Everyone who has served in the army knows very well what a cockade is. This headgear element is traditionally worn on a cap or winter hat. In Soviet times, cockades were issued during the taking of the military oath. At the same time, very few people think about what this symbol actually means and where it came from, including into the Russian military tradition.
The word "cockade" and the symbol itself came to Russia from France in the 18th century. It means the phrase "cock feathers". Initially, it was a ribbon or bow, folded with loops and gathers, gathered with braid. At that time, the cockade was worn on clothing, armor, and also on the wrist or forearm. It is believed that the decoration was borrowed by the French from the Hungarians, whose horsemen even in the early Middle Ages decorated their headdresses with something similar.
Subsequently, the cockade became metal and was used to designate the type of troops, country and even the political faction to which its bearer belongs. In the Soviet Union, cockades were returned in 1943 as part of the reform of military ranks and uniforms. Initially, they relied only on the officer corps, but later they migrated to the soldier's headdresses.
In order to understand what exactly the badge of the Soviet army means, basic knowledge of heraldry is enough. So, a red star on a military decoration means the same thing as any other Soviet red star - the unity of the communist international. By the way, red is not at all the personal color of the communists. Red is basically the color of the revolution. Next we have the hammer and sickle (they are applied to the star). They denote the unity of the proletariat, workers and peasants, ready at any moment to stand up to defend their homeland. Finally, the last important element of the cockade is the laurel wreath. Traditionally, this symbol denotes victory.
Continuing the topic, you can read about tetris and artificial heart: 6 inventions that appeared in the USSR earlier than others.