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Socialist Yugoslavia: Republics

Last modified: 2006-07-22 by ivan sache
Keywords: yugoslavia | president | star (red) | wreath (yellow) |
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Status of the Republics in Socialist Yugoslavia

The Republics were:

Until 1946/47 Yugoslav constituent states were not called Republics (since Yugoslavia was not yet declared a Republic itself), but were titled "Democratic Federal [e.g. Croatia]" (Demokratska Federalna [Hrvatska]). Kosovo was not treated as a separate entity, but Sandżak was. In the Constitutions of 1946 and 1947, the Republics were defined as "People's Republic" (Narodna Republika, in Slovene Ljudska Republika), and Autonomous Region of Vojvodina (Autonomna Pokraijna Vojvodina) and Autonomous District of Kosovo and Metohija (Autonnmna Oblast Kosovo i Metohija, later called also Kosmet) were formed. In 1963 the titles were changed to "Socialist Republic" (Socijalistička Republika, in Slovene Socijalisticna Republika) and "Socialist Autonomous Region" (Socijalistička Autonomna Pokrajina), now for both Vojvodina and Kosovo. Since the Autonomous Regions were parts of Serbia, the Serbian flag was used there.

Željko Heimer, 2 October 2004


Use of flags in the Republics

The flags of the Republics were supposed to be used by goverment only, but were in practice used widely. Most of the companies and buildings were owned by the state [or society, as it was called], so they had right to display the flags, anyway. There were no versions for use at sea, of course.
It was usual to display three flags together (still you would find three flagpoles in front of most buildings):

In the areas with a significant minority population, the flag of the minority was added to this. In some towns the town flag would be added also, again as a rule, with a red star, but it was not so common. I remember Zagreb and Rijeka were doing so: Rijeka was special in displaying five flags in rows on the lightpoles: Yugoslavia, Croatia, League of Communist of Yugoslvia, Italy and the town flag.
It was not so unusual to see in public places displayed all of the flags of the Republics in a circle, with the national and League of Communists of Yugoslavia's flags in the middle.

Željko Heimer, 1 April 1996


Flag of the President of a Republic

[President of a Republic]

Flag of the President of a Republic in Socialist Yugoslavia - Image by Željko Heimer, 20 October 2003

When on board on a Navy ship, the President of a Republic used a a square tricolour flag with the yellow bordered red five-pointed star surrounded by a wreath, as in the naval ensign.

Source: Pomorska enciklopedija VII: Zastava, Jugoslavenski leksikografski zavod, Zagreb, 1964.

Željko Heimer, 20 October 2003