"The Patriotic Song" was originally a piano composition without lyrics, composed by Mikhail Glinka (1804–1857), and it was originally titled "National Song Motif" (French: Motif de chant national). The song has been known under its current title of "The Patriotic Song" since 1944,[1] after Glinka's composition was arranged for orchestra by composer Mikhail Bagrinovsky [ru] under that name, popularizing it and leading it to become synonymous with Glinka's original work itself.[2]
History
First performance as the regional anthem of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic as part of the "Decree of November 23, 1990" requesting to perform it on November 27, 1990 at the Kremlin.[3]One of the most common performances by an Orchestra.U.S.-performed rendition during a Russian state visit to Washington, D.C. in 1992 with simultaneous 21-gun saluteU.S.-performed rendition during a Russian state visit to Washington, D.C. in September 1994A performance of Patrioticheskaya Pesnya at the inauguration of Russian presidentVladimir Putin on 7 May 2000.Synthesizer performanceVersion with proposed lyrics
"Patrioticheskaya Pesnya" originally was not a song but a composition for piano without lyrics, written by Mikhail Glinka in 1833 and titled (in French) "Motif de chant national". It was often claimed that it was written by Glinka as part of a national anthem contest or with the intent of becoming a national anthem,[4] though evidence for either claim is scant. In 1885, Glinka's manuscript was re-discovered after languishing in obscurity at the Russian National Library in St. Petersburg. In 1944 it was arranged for orchestra by composer Mikhail Bagrinovsky [ru] under the title "Patrioticheskaya Pesnya"[5] and a few years later, poet Alexei Mashistov set lyrics to Bagrinovsky's arrangement of Glinka's composition for a song dedicated to the Soviet capital of Moscow, both of which helped popularize Glinka's work among the Soviet public and gave it its common contemporary moniker.[5]
The Russian TV news program Vremya used it as its theme tune from 1984 to 1986.
In the 1990s, Boris Yeltsin chose the tune as the new state anthem of the Russian SFSR and it was officially adopted as such on 23 November 1990 by the Supreme Soviet of Russia.[3] It remained in de facto usage through inertia by the new Russian Federation from 1991 until its official confirmation as the state's national anthem in 1993 when the Russian constitution was enacted.[6] Also favored by the Russian Orthodox Church, the music went without lyrics for several years. In 1999, Viktor Radugin won a contest to provide suitable words for it with his poem "Glory to Russia!" (Russian: Славься, Россия!, romanized: Slávsya, Rossíya!). However, no lyrics and none of the entries were ever adopted.
It reportedly proved to be unpopular with the Russian public and with many politicians and public figures, because of its tune and lack of lyrics, and consequently its inability to inspire Russian athletes during international competitions.[7]
It was replaced soon after Yeltsin's successor as President of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin, first took office on 7 May 2000. The federal legislature established and approved the music of the National Anthem of the Soviet Union, with newly written lyrics, in December 2000.[7] Yeltsin criticized Putin for supporting the semi-reintroduction of the Soviet-era national anthem, although some opinion polls showed that many Russians favored this decision.[8]
Today, the song is used by some elements of the Russian opposition as a political anthem.[9][10] It is also sometimes erroneously played during sporting events involving Russia.[11][12][13][14][15]
Proposed lyrics
"Glory to Russia!"
These are the unofficial lyrics to "The Patriotic Song" by Viktor Radugin, titled "Glory to Russia!" (Славься, Россия!). It has been confused with the closing chorus of Glinka's opera A Life for the Tsar, possibly due to both beginning with the same word glory (славься), but the two works are unrelated with the latter being derived from an old Polishfolk song (though the operatic music, too, has been suggested as a candidate for a Russian national anthem).
Russian original
Romanization of Russian
IPA transcription
English translation
Славься, славься, родина-Россия!
Сквозь века и грозы ты прошла
И сияет солнце над тобою
И судьба твоя светла.
Над старинным московским Кремлём
Вьётся знамя с двуглавым орлом
И звучат священные слова:
«Славься, Русь – Отчизна моя!»
Slavjsja, slavjsja, rodina-Rossija!
Skvozj veka i grozy ty prošla!
I sijajet solnce nad toboju
I sudjba tvoja svetla!
