thumb|State Emblem of the Soviet Union (1956–1991 version) Communist states often followed a unique style characterized by communist symbolism. Although commonly called coats of arms, most such devices are not actually coats of arms in the traditional heraldic sense and should therefore, in a strict sense, not be called arms at all. Many communist governments purposely diverged from the traditional forms of European heraldry in order to distance themselves from the monarchies that they usually replaced, with actual coats of arms being seen as symbols of the monarchs.
thumb|state emblem of the soviet union (1956–1991 version) communist states often followed a unique style characterized by communist symbolism although commonly called coats of arms most such devices are not actually coats of arms in the traditional heraldic sense and should therefore in a strict sense not be called arms at all many communist governments purposely diverged from the traditional forms of european heraldry in order to distance themselves from the monarchies that they usually replaced with actual coats of arms being seen as symbols of the monarchs