/wiki/Congolese_Party_of_Labour)

Logo of the [Egyptian Communist Party](/wiki/Egyptian_Communist_Party)

Emblem of the [All-Ethiopia Socialist Movement](/wiki/All-Ethiopia_Socialist_Movement)

Hammer and machete logo of the [Revolutionary Communist Party of Ivory Coast](/wiki/Revolutionary_Communist_Party_of_Ivory_Coast)

Logo of the [Communist Party of Kenya](/wiki/Communist_Party_of_Kenya)

Logo of the [South African Communist Party](/wiki/South_African_Communist_Party)
Former
Flag of the [Workers' Party of Ethiopia](/wiki/Workers'_Party_of_Ethiopia)

Emblem of the [Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Party](/wiki/Ethiopian_People's_Revolutionary_Party) (ca. 1975)

Logo of [FRELIMO](/wiki/FRELIMO) ([Mozambique](/wiki/Mozambique)) (1987–2004)

Emblem of the [Somali Revolutionary Socialist Party](/wiki/Somali_Revolutionary_Socialist_Party)

Americas

Current
Logo of the [Communist Party of Argentina](/wiki/Communist_Party_of_Argentina)

Logo of the [Brazilian Communist Party](/wiki/Brazilian_Communist_Party)

Logo of the [Communist Party of Brazil](/wiki/Communist_Party_of_Brazil)

Logo of the [Workers' Cause Party](/wiki/Workers'_Cause_Party)

Logo of the [Communist Party of Chile](/wiki/Communist_Party_of_Chile)

Logo of the [Communist Party of Ecuador](/wiki/Communist_Party_of_Ecuador)

Logo of the [Paraguayan Communist Party](/wiki/Paraguayan_Communist_Party)

Logo of the [Shining Path](/wiki/Shining_Path)

Logo of the [Militarized Communist Party of Peru](/wiki/Militarized_Communist_Party_of_Peru)

Logo of the [Communist Party USA](/wiki/Communist_Party_USA)

Logo of the [American Communist Party](/wiki/American_Communist_Party_\(2024\))
Former
Logo of the [Mexican Communist Party](/wiki/Mexican_Communist_Party)

Unicode

In Unicode, the hammer and sickle symbol is U+262D (☭). It is part of the Miscellaneous Symbols group. This symbol was added to Unicode in 1993.

Images

A view inside the Plošča Lienina metro station in Minsk, featuring unique architectural details.
The Juche Tower in Pyongyang, a prominent monument featuring symbolic figures and architecture.
The flag of Dzerzhinsk, a city in the Nizhny Novgorod region of Russia.
A flag representing the Taiwan People's Communist Party, featuring red and yellow colors with symbolic design elements.
A flag representing the Communist Party of Kenya, featuring a hammer and sickle design.
A flag representing the Workers' Party of Ethiopia, featuring a hammer and sickle symbol.
A flag representing the Partido Comunista de la Argentina (Congreso Extraordinario), featuring a hammer and sickle symbol.
A historical Chilean peso coin from the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
A beautifully designed historical coin from Chile, showcasing intricate art and craftsmanship.
A flag featuring the emblem of the Communist Party of Greece, which includes a hammer and sickle design.
Flag of the Socialist Party of Timor, featuring symbolic designs and text.
Official flag of the Communist Party Marxist Kenya.
Flag of the Communist Party of Ecuador featuring a hammer, sickle, and star design.

Related articles

Soviet Union
Laos
Russia
World War I
Russian Civil War
China

This article is a child-friendly adaptation of the Wikipedia article on Hammer and sickle, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

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