Measures 63" x 51" excluding the fringe but including the 3"-wide flagpole sleeve, in luxurious double-layered burgundy red velvet with high-quality stitched and embroidered graphics with some elements in high relief. The obverse features a rather unusual centerpiece with a star in stitched-on pieces of fabric. We cannot be absolutely certain without unstitching the two layers of velvet and looking inside, but there is a good probability that the star was slapped on to cover the traditional Stalin Era dual profiles of Lenin and Stalin. It looks rather incongruous with the artwork around it, especially two hammer-and-sickle emblems in the center and under the star. The "ghost" of the original embroidered text under the centerpiece still shows, and reads "Under the banner of Lenin, under the leadership of Stalin, forward toward the victory of Communism!" The new phrase reads "Under the banner of Marxism-Leninism, under the leadership of the Communist Party, forward toward the victory of Communism!" The reverse side has a richly embroidered State Emblem of the USSR with the hammer-and-sickle and the wreath around the globe in high relief. The emblem has sixteen scrolls for the number of republics the Soviet Union had from 1946 to 1956. This allows us to narrow down the year the banner was originally made to 1946 - early 50s, before the beginning of Khrushchev's campaign against Stalin's cult of personality in mid- to late 1950s.

In excellent, outstanding condition. The velvet has retained practically all of its original rich sheen. The fringe is all intact, clean and bright. The stitchwork and embroidery are intact and clean, the colors are crisp and vibrant.

It was common practice in the Soviet Union of the mid-1950s to "update" Stalin-era flags and banners in this fashion, simply because it cost less than ordering new ones.

Please note that the yardstick in our photo is for size reference.