Legacy of the Revolution
Almost since the establishment of Soviet power, the country’s anthem was “Internationale”. The original text was written by Eugene Potier, who participated in the 1871 Paris Commune uprising, the poems were translated from French into Russian by poet Arkady Kots, and the music was written by Belgian Pierre Degeyter.
In the pre-revolutionary period, this song served as the anthem of radical socialists (including the Bolsheviks), and it is logical that after the success of the 1917 revolution, its symbols became state symbols. “International” sounded quite serious and was well suited to the choral performance that was an important part of the public life of the early USSR. In addition, the Soviet Union positioned itself as the leader of the world communist movement and the first link in the chain of revolution that surrounded the world. Therefore, the anthem, the text of which was equally valid for the Russian, Kyrgyz and Spanish proletarians, worked successfully in terms of state image.
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The creation of a new anthem began during the Great Patriotic War in the first half of 1942. should From a note from Central Committee member Alexander Shcherbakov to Joseph Stalin. A competition was held in which composers and poets participated and the winners were determined. Promised a huge bonus of 100 thousand rubles.
Anthem of the new era
170 composers and 42 poets responded to the call. The list of participants included Dmitry Shostakovich, Aram Khachaturian, Sergei Prokofiev, Dmitry Kabalevsky, Reinhold Glier, Yuri Shaporin, Tikhon Khrennikov, Isaac Dunaevsky and Matvey Blanter. Each of them was widely known both in the USSR and in the West. Riga’s “Tango King” Oscar Strok sent An unusual melody for an anthem for the competition, almost a dance tune:
“In my anthem work, I did not imitate the anthems of other countries, most of which were written in chorus. “I wrote it in a solemn and majestic spirit, befitting the text and our glorious, heroic country.”
There was an increase in “hymn” music during the war years, the most famous example of which is “Holy War”, which ranges from the words of Vasily Lebedev-Kumach to the music of Alexander Alexandrov. In addition, there were many other military anthems glorifying military units and formations, heroic cities, the Red Army in individual battles or branches of the army.
But nothing could satisfy the Soviet leadership. Klim Voroshilov and Shcherbakov, who oversaw work on the anthem, demanded that the text reflect the themes of the victory of the working class and the strength of workers in the Soviet Union, as well as the friendship of peoples. There was no need to mention the party, as the text had to be “popular” and remain relevant for decades. For the same reason, it was impossible to talk about the ongoing war or even about the upcoming victory.
Many poets were puzzled by such abstract requirements, and many times they clarified the task. Sometimes the submitted poems contained downright strange lines, for example Olga Berggolts quoted the hymn as Bulgakov’s “Fly!” parody of “Long live, long live, long live the people!” He finished with these words: yes, “relax!” (“Look at his frail physiognomy and compare it with those magnificent poems he wrote on the first day! He-he-he… “Fly!” and “relax!”… And you look inside him – he’s there thinking… you’ll be breathless! ”, Mikhail Bulgakov parodied Soviet poetic clichés in “The Master and Margarita”. Konstantin Simonov’s version glorified aggression, a trait rarely mentioned in a positive context:
Be free forever
the land inhabited
Warrior and noble
Working Russian people.
After a long research, we decided on the already existing melody of the Bolshevik Party anthem written by Alexandrov in 1938. The lyrics were written by Sergei Mikhalkov in collaboration with El-Registan and edited by Stalin himself.
Voroshilov retold According to Mikhalkov, Stalin’s thoughts were as follows: “You write: ‘A noble union of free peoples’.” Comrade Stalin makes a note: “Your Honor?” Or here: “…created by the will of the people.” Comrade Stalin notes: “The will of the people?” There was such an organization during the Tsarist period. Everything in the anthem should be very clear. Comrade Stalin believes that Lenin should be mentioned in the anthem, and not as the “people’s chosen one” [следует] He said it was “wonderful”.
On December 14, 1943, the final version was approved by the Politburo, and on December 22 by the Council of People’s Commissars of the USSR.
