One major cultural highlight of the closing ceremony of the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics was a large group of children singing Russia’s moving National anthem. Formally known as “The State Anthem of the Russian Federation”, this powerful patriotic song was adapted from the National Anthem of the Soviet Union, composed by Alexander Alexandrov with original lyrics by Sergey Mikhalkov and Gabriel El-Registan.
The history of national anthems in Russia is a bit complex. Before 1944, Russia and all other member states of the Soviet Union considered the song “The Internationale” as the national anthem of the USSR. At that point, the USSR saw a need for a national song that spoke more about the Soviet experience and the National Anthem of the Soviet Union was adopted.
After the collapse of the Soviet Union, Russia adopted a new instrumental piece of music as their national anthem. It was composed by Mikhail Glinka and titled “Patrioticheskaya Pesnya”. When that melody failed to inspire and no perfect set of lyrics could be found, Vladimir Putin reinstated the old Soviet anthem and sponsored a contest for updated lyrics. This new anthem, in its current form, became official in 2000 and you can read the lyrics below in Russian, transliterated Russian and an English translation.
The music is powerful and moving and you can hear two choral versions of the song here:
Lyrics In Russian
Россия – священная наша держава,
Россия – любимая наша страна.
Могучая воля, великая слава –
Твоё достоянье на все времена!
- Chorus:
- Славься, Отечество наше свободное,
- Братских народов союз вековой,
- Предками данная мудрость народная!
- Славься, страна! Мы гордимся тобой!
От южных морей до полярного края
Раскинулись наши леса и поля.
Одна ты на свете! Одна ты такая –
Хранимая Богом родная земля!
Широкий простор для мечты и для жизни
Грядущие нам открывают года.
Нам силу даёт наша верность Отчизне.
Так было, так есть и так будет всегда!
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Lyrics – Russian (Transliterated)
Rossiya – svyashchennaya nasha derzhava,
Rossiya – lyubimaya nasha strana.
Moguchaya volya, velikaya slava –
Tvoio dostoyanye na vse vremena!
Chorus:
- Slav’sya, Otechestvo nashe svobodnoye,
- Bratskih narodov soyuz vekovoi,
- Predkami dannaya mudrost’ narodnaya!
- Slav’sya, strana! My gordimsya toboi!
Ot yuzhnyh morei do polyarnogo kraya
Raskinulis’ nashi lesa i polya.
Odna ty na svete! Odna ty takaya –
Khranimaya Bogom rodnaya zemlya!
Shirokii prostor dlya mechty i dlya zhizni.
Gryadushchiye nam otkryvayut goda.
Nam silu daiot nasha vernost’ Otchizne.
Tak bylo, tak yest’ i tak budet vsegda!
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Lyrics – English Translation
Russia – our sacred homeland,
Russia – our beloved country.
A mighty will, great glory –
These are your heritage for all time!
Chorus:
- Be glorious, our free Motherland,
- Age-old union of fraternal peoples,
- Ancestor-given wisdom of the people!
- Be glorious, our country! We are proud of you!
From the southern seas to the polar lands
Spread are our forests and fields.
You are unique in the world, one of a kind –
This native land protected by God!
Wide spaces for dreams and for living
Are opened for us by the coming years
Our loyalty to the Motherland gives us strength.
Thus it was, thus it is and thus it always will be!
Making Multicultural Music 