Anthem of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic

The State Anthem of the Ukrainian SSR[lower-alpha 1] was the Soviet republican anthem of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic when it was one of the republics of the Soviet Union.

Ukrainian: Derzhavnyy himn Ukrayins'koyi Radyans'koyi Sotsialistychnoyi Respubliky
Russian: Gosudarstvennyy gimn Ukrainskoy Sovetskoy Sotsialisticheskoy Respubliki

English: Anthem of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic
Державний гімн Української Радянської Соціалістичної Республіки (Ukrainian) Государственный гимн Украинской Советской Социалистической Республики (Russian)
Republican anthem of the  Ukrainian SSR
Lyrics	Pavlo Tychyna (original) Mykola Bazhan (updated)
Music	Anton Dmytrovych Lebedynets, 1949
Adopted	1949 (original lyrics) 1978 (improved lyrics)
Relinquished	1992
Succeeded by	Shche ne vmerla Ukrayiny ni slava ni volya
Audio sample
Anthem of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic file help

Since 2015, performance of this song is prohibited in Ukraine and offenders may be subject to up to five years imprisonment for "Propaganda of the Soviet and Communist symbols".[1]

Background

The idea of creating the anthem arose in context with introduction of the Ukrainian SSR to the United Nations organization, the creation of which was discussed at the 1943 Teheran Conference.[2] In order to receive extra votes in the United Nations, Stalin came up with the idea to add two union republics - Ukraine and Belarus - which had to be portrayed as fully sovereign republics.[2] In relation to that about a month later on 28 January – 1 February 1944 in Moscow was convened the 10th session of the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union which adapted laws about creation of key people's commissariats (ministries) in union republics such as defense and foreign affairs.[2] Already on 3 February 1944 the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet issued its Ukase "About state anthems of Soviet republics", according to which all union republics were obligated to adopt own anthems.[2]

In spring of 1944 in Kiev was established a commission in preparation of anthem draft, which was headed by director of the Agitation and Propaganda section of the Central Committee of the Communist Party (b) of Ukraine Konstantin Litvin.[2][lower-alpha 2] The Ukrainian poets who participated in contest were given quite responsible and "delicate" task to create such "main song of Ukraine" that in all and completely would "fit" into the politically ideological context of the All-Union anthem (State Anthem of the Soviet Union) and at the same time reflect the Ukrainian national characteristics.[2]

The leitmotif or motto-theme of practically all variants of the Ukrainian anthem lyrics submitted at the contest became glorification of the "older brother – the Great Russian people"[lower-alpha 3] and the "Vozhd of all nations Joseph Stalin".[2] Among such variants were examples that began with the following leading lines:[2]

• "In fraternal unity of Slavic nations our first brother is the people of Russia"
• "Russia is our freedom and glory that united our nation and our land bloomed"
• "Be glorious in the heart of Ukraine, the great friend, our Russian brother"

The authors were offering to implement into the anthem lines that would call Ukrainians "to live under the sun of the Kremlin and Moscow", "follow the freedom road under the stars of friendship, the stars of Moscow",[lower-alpha 4] to glorify "in the heart of Ukraine, the great friend, our Russian brother" and so on.[2] In regards to Joseph Stalin, the creative fantasy of anthem writers had no limits indeed.[2] The Vozhd was named as the Sun, the Dawn, the Father of Ukraine (e.g. "Two suns you have one in the Kremlin, another burns in the blue sky").[2] There were numerous versions that were submitted, but never adopted during the still ongoing war.[2] Finally in 1949 due to certain awkwardness in the United Nations, there arose the issue to make changes to the Ukrainian state symbols, so there was finally adopted the new State Emblem and State Flag of the Ukrainian SSR.[2]

The authors of lyrics of the State Anthem of the Ukrainian SSR became prominent Soviet Ukrainian poets Pavlo Tychyna and Mykola Bazhan,[lower-alpha 5] while the music was written by a creative team led by Soviet composer Anton Lebedynets.[2] The text body of the "main Ukrainian patriotic song", completely "fitted" into the ideological context of the All-Union anthem by glorifying the Soviet Union, in which the united Ukraine "found its happiness", "as a flower has blossomed", the Russian people who "in struggle for the fate of our nation was always our friend and brother", as well as the vozhdes like Lenin who "illuminated us the path to freedom" and Stalin who "leads us to the illustrious heights".[2]

When Stalin died in 1953, during the De-Stalinization, the State Anthems were muted by Nikita Khrushchev alongside with the Ukrainian SSR. In 1977, the Soviet Union adopted a new constitution and lyrics of the National Anthem, all its Socialist Republics followed the same path.

