Posted on 08/29/2009 6:15:41 AM PDT by TigerLikesRooster
Mikhalkov, Author of Soviet and Russian Anthem, Dead at 96
28 August 2009
By Nabi Abdullaev / The Moscow Times
Sergei Mikhalkov, author of the lyrics of the Soviet and Russian national anthems and a Rolls-Royce of Soviet poetry for more than four decades, died Thursday in a Moscow hospital. He was 96.
"He died of old age. He simply fell asleep," said his grandson, film producer Yegor Konchalovsky, RIA-Novosti reported.
President Dmitry Medvedev and Prime Minister Vladimir Putin offered condolences to his family, including his two sons, prominent film directors Oscar-winning Nikita Mikhalkov and Andrei Konchalovsky.
Both of his sons were abroad at the time of his death, news reports said.
Mikhalkov was hospitalized after suffering from a heart attack in February but celebrated his 96th birthday the next month back home with his family.
Born in Moscow on March 13, 1913, Mikhalkov wrote his first lyrics at the age of 9 and published his first song in 1928 in a Rostov-on-Don literature magazine, the poet wrote in his 1995 autobiography "I Was a Soviet Writer."
He rose to national prominence in 1935 with the publication of his popular children's book "Uncle Styopa," known as "Uncle Steeple" in the English version. The book is a simple rhythmic poem about an extra-tall Muscovite who becomes a police officer and carries out a series of charitable and heroic deeds, one after another.
(Excerpt) Read more at themoscowtimes.com ...
Ping!
Good. Another commie bites the dust.
His son Andrew Konchalovsky directed the the film ‘Tango and Cash’ with Sylvetster Stallone and Kurt Russell.
Say what you will, but it is a beautiful anthem.
I have no trouble with Russia keeping it with different words.
Germany still has their Nazi-era anthem, using a different verse, from the original Haydn composition.
He never had any political loyalties. He merely served whoever was in power. He wrote an anthem for the post Soviet Union as well.
He wrote the lyrics though not the music.
Original Lyrics:
United forever in friendship and labour,
Our mighty republics will ever endure.
The Great Soviet Union will live through the ages.
The dream of a people their fortress secure.
Long live our Soviet motherland,
Built by the people’s mighty hand.
Long live our people, united and free.
Strong in our friendship tried by fire.
Long may our crimson flag inspire,
Shining in glory for all men to see.
Through days dark and stormy where Great Lenin lead us
Our eyes saw the bright sun of freedom above
And Stalin our leader with faith in the people,
Inspired us to build up the land that we love.
Long live our Soviet motherland,
Built by the people’s mighty hand.
Long live our people, united and free.
Strong in our friendship tried by fire.
Long may our crimson flag inspire,
Shining in glory for all men to see.
We fought for the future, destroyed the invaders,
And brought to our homeland the laurels of fame.
Our glory will live in the memory of nations
And all generations will honour her name.
Long live our Soviet motherland,
Built by the people’s mighty hand.
Long live our people, united and free.
Strong in our friendship tried by fire.
Long may our crimson flag inspire,
Shining in glory for all men to see.
Changed after De-Stalinization:
Unbreakable Union of freeborn Republics,
Great Russia has welded forever to stand.
Created in struggle by will of the people,
United and mighty, our Soviet land!
Sing to the Motherland, home of the free,
Bulwark of peoples in brotherhood strong.
O Party of Lenin, the strength of the people,
To Communism’s triumph lead us on!
Through tempests the sunrays of freedom have cheered us,
Along the new path where great Lenin did lead.
To a righteous cause he raised up the peoples,
Inspired them to labour and valourous deed.
Sing to the Motherland, home of the free,
Bulwark of peoples in brotherhood strong.
O Party of Lenin, the strength of the people,
To Communism’s triumph lead us on!
In the victory of Communism’s immortal ideal,
We see the future of our dear land.
And to her fluttering scarlet banner,
Selflessly true we always shall stand!
Sing to the Motherland, home of the free,
Bulwark of peoples in brotherhood strong.
O Party of Lenin, the strength of the people,
To Communism’s triumph lead us on!
The Current Russian version:
Russia — our sacred state,
Russia — our beloved country.
A mighty will, a great glory —
Your possession for all future ages!
Refrain:
Glory to you, our free Fatherland,
Age-old union of fraternal peoples,
Ancestor-given wisdom of the people!
Glory to you, our country! We are proud of you!
From the southern seas to the polar regions
Spread our forests and fields.
You are unique in the world! You alone are like this —
Our dear land kept safe by God!
Refrain
Wide amplitude for dreams and for living
Gets opened up for us with each passing year.
Loyalty to the Fatherland gives us strength.
Thus it was, is, and always shall be!
(OMG they actually have the word “God” now in their anthem, somebody call the ACLU!)
You’re right, Alexander Alexandrov wrote the music.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CNmTO9t8Boo
(Yes it's the anthem to a Communist dictatorship, but this is still one of the coolest scenes in movie history...)
Remember also in “Red Dawn” they were playing it when they executed the locals.
United forever in friendship and labour,
...
Thus it was, is, and always shall be!
Geeze......
.....That looks longer than a Bill Clinton speech!
I can hear it now:
Through days dark and stormy where Great FDR lead us
Our eyes saw the bright sun of freedom above
And Obama our leader with faith in the people,
Inspired us to build up the land that we love.
This is the kind of thing which would make Putin all warm and fuzzy, crying in tears.
It has everything except ICBM's loaded into their silo. ICBM was a big deal back in Soviet Union. Their proud symbol of Soviet Union as a superpower.
I like Glenn Beck’s version better.
Stirring, though I now have a strange desire to attack Finland and starve the Ukraine...
Me too!! Even my kids know the words. Whenever Obi Wan Nairobi is on the tube (which is nearly daily)the younguns and I belt out the opening verse.
; )
It’s a stirring anthem, and so was the East German anthem, “Auferstanden aus Ruinen,” but both remind us that evil can lurk behind beauty. And both Russia and the old East German “Laender” are now in demographic collapse. When the playgrounds are empty, no one will be left to sing to the music.
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