Nad starinnym moskovskim Kremljom
Viotsja znamja s dvuglavym orlom
I zvučat svjaščennyje slova:
„Slavjsja, Rusj – Otčizna moja!“
Glory, glory to Mother Russia!
You've passed through centuries and storms!
And the sun is shining upon you
And bright is your fate.
Above the ancient Moscow Kremlin
A two-headed eagle flag hovers
And the sacred words sound:
"Glory to Russia – my Fatherland!"
"Majestically Above the Fatherland"
"Majestically Above the Fatherland" (Russian: Над Отчизной величаво, romanized: Nad Otčiznoj veličavo) written by Vladimir Kalinkin in 1998, was another proposed set of lyrics. Performed by Russian artist Vladimir Detayov, the Duma was made aware of this piece's existence in April 1999. At the initiative of the Ministry of Ethnic Policy of Russia, this record was first publicly presented at the First Congress of the Assembly of Peoples of Russia. During the summer of that year, it was performed on the radio station "Radio of Russia" and the TV channel "Moskoviya", devoted to writing a text for the national anthem.
In January 2000, it was carried out in a new orchestral arrangement performed by the N.P. Osipov National Academic Orchestra of Folk Instruments and the A.V. Sveshnikov Academic Choir. Overall the song received positive reviews, although like "Glory to Russia!", never attained official status.
Russian original
Romanization of Russian
English translation
Припев:
Над Отчизной величаво –
Башни древнего Кремля.
Славься, прадедов держава,
Вся Российская земля!
Ты – духовностью богата
И соборностью крепка –
По крупице, трудно, свято
Собиралась на века.
Единением народов
Нерушима и сильна,
Одолеет все невзгоды
Наша мудрая страна.
Ty – duhovnostiu bogata
I sobornostiu krepka –
Po krupice, trudno, svjato,
Sobiralasj na veka.
Jedinenijem narodov
Nerušima i siljna,
Odolejet vse nevzgody
Naša mudraja strana.
Pripev
Chorus:
Majestically above the Fatherland –
The towers of the ancient Kremlin.
Glory to the state of our forefathers,
All of the Russian land!
You — rich in spirituality
And strong in fellowship –
Gradually, through hardship and holiness,
Have come together forever.
Through unity of its peoples,
Unbreakable and strong,
Our wise country
Will overcome all adversities.
Chorus
“Red Star” (Russian Army Choir)
In 1992, a version of "The Patriotic Song" with lyrics specifically about Moscow was sung by the “Red Star" Russian Army Choir and Dance Ensemble of RVSN at the Tchaikovsky Hall.[16]
Russian original
Romanization of Russian
English translation
Здравствуй, славная столица!
Сердце Родины, Москва!
Вся страна тобой гордится,
Городов родных глава.
Русь великую сплотила
Ты вокруг твердынь Кремля,
И окрепла наша сила,
И прославилась земля.
^"Anthem of Russia". Russian Anthems museum. 2005. Archived from the original on 2016-01-12. Retrieved January 12, 2016. The music has been known under the title 'Patriotic Song' since 1944
^Тартаковская, Н.Ю. "Патриотическая песнь Глинки". Muzcentrum. Russia. Archived from the original on November 7, 2020. "Patriotic Song" does not belong to Glinka, but to the composer Mikhail Bagrinovsky, who orchestrated the melody in 1944, and the poet Alexei Mashistov composed the text for it.
^Финдейзен Н. Глинкиниана. (Автографы Глинки в Императорской Публичной библиотеке) // Русская музыкальная газета. СПб., 1895. № 7, pp. 409—411
^ ab"Шедевры М. И. Глинки и В. И. Агапкина позднеимперского периода". Archived from the original on 2022-04-19. In 1885, among the personal papers of the composer, a sketch of an unknown work was found, to which no one paid attention. And only in 1944 this musical notation of Glinka was processed by M. M. Bagryanovsky (1885–1966), who gave the name to the work – 'Patriotic Song'. Three years later, in 1947, the poet A. Mashistov wrote poetry to the music of M. I. Glinka. Thus was born the song "Hello, glorious capital", which in the year of the 800th anniversary of Moscow, became her anthem.
^Поднятие флага [Raising the flag]. Легион "Свобода России". 21 December 2022. Archived from the original on 21 December 2022. Retrieved 21 December 2022 – via YouTube.
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