The red represents the "revolutionary struggle of the working masses" and the golden hammer and sickle represents the peasants' and workers' union.

[1] The 1922 flag was red with the Cyrillic characters ССРА (SSRA for Социалистическая Советская Республика Армения, Sotsialisticheskaya Sovetskaya Respublika Armeniya) in the upper left corner.

Between 1936 and 1940, the flag was red with the gold hammer and sickle in the top left hand corner.

The Armenian characters ՀԽՍՀ (HKSH for Հայկական Խորհրդային Սոցիալիստական Հանրապետություն, Haykakan Khorhrdayin Sotsialistakan Hanrapetutiun) were in gold beneath the hammer and sickle.

Between 1940 and 1952, after reforms on Armenian language, the Armenian characters in the top left hand corner beneath the hammer and sickle were changed to ՀՍՍՌ (HSSR for Հայկական Սովետական Սոցիալիստական Ռեսպուբլիկա, Haykakan Sovetakan Sotsialistakan Respublika) staying in gold.