Hymns of the Russian Empire. God save the Tsar! The history of the creation of the hymn "God Save the Tsar!"

The National Anthem is not just a piece of music and poetry performed on special occasions. National anthems, according to W. Wundt, most accurately reflect the character of a nation. The anthem is a symbol of the state, reflecting the worldview and spiritual mood of society.

The anthem is a brief statement of the national and sovereign idea of ​​the people. The creation of the Russian anthem in 1833 was by no means accidental. XVIII - first half of the XIX century. - the time of formation, geographical expansion and political strengthening of the Russian Empire. On March 21, 1833, the newly appointed new Minister of Public Education S.S. Uvarov first promulgated in his circular the formula “Orthodoxy, autocracy, nationality,” which later became famous, as an expression of the new official ideology, which was approved by the emperor and was to form the basis of all state policy.

For the first time, Russia acquired a large-scale, holistic ideological doctrine, a concept of the existence of a state and a nation. The new Russian anthem was intended to be an effective expression of this new doctrine. From the point of view of state ideology, it seemed to draw a line under an entire historical period and open a new stage in the development of Russia as a self-sufficient great power that no longer needed someone else’s anthem.

The anthem can be considered, perhaps, the most “subjective” of the national-state symbols adopted in modern times, because when creating it, it is not possible to rely on the data of special science, as in the formation of a coat of arms and flag, where the laws of heraldry and vexillology dictate certain rules even to the most restless innovators.

Therefore, the task set by the Emperor was very, very difficult. Every musician should understand what the main difficulty of the task was: a melody of this kind must satisfy conditions that are almost opposite: to be original, but at the same time refined; to be musical - and capable of being performed by large crowds, and at the same time, to contain such a simple, one might say, unartificial sequence of sounds so that they are conveniently etched in the memory, and so that every commoner can repeat them without difficulty. So, the artistic struggle continued for several weeks, and then, suddenly - as almost always happens in such cases - according to an unknown psychological process called the moment of inspiration, the melody of the hymn was formed in the soul of the composer at once, completely, and in the same form as it still exists today.

Then A.F. Lvov turned to V.A. Zhukovsky with a request to write words for the finished music. Zhukovsky provided practically already existing words, “fitting” them to the melody. This is how the masterpiece of Zhukovsky - Lvov appeared. The genius of the Lviv find lay in the simplicity of the form and the power of the idea. The Russian anthem was the shortest in the world. Only 6 lines of text and 16 bars of melody easily sank into the soul, were easily remembered by absolutely everyone and were designed for verse repetition - three times. The official text originally consisted of only 6 lines:

As soon as Lvov reported that the anthem had been written, the Emperor wished to listen to him immediately. After several preparatory rehearsals, on November 23, 1833, the first performance of the anthem was scheduled for a full choir of court music with two military music orchestras - trumpet and wooden instruments. It was like a trial run.

Present were the emperor and his wife, Grand Duke Mikhail Pavlovich, as well as a number of the highest dignitaries of the empire and representatives of the clergy. Upon entering their hall, the solemn sounds of the Russian folk anthem being performed for the first time resounded. Having listened to it several times, sometimes performed only by a choir of singers, sometimes by an orchestra of this or that music, and, finally, by the whole mass of both, the august listeners enthusiastically accepted this truly artistic work of Lvov. After listening to the new anthem, the emperor approached A.F. Lvov, hugged him, kissed him deeply, and said: “Thank you, thank you, wonderful; you completely understood me.” Another eyewitness to the execution recorded almost the same words of the emperor: “It couldn’t be better, you completely understood me.” The Emperor, repeating several times: "C" est superbe! 1833 The deeply moved sovereign granted A.F. Lvov a gold snuffbox studded with diamonds with his own portrait.

The first public performance of the National Anthem took place in Moscow at the Bolshoi Theater on December 6, 1833. The orchestra and the entire theater troupe took part in the performance of the “Russian Folk Song” (as the anthem “God Save the Tsar” was called on the playbill). The next day, rave reviews appeared in the newspapers. This is what the director of the Moscow Imperial Theaters M.P. says about the historical premiere. Zagoskin: “At first the words were sung by one of the actors Bantyshev, then repeated by the whole choir. I can’t describe to you the impression that this national song made on the audience; all the men and ladies listened to it standing; first “hurray” and then “foro” thundered in the theater when they sang it. Of course, it was repeated..."

This is how one Moscow eyewitness describes this memorable theatrical evening:

“I am returning now from the Bolshoi Theater, delighted and touched by what I saw and heard. Everyone knows Zhukovsky’s Russian folk song “God Save the Tsar!” Lvov composed music to these words.

As soon as the words of the chant “God Save the Tsar!” were heard, all three thousand spectators who filled the theater rose from their seats, following the representatives of the nobility, and remained in this position until the end of the singing.

The picture was extraordinary; the silence that reigned in the huge building breathed majesty, the words and music so deeply affected the feelings of all those present that many of them shed tears from excess emotion.

Everyone was silent during the singing of the new anthem; it was only clear that everyone was holding back their feelings in the depths of their souls; but when the theater orchestra, choirs, regimental musicians numbering up to 500 people began to repeat together the precious vow of all Russians, when they prayed to the Heavenly King for earthly things, I could no longer restrain the noisy delight; The applause of the admiring spectators and the cries of “Hurray!”, mingling with the choir, orchestra and the brass music that was on stage, produced a roar that seemed to vibrate the very walls of the theater. These animated delights of Muscovites devoted to their sovereign only stopped when, at the unanimous universal demand of the audience, the people's prayer was repeated several times. For a long, long time this day in December 1833 will remain in the memory of all residents of Belokamennaya!”

