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State Anthem of the Soviet Union
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Wikipedia article
{{Infobox anthem
| title =
| predecessor = "The Internationale"
| successor =
| transcription =
| english_title = State Anthem of the USSR
| image = USSR Anthem Music Sheet.InstrumentalSimple.svg
| image_size =
| caption = Musical sheet of the anthem
| prefix = Former national
| country = the , 194491
----
Former regional anthem of the , 194490
| composer = Alexander Alexandrov
| author = Gabriel El-Registan (1943), Sergey Mikhalkov (1943 and 1977)
| adopted = 15 March 1944
1955 (as instrumental)
1 September 1977 (with modified lyrics)
| until = 26 December 1991
(as national anthem of the Soviet Union)
23 November 1990
(as regional anthem of the Russian SFSR)
| sound = Soviet Anthem Instrumental 1955.ogg
| sound_title = c. 1970s official band instrumental recording (post-1955 arrangement) (one verse)
| music_date =
}}
The "'State Anthem of the Soviet Union'" was the national anthem of the 'Union of Soviet Socialist Republics' and the regional anthem of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic from 1944 to 1991, replacing "The Internationale". Its original lyrics were written by Sergey Mikhalkov (19132009) in collaboration with Gabriel El-Registan (18991945), and its music was composed by Alexander Alexandrov (18831946). For a two-decade interval following de-Stalinization, the anthem was performed without lyrics. The second set of lyrics in which Stalin's name was dropped, also written by Mikhalkov, was adopted in 1977.
A decade after the collapse of the Soviet Union, the music would be adopted with new lyrics as the Russian national anthem.
History
Origins
The anthem's music was originally composed by Alexander Alexandrov in 1938 for the Hymn of the Bolshevik Party. Its opening bars were borrowed from one of Alexandrov's previous pieces, "Life has become better", which was based on a quote by former Soviet Union General Secretary Joseph Stalin at the First All-Union Meeting of the Stakhanovites on 17 November 1935. The song alludes to Stalin's cult of personality.Other than "Life Has Become Better", the music of the anthem has several possible outside influences. Alexandrov himself has described it as the combination of a march with Russian traditional music, particularly that of 'bylina' epic songs. The anthem shares several chord progressions with Vasily Kalinnikov's overture 'Bylina, Epic Poem' (which, as its name indicates, is also inspired by the 'bylina' tradition).. . : . // . No. 3 2002 . There also exist similarities between Alexandrov's anthem and Robert Schumann's 'Frhlingsfahrt'.
When the Communist International (Comintern) was dissolved in 1943 for the Soviet Union to maintain its alliance with the other Allies of World War II, a new composition was needed to replace "The Internationale" as the national anthem. A contest was held in mid to late 1943 for a new anthem, and more than 200 entries were submitted. Alexandrov's music was personally chosen by Stalin, who both praised and criticized it. The anthem's lyrics then had to be written. Stalin thought the song should be short, and that it should invoke the Red Army's impending victory over the forces of Germany on the Eastern Front. The poets Sergey Mikhalkov and Gabriel El-Registan were chosen by Stalin's staffers, called to Moscow, and given the task of writing lyrics that referenced not only the Great Patriotic War, but also "a Country of Soviets". The first draft was completed overnight.
The anthem was first published on 7 November 1943. It was played for the first time on Soviet radio at midnight on 1 January 1944, and officially adopted on 15 March the same year. The new lyrics had three refrains following three different stanzas. In each refrain, the second line was modified to refer to friendship, then happiness, then glory. Joseph Stalin and the Soviet Union's war against Germany were originally invoked in the second and third verses, respectively. Reportedly, Stalin was opposed to including his name in the lyrics but relented after some Politburo members insisted.