The fact that in the Ukrainian Soviet anthem the manifestation of national patriotic sentiments was transmitted through demonstration of loyalty to other nation undoubtedly could be considered the most fascinating paradox of the Ukrainian Soviet authorship of anthem.[2] However that paradox was completely natural as the anthem of the UkrSSR was a real visiting card of the Ukrainian Soviet puppet statehood.[2] Such it remained and after the implemented respective corrections in it in 1978 following the All-Union parenting model.[2]

The music was composed by Anton Dmytrovych Lebedynets, and the words were written by Pavlo Tychyna. In 1978, the second stanza of the lyrics was changed by Mykola Bazhan to remove mentions of Joseph Stalin; the new third stanza omitted reference to the “people’s sword of righteous anger” and added a new reference to “Lenin’s party” (the Communist Party of the Soviet Union) while retaining the one to Communism itself. The anthem of the USSR was also played during nearly all official events in Ukraine.

On 15 January 1992, the Presidium of Verkhovna Rada issue its ukase stating that the Anthem of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic loses its status and starting with 16 January 1992 it is replaced with the Ukrainian anthem.

In 2002 there was an attempt to reintroduce the Ukrainian Soviet anthem with a changed text edited by Mykhailo Tush.[4] Previously, the Soviet anthems were already revived in the Russian Federation and Belarus.[4] Another attempt took place in 2010.[5]

Lyrics

[6][7]

Original lyrics: 1949—78

Ukrainian (main)

Anglo-Ukrainian romanization

Живи, Україно, прекрасна і сильна, В Радянськім Союзі ти щастя знайшла. Між рівними рівна, між вільними вільна, Під сонцем свободи, як цвіт, розцвіла. Приспів: Слава Союзу Радянському, слава! Слава Вітчизні народів-братів! Живи, Україно, радянська державо, Возз’єднаний краю на віки-віків! Нам завжди у битвах за долю народу Був другом і братом російський народ, І Ленін осяяв нам путь на свободу, І Сталін веде нас до світлих висот. Приспів Розіб’ємо всі ми ворожі навали Народного гнiву священним мечем! Пiд стягом радянським ми дужими стали I в світ Комунізму велично ідем! Приспів

Zhyvy, Ukrayino, prekrasna i syl'na, V Radyans'kim Soyuzi ti shchastya znayshla. Mizh rivnymy rivna, mizh vil'nymy vil'na, Pid sontsem svobody, yak tsvit, roztsvila. Prispiv: Slava Soyuzu Radyans'komu, slava! Slava Vitchyzni narodiv-brativ! Zhyvy, Ukrayino, radyans'ka derzhavo, Vozz’yednanyy krayu na viky-vikiv! Nam zavzhdy u bytvakh za dolyu narodu Buv druhom i bratom rosiys'kyy narod, I Lenin osyayav nam put' na svobodu, I Stalin vede nas do svitlykh vysot. Prispiv Rozib’yemo vsi my vorozhi navaly Narodnoho hnivu svyashchennym mechem! Pid styahom radyans'kym my duzhymy staly I v svit Komunizmu velychno idem! Prispiv

English translation

I Live, Ukraine, the beautiful and mighty, You have found happiness in the Soviet Union. Equal among equals, free among the free ones, You have bloomed as a flower under the sunrays of freedom. Chorus: Glory to the Soviet Union, Glory! Glory to the Motherland of fraternal nations! Live, Ukraine, the Soviet state, Reunited country forever and ever! II Always in battles for our people's fate The Russian people were our brothers and friends. And Lenin illuminates our path to freedom, And Stalin leads us to the bright heights. <small>Chorus</small> III We shall destroy all our enemy invasions With sacred sword of our People's anger! Under the Soviet banner we became mighty And in the world of Communism we majestically go! <small>Chorus</small>

Post-Stalinist version: 1978—91

Ukrainian (main)

Anglicized Romanization of Ukrainian

Живи, Україно, прекрасна і сильна, В Радянськім Союзі ти щастя знайшла. Між рівними рівна, між вільними вільна, Під сонцем свободи, як цвіт розцвіла. Приспів: Слава Союзу Радянському, слава! Слава Вітчизні на віки-віків! Живи Україно, радянська державо, В єдиній родині народів-братів! Нам завжди у битвах за долю народу Був другом і братом російський народ, Нас Ленін повів переможним походом Під прапором Жовтня до світлих висот. Приспів Ми славим трудом Батьківщину могутню, Утверджуєм правду безсмертних ідей. У світ комунізму – величне майбутнє Нас Ленінська партія мудро веде. Приспів

