Symbolism in Russian culture

Russian colour meanings - what could I use in my designs?

Red

A Soviet person was immersed in red symbolism from their very childhood: from the age of 10 until they became 14, practically all schoolchildren were pioneers and, as a sign of belonging to that youth communist organization, had to wear (at school at least) a triangular red necktie.

White

After the revolution, the ideological antonym of red was the color white. It is the Red and the White armies that fought against each other in the 1918 to1920 civil war, in which the White (i.e. regular Russian) Army was defeated and driven outside the country. Its remaining representatives became known as white émigrés, while in the USSR the word "white" became synonymous with "counterrevolutionary" and "hostile."

Violet

The word "violet" in Russian slang is used to describe utter indifference. You could say in Russian: "It's all violet to me," meaning: I couldn't care less.

Blue

However, it is the word "blue" that has developed diverse and sometimes quite unexpected associations in the Russian language. Traditionally, this color was a symbol of noble birth and the expression "blue-blooded" was used to describe members of the aristocracy.

In Soviet times, especially in the 1960s, blue became associated with the romance and excitement of exploring and developing remote parts of the country (one of the popular songs of the time, which urged young people to join construction projects in Siberia, was called "Blue cities").

The word "blue" was also used to describe far-reaching dreams and aspirations. While the most popular TV program of the time was called "Little Blue Light" (an allusion to the real color of the black-and-white TV screen).