Russian National Anthem History, Etiquette, Lyrics, MP3 Download, Video

Brief overview: The Russian National Anthem, also known as the Hymn of the Russian Federation, is an adaptation of the national anthem of the former Soviet Union. It is one of the primary official state symbols of the Russian Federation, together with the Russian Flag and Coat of Arms. The anthem's melody was composed by Alexander Alexandrov, while the lyrics were written by Sergey Mikhalkov. The phrase "unbreakable union" was removed from the current version of the anthem. The updated version of the anthem was first introduced on December 25, 2000 for the music and on December 30, 2000 for the lyrics.

Full version: The Russian National Anthem has a historical background that traces back to the Soviet era. After the 1917 revolution, Soviet Russia adopted "The Internationale," which remained the anthem of the Soviet Union until 1944. During World War II, in 1944, a new anthem was introduced. Its music was written by Alexander Alexandrov in 1939 as the "Hymn of the Bolshevik Party," and the lyrics were written by Sergey Mikhalkov and Gabriel El-Registan. In 1977 the lyrics were revised to remove the references to Stalin, and this anthem was used until the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991.

After the fall of the Soviet Union, the need to choose a new national anthem for the Russian Federation came up. In 1990, the "Patriotic Song" by the 19th-century composer Mikhail Glinka was chosen, and it served as the official anthem until 2000. It never had official lyrics: a competition was held, and a text by Viktor Radugin was the most popular one, but no words were ever approved. Many athletes and public figures complained that an anthem without words was hard to sing. In 2000, Russia returned to Alexandrov's Soviet-era melody with new lyrics by Sergey Mikhalkov — the same poet who had written the original Soviet lyrics more than half a century earlier.

The melody of the Russian National Anthem has a unique history. The piece was composed by Alexander Alexandrov, the founder of the Red Army Choir, now known as the Alexandrov Ensemble. The current version of the anthem was first introduced on December 25, 2000, for the music, and on December 30, 2000, for the lyrics. The Russian National Anthem is one of the primary official state symbols of the Russian Federation, along with the Russian Flag and Coat of Arms. The "unbreakable union" phrase from the Soviet-era anthem was also removed from the National Hymn of Russia.

In conclusion, the Russian National Anthem has an interesting history that is closely related to the Soviet Union. Over the years, it has undergone several changes. The acceptance of the latest version reflects modern Russian values and aspirations, and at the same time, it recognizes the country's rich musical and political history.