Anthem of Free Russia

The Anthem of Free Russia (Russian: Гимн Свободной России, Gimn Svobodnoy Rossii) was a proposed anthem of the Russian Republic after the February Revolution. The music was composed by Russian composer Alexander Gretchaninov and the lyrics were written by Constantine Balmont. However, unlike Worker's Marseillaise, the Hymn of Free Russia was not adopted by the Russian Provisional Government of 1917 nor was approved during several special meetings of artists.[1][2]

Гимн Свободной России
English: Anthem of Free Russia
Sheet music by the Russian Music Publishing, 1917

Proposed national anthem of Russia
Also known asДа здравствует Россия, свободная страна! (English: Long live Russia, a free country!)
LyricsConstantine Balmont, 1917
MusicAlexander Gretchaninov, 1917
Audio sample
Performed by Fyodor Oreshkevich in Kiev, 1917
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Development

When Gretchaninov found out the music of the song was finalized along with unfinished lyrics, he became dissatisfied with the lyrics, so he contacted Balmont. After Gretchaninov contacted Balmont, the lyrics were complete. The anthem was eventually published and was first performed at Bolshoi Theatre, directed by Emil Cooper. Originally, the plot was taken from "My Life" (Моя жизнь), a book written by Gretchaninov. It was published in New York in 1954.

After Gretchaninov's arrival in the United States, his friend Kurt Schindler and his wife translated the text into English, which was published by G. Schirmer, Inc.

Historical significance

The song was widely popular between February and the Bolshevik Coup in November.[3] According to the historians Boris Kolonitskii and Orlando Figes, songs were an important form of revolutionary expression:

“Singing was the signal for a demonstration. It gave the protesters a sense of purpose and confidence and, perhaps most importantly, lifted their spirits. The leaders of the singing were the focus of the crowd in the February Days. The sound of the crowd drew other people on to the streets and hence into 'the revolution'. By joining in with the singing, spectators turned into participants in a matter of moments. Songs united the demonstrators, giving cohesion and a collective identity to diverse groups and classes.”[4]

Popularity

Shortly after the release of Radio Liberty on air, a musical screen saver was needed, through which listeners could listen to Russian broadcasts better. The Hymn of Free Russia was then chosen.[5]

As radio veteran Gene Sosin recalled in the book "Sparks of Freedom", the anthem began with the line "Long live Russia, a free country!" and the music was performed on a celestial, although the tempo and instrumentation was later changed to an orchestra. For 38 consecutive years, millions of listeners in the Soviet Union actively heard the tune, regardless of the song's origin. The song was well-known to be "connected with a 'free voice' from the outside world." This made people forget about their cold pasts.[5][6]

Lyrics

Cyrillic Transliteration Literal translation English lyrics by Kurt Schindler
Да здравствует Россия, свободная страна!
Свободная стихия великой суждена!
Могучая держава, безбрежный океан!
Борцам за волю слава, развеявшим туман!
Да здравствует Россия, свободная страна!
Свободная стихия великой суждена!
Леса, поля, и нивы, и степи, и моря,
Мы вольны и счастливы, нам всем горит заря!
Да здравствует Россия, свободная страна!
Свободная стихия великой суждена!
Da zdravstvuyet Rossiya, svobodnaya strana!
Svobodnaya stikhiya velikoy suzhdena!
Moguchaya derzhava, bezbrezhnyy okean!
Bortsam za volyu slava, razveyavshim tuman!
Da zdravstvuyet Rossiya, svobodnaya strana!
Svobodnaya stikhiya velikoy suzhdena!
Lesa, polya, i nivy, i stepi, i morya,
My volny i schastlivy, nam vsem gorit zarya!
Da zdravstvuyet Rossiya, svobodnaya strana!
Svobodnaya stikhiya velikoy suzhdena!
Long live Russia, a free country!
A free nature is the destiny of the great country!
A mighty power, a vast ocean!
Glory to the freedom fighters, dispelling the fog!
Long live Russia, a free country!
A free nature is the destiny of the great country!
Forests, fields, and cornfields, and steppes, and seas,
We are free and happy, we are all shining with a dawn!
Long live Russia, a free country!
A free nature is the destiny of the great country!
Young Russia, hail, victorious! All praise we chant to thee!
Amid the nations, glorious, thou standest, proud and free!
No tyrant shall enslave thee, thy sun arises bright;
All hail to those who gave thee New Freedom's sacred light!
Young Russia, hail, victorious! All praise we chant to thee!
Amid the nations, glorious, thou standest, proud and free!
A song of countless voices resounds from shore to shore,
The Russian folk rejoices with Freedom evermore.
Young Russia, hail, victorious! All praise we chant to thee!
Amid the nations, glorious, thou standest, proud and free!

1926 version

Cyrillic Transliteration Literal translation
Да здравствует Россия, свободная страна!
Свободная стихия великой суждена!
Могучая держава, безбрежный океан!
Борцам за волю слава, развеявшим туман!
Да здравствует Россия, свободная страна!
Свободная стихия великой суждена!
Да здравствует Россия, свободная страна!
Свободная стихия великой суждена!
Добились теперь мы лучшей доли,
Свергнули мы царский гнёт!
Всем дали за войны земли и воли,
Не лезь, вертухай, вперёд!
Да здравствует Россия, свободная страна!
Свободная стихия великой суждена!
Da zdravstvuyet Rossiya, svobodnaya strana!
Svobodnaya stikhiya velikoy suzhdena!
Moguchaya derzhava, bezbrezhnyy okean!
Bortsam za volyu slava, razveyavshim tuman!
Da zdravstvuyet Rossiya, svobodnaya strana!
Svobodnaya stikhiya velikoy suzhdena!
Da zdravstvuyet Rossiya, svobodnaya strana!
Svobodnaya stikhiya velikoy suzhdena!
Dobilis teper my luchshey doli,
Svergnuli my tsarskiy gnyot!
Vsem dali za voyny zemli i voli,
Ne lez, vertukhai, vperyod!
Da zdravstvuyet Rossiya, svobodnaya strana!
Svobodnaya stikhiya velikoy suzhdena!
Long live Russia, a free country!
A free nature is the destiny of the great country!
A mighty power, a vast ocean!
Glory to the freedom fighters, dispelling the fog!
Long live Russia, a free country!
A free nature is the destiny of the great country!
Long live Russia, a free country!
A free nature is the destiny of the great country!
We now have earned a better fate for us,
We have demolished the despotism of the Tsar!
We gave people land and freedom for the wars they fought,
Don't rush ahead, their jailer!
Long live Russia, a free country!
A free nature is the destiny of the great country!

References

  1. Славься, Отечество… Archived 2006-04-21 at the Wayback Machine
  2. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2005-01-09. Retrieved 2018-05-12.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  3. "Soundtrack of the Revolution". Arzamas (in Russian). Retrieved 2019-04-09.
  4. Figes, Orlando (1999). Interpreting the Russian Revolution : the language and symbols of 1917. Yale University Press. ISBN 0300081065. OCLC 473559149.
  5. "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-07-22. Retrieved 2018-05-12.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  6. DX-библиотека: Искры свободы
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