The official coat of arms of Pridnestrovie is based on the legacy coat of arms of the former MSSR. For historical reasons we have chosen to include the hammer and seal, the red star and other symbols which are part of our heritage. This does not mean that we still have a Communist system: Quite the contrary, Pridnestrovie today is an open, market-oriented part of Europe. But we have no need to deny our past history or our shared culture either. We do not feel that the past should be erased from history just because history moves forward to a new age and countries make progress just like we have done.