NATIONAL ANTHEM OF RUSSIA

            On this date, 25 December 2000, Russian President Vladimir Putin signs a bill into law that officially establishes a new National anthem of Russia, with music adopted from the anthem of the Soviet Union that was composed by Alexander Vasilyevich Alexandrov.

The State Anthem of the Russian Federation (Russian: Госуда́рственный гимн Росси́йской Федера́ции, tr. Gosudarstvenný gimn Rossijskoj Federací; IPA: [ɡɐsʊˈdarstvʲɪnɨj ˈɡʲimn rɐˈsʲijskoj fʲɪdʲɪˈratsɨj]) is the name of the official national anthem of Russia. Its musical composition and lyrics were adopted from the State Anthem of the Soviet Union, composed by Alexander Alexandrov, and lyricists Sergey Mikhalkov and Gabriel El-Registan. The Soviet anthem was used from 1944, replacing "The Internationale" with a more Sovietcentric and Russiacentric song. The anthem had no lyrics after 1956, due to the original lyrics having references to former leader Joseph Stalin. New lyrics were introduced in 1977 by Mikhalkov with lyrics placing less emphasis on World War II and more on the victory of communism.

The Russian SFSR was the only republic of the USSR without its own anthem, although most republics within the federation did have anthems of their own. The lyric-free "Patrioticheskaya Pesnya", composed by Mikhail Glinka, was officially adopted in 1990 by the Supreme Soviet of Russia and confirmed in 1993, after the dissolution of the Soviet Union, by the President of the Russian Federation, Boris Yeltsin. This anthem proved to be unpopular with the Russian public and with many politicians and public figures, because of its tune and lack of lyrics, and consequently its inability to inspire Russian athletes during international competitions. The government sponsored contests to create lyrics for the unpopular anthem, but none of the entries were adopted.

Glinka's anthem was replaced soon after Yeltsin's successor as President of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin, first took office on 7 May 2000. The federal legislature established and approved the music of the National Anthem of the Soviet Union, with newly written lyrics, in December 2000, and became the second anthem used by Russia after the dissolution of the Soviet Union. The government sponsored a contest to find lyrics, eventually settling upon a new composition by Mikhalkov; according to the government, the lyrics were selected to evoke and eulogize the history and traditions of Russia. Yeltsin criticized Putin for supporting the reintroduction of the Soviet-era national anthem even though opinion polls showed that many Russians favored this decision.

Public perception of the anthem is mixed among Russians. The anthem reminds some of the best days of Russia and past sacrifices, while it reminds others of the violence that occurred under the rule of Stalin. The Russian government maintains that the anthem is a symbol of the unity of the people, and that it respects the past. A 2009 poll showed that 56% of respondents felt proud when hearing the anthem, and that 25% liked it.

INTERNET SOURCE: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_anthem_of_Russia

Russian National Anthem - Children's Choir At The Mariinsky Theatre St. Petersburg

VIDEO SOURCE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AUCEk9Os-tQ