Why did Stalin need a new anthem?
It’s not immediately clear why the state is in such a rush about the anthem when a bitter war is in full swing. This perceived and Mikhalkov himself in his memoirs:
“How so? There were fierce battles on the front, and only the Battle of Stalingrad and Kursk were survived. <...> The national economy made heroic efforts to provide the front with everything necessary… And at this time the government attached so much importance to the creation of the Anthem of the Soviet Union!
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In addition, the “International” was very popular among both the public and the soldiers; It was staged as a sign of resistance in besieged Leningrad and occupied territories. According to the official version of the Soviet government, the anthem was necessary to change because of its obsolescence: “This is a phase that has passed now, let’s leave it at that.” [«Интернационал»] it speaks of that which has not yet destroyed the old world.” Allegedly, the revolution has already won in Russia and the people have come to power, so the song about the revolutionary struggle is no longer needed.
This version does not stand up to criticism. The US anthem is dedicated to the War of Independence and the first decades after it, La Marseillaise describes the French Revolution and the first phase of the revolutionary wars, the Dutch Anthem tells about William of Orange and his struggle with the Spaniards. Israel HaTikva is about the independence of the country, the period before the establishment of the State of Israel, and the hope of returning to their historical homeland. In other words, using a song describing historical events as an anthem is a worldwide tradition.
The perception of poetry and music is subjective, but The Internationale was not considered poorly written even by opponents of communism, and its worldwide popularity is not accidental. The artistic value of the new anthem raised questions. Soviet writer and military correspondent Mikhail Prishvin responded (MM Pristina. Diaries of 1942-1943. M.: ROSSPEN, 2012) This is about him:
“The anthem composed by SV Mikhalkov and El-Registan made a serious impression: such great deeds done at the front found such pitiful expression in poetry.”
Historians generally identify two interrelated reasons for the urgent replacement of the anthem. First, the USSR waged a difficult war and was in alliance with the anti-Hitler coalition countries. Shortly before the Tehran Conference, the Comintern, whose task was to organize world revolution and which was the purpose of the International, was dissolved in order to improve relations with the West. Replacing the anthem with the national anthem was an additional step in the same direction.
Secondly, similar changes took place in the country’s domestic policy. The official ideology in the first post-revolutionary decades was dogmatic internationalism, and if the tsarist era was defined as a period of oppression of the common people by feudal lords and the wealthy, by the second half of the 1930s the paradigm had changed. The Stalinist government tried to imitate the “people’s” and national ones by elevating to its shield the chosen heroes of past eras, attributing to them the necessary characteristics.
For example, in 1939, the author’s landmark film “Alexander Nevsky” was released, which had a very original vision of the life of the main character. There he presented himself as an ascetic and democrat, the leader of the vile people and a fierce warrior against the enemies of Russia who never mentioned God. As a result, Alexander Nevsky became one of the most popular historical figures of the USSR and modern Russia, while before the revolution he was a third-rate character.
Similar iconography also appears in connection with other characters from Russian history, such as Ivan the Terrible, Mikhail Kutuzov, Fyodor Ushakov, and Peter I. Their appearance in Soviet propaganda retellings was often extremely distant from both reality and traditional pre-revolutionary perception. but even as such, these ideas and images became popular among the people and aroused patriotic feelings. The text of the new Soviet anthem appealed to the same symbolic sequence: “Great Russia is united forever.”
The Stalin anthem went through many editions: for example, during the period of the struggle against the “cult of personality”, the mention of Stalin was removed, and during the Brezhnev period, the quote of the Party was added. The modern anthem of the Russian Federation also repeats the melody of the “Bolshevik Party Anthem”, and the text is a severely rewritten version of the original by Mikhalkov himself.
What are you thinking?
Source: Gazeta
Barbara Dickson is a seasoned writer for “Social Bites”. She keeps readers informed on the latest news and trends, providing in-depth coverage and analysis on a variety of topics.