Lyrics:Hymn of the Soviet Union

The National Anthem of the Soviet Union, the State Anthem of the USSR (Государственный гимн СССР, Gosudarstvenny Gimn SSSR) was introduced during World War II on March 15, 1944, replacing The Internationale as the official national anthem of the Soviet Union as well as the national anthem of the Russian SFSR. The lyrics were written by Sergey Mikhalkov (1913–2009) in collaboration with Gabriel El-Registan (1899–1945) and the music was composed by Alexander Alexandrov (1883–1946). It was believed that Soviet soldiers would respond more to an anthem that was dedicated only to the Soviet Union rather than to a worldwide movement. The song was originally written as the Anthem of the Bolshevik Party with lyrics in the Alexandrine meter by Vasily Lebedev-Kumach in 1939.

History
The Anthem of the Soviet Union was played for the first time on the Soviet radio at midnight of the 1 January 1944. The 1944 lyrics had three different refrains following three different stanzas; in each refrain, the second line was consequently modified with references to friendship, then happiness and finally to glory. Later on, in 1977, these refrains were replaced by a uniform refrain following all stanzas. Joseph Stalin was originally mentioned in the lyrics; however, after his death in 1953 and the process of De-Stalinization, the lyrics referring to Stalin were considered unacceptable. Because of this, from that time until 1977, the anthem was played without lyrics. Revised lyrics without the references to Stalin and World War II were approved in 1977.

Lyrics


Lyrics to the Anthem of the Bolshevik Party (1939)

Lyrics to the 1944 version

Lyrics to the 1977 version

Finnish translation to the 1944 lyrics by Elvi Sinervo.


 * Oi suuri ja mahtava Neuvostoliitto
 * sun synnttyi valtava Venäjänmaa.
 * Sun luonut on kansojen yhteinen tahto,
 * sun mahtis on säilyvä aikojen taa.


 * Oi suuri vapaa synnyinmaa,
 * sun kunniaasi kaiuttaa
 * kansojen ystävyys murtumaton.
 * Sun lippuasi seuraten
 * neuvostoihminen
 * voitosta voittohon astuva on.


 * Niin suuri on Lenin.
 * Hän kirkasti tiemme,
 * kun aamuun me astuimme myrskyistä yön.
 * Ja Stalinin johdolla taistossa, työssä,
 * me kasvoimme kuntohon sankarityön.


 * Oi suuri vapaa synnyinmaa, jne.


 * Me taistellen nostimme armeijan maasta.
 * Kuin myrsky me käymme päin valloittajaa.
 * Nyt iskemme puolesta lastemme lasten
 * ja eestä sun kunnias, neuvostomaa.


 * Oi suuri vapaa synnyinmaa, jne.