Zhyvy, Ukrayino, prekrasna i syl'na, V Radyans'kim Soyuzi ty shchastya znayshla. Mizh rivnymy rivna, mizh vil'nymy vil'na, Pid sontsem svobody, yak tsvit roztsvila. Refrain: Slava Soyuzu Radyans'komu, slava! Slava Vitchyzni na viky-vikiv! Zhyvy, Ukrayino, radyans'ka derzhavo, V yedyniy rodyni narodiv-brativ! Nam zavzhdy u bytvakh za dolyu narodu Buv druhom i bratom rosiys'kyy narod. Nas Lenin poviv peremozhnym pokhodom Pid praporom zhovtnya do svitlykh vysot. Refrain My slavym trudom bat'kivshchynu mohutnyu, Utverdzhuyem pravdu bezsmertnykh idey. U svit komunizmu – velychne maybutnye Nas Lenin'ska partiya mudro vede. Refrain

English translation

I Live for Ukraine, the beautiful and mighty, You have found happiness in the Soviet Union. Equal among equals, free among the free ones, You have bloomed as a flower under the sunrays of freedom. Chorus: Glory to the Soviet Union, Glory! Glory to the Motherland in the eternity! Live for Ukraine, the Soviet state, In the united society of fraternal nations! II Always in battles for our people's fate The Russian people were our brothers and friends. Lenin led us in a victorious campaign Under October's banner to brilliant heights. <small>Chorus</small> III We fame our mighty Fatherland with labor, Affirm the truth of immortal ideas. Into the world of Communism – the great future – Lenin's party wisely leads us. <small>Chorus</small>

See also

• Ukrainian anthem

Notes

1. Ukrainian: Державний гімн Української Радянської Соціалістичної Республіки, romanized: Derzhavnyy himn Ukrayins'koyi Radyans'koyi Sotsialistychnoyi Respubliky
2. According to the Handbook on history of the Communist Party and the Soviet Union 1898–1991, Konstantin Litvin at the time was a deputy director of the section and became a director on 6 October 1944.[3]
3. Official term for the today's Russians in the Russian Empire was Great Russian people, while Ukrainians were officially called as Little Russian people.
4. The main element of the Mossovet emblem is a big red star.
5. Both Tychyna and Bazhan were members of the All-Union Communist Party (Bolsheviks) and in 1952 were admitted to the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Ukraine.

References

1. "За гимн СССР - 5 лет тюрьмы: декоммунизация в цифрах и фактах". www.segodnya.ua (in Russian). Retrieved 2019-05-26.
2. Vladyslav and Liudmyla Hrynevych. The state anthems of the Soviet Union and the Ukrainian SSR: what ideological heritage we are renouncing (ДЕРЖАВНІ ГІМНИ СРСР ТА УРСР: ВІД ЯКОЇ ІДЕОЛОГІЧНОЇ СПАДЩИНИ МИ ВІДМОВЛЯЄМОСЯ). Mirror Weekly. 28 March 2003 (in Ukrainian)
   ГОСУДАРСТВЕННЫЕ ГИМНЫ СССР И УССР: ОТ КАКОГО ИДЕОЛОГИЧЕСКОГО НАСЛЕДИЯ МЫ ОТКАЗЫВАЕМСЯ. (in Russian)
3. Литвин Константин Захарович. Handbook on history of the Communist Party and the Soviet Union 1898–1991.
4. Wordless independence (Бессловесная независимость). Ukrayinska Pravda. 22 August 2002.
5. Andriy Kuznetsov. After the billboards with Lenin and Stalin, the Luhansk communists are rewriting the Ukrainian anthem (Після білбордів із Леніним і Сталіним луганські комуністи переписують гімн України). Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. 5 July 2010
6. Гімн Української РСР (Сталінська версія) - Anthem of the Ukrainian SSR (Stalin Version), retrieved 2019-11-03
7. Гимн Украинской ССР - "Живи, Україно, прекрасна і сильна" [Рус суб / Eng subs], retrieved 2019-11-03

External links

• Ukase of the Presidium № 3178-IX. About the State Anthem of the Ukrainian SSR (Про Державний гімн Української РСР). Verkhovna Rada of the Ukrainian SSR. 22 March 1978.
• Ukase of the Presidium № 2042-XII. About the State Anthem of Ukraine (Про Державний гімн України). Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine. 15 January 1992.
• Why the Soviet Ukraine was only a façade of the Soviet Russian occupation of Ukraine (Чому радянська Україна була лише фасадом російсько-радянської окупації України). The Ukrainian Week. 13 December 2012
• MIDI-like mp3 file
• Vocal recording in MP3 format
• Lyrics - nationalanthems.info