Post-Stalin era
With the process of de-Stalinization after Stalin's death, the lyrics referring to him were considered unacceptable, and from 1956 to 1977 the anthem was performed without lyrics. A notable exception took place at the 1976 Canada Cup ice hockey tournament, where singer Roger Doucet insisted on performing the anthem with lyrics after consultations with Russian studies scholars from Universit de Montral and Soviet team officials. In 1977, to coincide with the 60th anniversary of the October Revolution, revised lyrics, written in 1970 by original author Sergey Mikhalkov, were adopted. The varying refrains were replaced by a uniform refrain after all stanzas, and the line praising Stalin was dropped, as were the lines referring to the Great Patriotic War. Another notable change was the replacement of a line referring to the Soviet national flag with one citing the Communist Party of the Soviet Union in the form of "'Partiya Lenina'" ('The party of Lenin'). These lyrics were also present in the original party anthem at the same place in the melody, but followed by the lyrics "'Partiya Stalina'" ('The party of Stalin').Post-1991 use
Use in the Russian Federation
After the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, the Russian Federation adopted a new wordless anthem, the "Patriotic Song", although there were suggestions for adopting lyrics. As a result, a few different versions were produced.[http://www.hymn.ru/#related-to-glinka-anthem II. ] In late 2000, the current national anthem of Russia was introduced, which uses the music of the Soviet national anthem with new lyrics by Sergey Mikhalkov.State Union of Russia and Belarus
The same music was used for a proposed anthem for the State Union of Russia and Belarus, entitled 'Derzhavny Soyuz Narodov' ("Sovereign Union of Nations"). Its lyrics were not tied to any specific nationality, and there were official versions in the languages of every Soviet republic and several other Soviet languages; thus it could have been adopted by a broader union. However, it was never officially adopted, and there appear to be no plans to utilize it in any official role.Decommunization
In some post-Soviet states which adopted decommunization laws banning Communist symbolism, performing the Soviet anthem is illegal. For example, since 2015, offenders in Ukraine face up to five years in prison. Similar laws were adopted in Latvia and Lithuania.Official translations
The anthem has been officially translated into several languages:
Lyrics
This table shows the anthem's various lyrics. As there were two official lyric versions (in 1944 and 1977), both are included within their sections.
19441955 lyrics
{| class="wikitable" style="margin: 1em 1em 1em 0em; background:#f9f9f9; border: 1px #aaa solid; border-collapse:collapse;"
|-
!Russian original
!Transliteration
!IPA transcription as sung
!English translation
|- style="vertical-align:top; white-space:nowrap;"
|
|
|
|
An unbreakable union of free republics,
Great Russia has sealed forever.
Long live, the creation by the people's will,
The united, mighty Soviet Union!
Be glorified, our free Fatherland,
Reliable stronghold of the people's friendship!
Banner of the Soviets, the banner of the people,
May it lead from victory to victory!
'II'
Through storms, the sun of freedom shined on us,
And Great Lenin illuminated our path.
Stalin taught us to be faithful to the people,
To labor and achievements, we were inspired!
Be glorified, our free Fatherland,
Reliable stronghold of the people's happiness!
Banner of the Soviets, the banner of the people,
May it lead from victory to victory!
'III'
We raised our Army in battles,
And swept the vile invaders from the path!
In battles, we determine the fate of generations,
We bring glory to our Fatherland!
Be glorified, our free Fatherland,
Reliable stronghold of the people's glory!
Banner of the Soviets, the banner of the people,
May it lead from victory to victory!
|}
19771991 lyrics
{| class="wikitable" style="margin: 1em 1em 1em 0em; background:#f9f9f9; border: 1px #aaa solid; border-collapse:collapse;"
!Russian original
!Transliteration
!IPA transcription as sung
!English translation
|- style="vertical-align:top; white-space:nowrap;"
|
.
, !
, ,
!
!
'II'
,
:
,
!
'III'
,
!
}}
|
Soyuz nerushimyy respublik svobodnykh
Splotila naveki velikaya Rus'.
Da zdravstvuyet sozdanny voley narodov
Yedinyy, moguchiy Sovetskiy Soyuz!
Slav'sya, Otechestvo nashe svobodnoye,
Druzhby narodov nadyozhny oplot!
Partiya Lenina sila narodnaya
Nas k torzhestvu kommunizma vedyot!
'II'
Skvoz' grozy siyalo nam solntse svobody,
I Lenin velikiy nam put' ozaril,
Na pravoye delo on podnyal narody,
Na trud i na podvigi nas vdokhnovil!
'III'
V pobede bessmertnykh idey kommunizma
My vidim gryadushcheye nashey strany,
I Krasnomu znameni slavnoy Otchizny
My budem vsegda bezzavetno verny!
}}
|
|
An unbreakable union of free republics,
Great Russia has been sealed forever.
Long live, the creation by the people's will,
The united, mighty Soviet Union!
Be glorified, our free Fatherland,
Reliable stronghold of the people's friendship!
The Party of Lenin - the strength of the people,
Leads us to the triumph of Communism!
'II'
Through storms, the sun of freedom shined on us,
And Great Lenin illuminated our path!
To a righteous cause, he raised the people
To labor and achievements, we were inspired!
'III'
In the victory of Communism's immortal ideas,
We see the future of our country!
And to the red banner of the glorious Fatherland,
We will always be devotedly true!
|}
=== English versions =See also
* "God Save the Tsar!"
* "Grom pobedy, razdavajsya!" ("Let the thunder of victory sound!")
* National anthem of Russia
* Patrioticheskaya Pesnya ("Patriotic Song")
* "The Internationale" in Russian
* "Worker's Marseillaise," Russian version of "La Marseillaise"
* National anthems of the Soviet Union and Union Republics
* Communist Symbolism
* "Workers of the world, Unite!"
Notes References==
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