Lyrics
The last four stanzas were seldomly used.
| Russian original | Post-1917 spelling | Russian Latin alphabet | English translation |
|---|---|---|---|
Боже, Царя храни! | Боже, Царя храни! | Bože, Carja hrani! | God save the Tsar! |
| English: "The Prayer of Russians" | |
|---|---|
| Молитва русских | |
Former national anthem of Russia | |
| Lyrics | Vasily Zhukovsky |
| Music | Based on that of "God Save the King" |
| Adopted | 1816 |
| Relinquished | 1833 |
| Preceded by | "Let the Thunder of Victory Rumble!" |
| Succeeded by | "God Save the Tsar!" |
| Audio sample | |
The Prayer of Russians | |
"The Prayer of Russians" [lower-alpha 1] is a patriotic hymn that was used as the national anthem of Imperial Russia from 1816 to 1833.
After defeating the First French Empire, Tsar Alexander I of Russia recommended a national anthem for Russia. The lyrics were written by Vasily Zhukovsky, and the music of the British anthem "God Save the King" was used.
In 1833, "The Prayer of Russians" was replaced with "God Save the Tsar". The two songs both have identical incipits: «Боже, царя храни». [1]
Some consider "God Save the Tsar" Russia's first true national anthem, as both its words and music were Russian. Others[ who? ] say that the title belongs to "Let the Thunder of Victory Rumble!", another popular song at the time, although it never had official status.
The last four stanzas were seldomly used.
| Russian original | Post-1917 spelling | Russian Latin alphabet | English translation |
|---|---|---|---|
Боже, Царя храни! | Боже, Царя храни! | Bože, Carja hrani! | God save the Tsar! |
An anthem is a musical composition of celebration, usually used as a symbol for a distinct group, particularly the national anthems of countries. Originally, and in music theory and religious contexts, it also refers more particularly to short sacred choral work and still more particularly to a specific form of liturgical music. In this sense, its use began c. 1550 in English-speaking churches; it uses English language words, in contrast to the originally Roman Catholic 'motet' which sets a Latin text.
"God Save the King" is the national anthem of the United Kingdom and the royal anthem of each of the British Crown Dependencies, one of two national anthems of New Zealand, and the royal anthem of most Commonwealth realms. The author of the tune is unknown and it may originate in plainchant, but an attribution to the composer John Bull has sometimes been made.
"God Save the Tsar!" was the national anthem of the Russian Empire. The song was chosen from a competition held in 1833 and was first performed on 18 December 1833. It was composed by violinist Alexei Lvov, with lyrics written by the court poet Vasily Zhukovsky. It was the anthem until the February Revolution of 1917, after which "Worker's Marseillaise" was adopted as the new national anthem until the overthrow of the Russian Provisional Government by the Bolsheviks in the October Revolution of the same year.
"Oben am jungen Rhein" is the national anthem of Liechtenstein. Written in the 1850s, it is set to the melody of the British anthem, "God Save the King", which in the 19th century had been used for a number of anthems of German-speaking nations, including those of Prussia, Bavaria, Saxony, and Switzerland.
Mikhail Ivanovich Glinka was the first Russian composer to gain wide recognition within his own country and is often regarded as the fountainhead of Russian classical music. His compositions were an important influence on other Russian composers, notably the members of The Five, who produced a distinctive Russian style of music.
"The Patriotic Song" was the national anthem of Russia from 1991 to 2000. It was previously the regional anthem of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic from 1990 until 1991, when it transformed into the Russian Federation after the dissolution of the Soviet Union. Unlike most national anthems, it had no official lyrics. Although unofficial ones were written for it, they were never adopted.
The Year 1812, Solemn Overture, Op. 49, popularly known as the 1812 Overture, is a concert overture in E♭ major written in 1880 by Russian composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. The piece commemorates Russia's successful defense against the French invasion of the nation in 1812.
The "State Anthem of the Russian Federation" is the national anthem of Russia. It uses the same melody as the "State Anthem of the Soviet Union", composed by Alexander Alexandrov, and new lyrics by Sergey Mikhalkov, who had collaborated with Gabriel El-Registan on the original anthem. From 1944, that earliest version replaced "The Internationale" as a new, more Soviet-centric and Russia-centric Soviet anthem. The same melody, but without any lyrics, was used after 1956. A second version of the lyrics was written by Mikhalkov in 1970 and adopted in 1977, placing less emphasis on World War II and more on the victory of communism, and without mentioning Joseph Stalin by name.
"Let the Thunder of Victory Rumble!" was a de facto national anthem of the Russian Empire in the late 18th and early 19th century.
"God Save Our Solomon Islands" is the national anthem of Solomon Islands. It was adopted in 1978 following independence. The lyrics were authored by Fijian-born husband and wife Panapasa and Matila Balekana, and the music was composed by Panapasa.
The Marche slave, also Marche slav in B-flat minor, Op. 31, is an orchestral tone poem by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky published in 1876. It was written to celebrate Russia's intervention in the Serbo-Ottoman War.
There is no agreed national anthem of England but it is usually defaulted in the absence of agreement to be "God Save the King." In 2016 some MPs felt that England should have its own distinct anthem with the result that there have been discussions on the subject in the UK Parliament.
"God, the Omnipotent!" also known as "God, the All-terrible!" is a hymn with words written in 1842 by Henry F. Chorley (1808–1872) and 3rd and 4th stanzas by John Ellerton (1826–1893) in 1870. It is based on a text from Revelation 19:6, "The Lord God omnipotent reigneth" (KJV). Set in 11.10.11.9 meter, the tune is from the 19th century Russian national anthem, God Save The Tsar!, composed by Alexei Lvov (1798–1870) in 1833.
"God Defend New Zealand" is one of two national anthems of New Zealand, the other being "God Save the King". Legally the two have equal status, but "God Defend New Zealand" is more commonly used. Originally written as a poem, it was set to music as part of a competition in 1876. Over the years its popularity increased, and it was eventually named the second national anthem in 1977. It has English and Māori lyrics, with slightly different meanings. Since the late 1990s, the usual practice when performed in public is to perform the first verse of the national anthem twice, first in Māori and then in English.
"Prayer for Ukraine" is a patriotic Ukrainian hymn published in 1885, which became a spiritual anthem of Ukraine. The text was written by Oleksandr Konysky, and the music was composed by Mykola Lysenko, first with a children's choir in mind. The song became the regular closing hymn in services of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, the Orthodox Church of Ukraine and other churches. It gained national significance when it was performed by mass choirs during the Ukrainian War of Independence in 1917–1920. The hymn was intended to be an official spiritual anthem of Ukraine. It has closed sessions of oblast councils, and has been performed at major national functions.
The Kremlin Clock or Kremlin Chimes, also known colloquially in the West as Moscow Clock Tower, is a historic clock on the Spasskaya Tower of Moscow Kremlin. The clock dial is above the main gates to Red Square. For decades, the chimes have rung on the quarter-hour, with bells tolling for each full hour.
The Festival Coronation March in D major, TH 50, ČW 47, is an orchestral work by Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky ordered by the city of Moscow for the coronation of Tsar Alexander III in 1883. It was written during March 1883 and performed for the first time on June 4[O.S. May 23], 1883 in Sokolniki Park (Moscow), conducted by Sergei Taneyev. The music included excerpts of the anthem God Save the Tsar. Recordings of this piece generally run between 5 and 5½ minutes.
"God Save the King" is the national anthem of the United Kingdom and the royal anthem of most Commonwealth realms.
Domine, salvum fac regem is a motet which was sung as a de facto royal anthem in France during the Ancien Régime.