Enthusiastic reviews filled the newspapers of those days, and a description of the performance soon reached St. Petersburg.

The anthem was performed a second time on December 25, 1833 [ January 6, 1834 according to the new style], on the day of the Nativity of Christ and the anniversary of the expulsion of Napoleon’s troops from Russia, in all halls of the Winter Palace in St. Petersburg during the consecration of banners and in the presence of high military ranks. This day is rightfully Happy birthday to the first truly national Russian State Anthem. On December 31 of the outgoing year, the commander of the Separate Guards Corps, Grand Duke Mikhail Pavlovich, gave the order: “The Emperor was pleased to express his permission to play newly composed music at parades, reviews, divorces and other occasions, instead of the currently used anthem, taken from the national English.”

“Dear friend,” Count Benckendorf wrote to A.F. Lvov, “Your magnificent composition has been performed. It would be impossible to present it more worthy than on this day of glory and happiness for the entire Christian world. The Emperor is fascinated by your work. He instructed me to tell you “that the Prince of Orange was delighted with him and that you should personally take the notes and words to him (the Prince), since he wants to get to know you.”

On August 30, 1834, a monument - the Alexander Column - was opened on Palace Square in St. Petersburg in honor of the victory over Napoleon in the War of 1812. The grand opening of the monument was accompanied by a parade of troops, before which the Russian anthem “God Save the Tsar” was performed for the first time in such an official setting.

From that day on, the “Russian folk song,” as Emperor Nikolai Pavlovich liked to call the Russian anthem, began its independent life and was performed on any suitable occasion. The anthem was subject to mandatory performance at all parades, at parades, during the consecration of banners, at morning and evening prayers of the Russian army, meetings of the imperial couple with troops, during the taking of the oath, as well as in civilian educational institutions. The anthem was sung when the emperor met at balls, at official entrances into cities and at ceremonial feasts after toasts to the emperor. The music of the hymn “God Save the Tsar” quickly became known in Europe. The musical theme of the anthem varies in several works by German and Austrian composers. In Russia P.I. Tchaikovsky “quotes” it in two musical works - “Slavic March” and the “1812” overture, written in 1880 and performed on the occasion of the consecration of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior in Moscow (in total, Tchaikovsky used the music of the hymn in six of his works). A.F. Lvov truly forever entered the galaxy of Russian composers, as evidenced, in particular, by the painting by I.E. Repin, hanging on the landing of the stairs at the Moscow Conservatory. The painting is called “Slavic Composers”, and on it, together with Glinka, Chopin, Rimsky-Korsakov and others, A.F. is depicted in an embroidered court uniform. Lviv.

Speaking about the hymn “God Save the Tsar,” we cannot, of course, fail to talk about the meaning of its words. Zhukovsky, as the author of the text of the national anthem, of course, was not simply a “subtextualizer” of other people’s ideas or other people’s music (even if the creation of music preceded the creation of words). Here we are dealing with a happy combination of the lyrical mood of a great poet, popular sentiment and the interests of state power.

In the eyes of the Russian people, the Tsar was a sacred national symbol, embodying the idea of ​​independence and greatness of the country. The Tsar, after God, was considered the first guardian of the Russian land, the defender of the “common” people and Orthodoxy, the “savior of faith and kingdom,” the highest ideal and focus of “Holy Rus'.” Through understanding the role of the Sovereign, who embodies the aspirations of the people, in the new text of the Russian anthem, the role of the Autocrat as an exponent of the will of God emerges more clearly. Anthem 1833 concentrated specifically on the idea of ​​autocracy. In the text of the anthem, the semantic core is the idea of ​​royal power, continuing the ancient idea of ​​paternal Autocracy. It is not without reason that in the article “On the Incidents of 1848” Zhukovsky connects the monarchical state with family and home. He writes about the European peoples who rejected monarchical power: “I looked at them as orphans, without a name, without a family, gathered under one shelter roof, which is not a fatherly home for them,” and further reflects “on his great family , about our Russia,” where “reverence for the shrine of sovereign power” has been preserved.

Comparison of the texts of “Russian Prayer” (1814) and the hymn “God Save the Tsar!” (1833) clearly reveals a difference in emphasis leading ultimately to a conceptual difference.

All epithets in the text (“strong”, “sovereign”, “Orthodox”) are not emotional characteristics, but references to the essence of royal power. Glory, victoriousness, as well as generosity and humanity are the constant and unchanging characteristics of the Russian Tsar. Strength, power, charisma of power, glory and “fear of enemies” are now associated with the idea of ​​the King and his great service. The epithet “Orthodox,” which also appeared in “Prayer,” receives an additional connotation in the hymn. In the hymn, the halo of the epithet “Orthodox” changes from the fact that it is related to another word - “Orthodox Tsar.” Here the epithet becomes a designation of the Tsar, as the keeper of the faith professed by his country.

At the same time, the anthem, in which the primacy of the spiritual over the secular remained a fundamental point, is becoming more and more universal, reflecting the ideal of the state structure of Russia as a whole. The anthem “God Save the Tsar” is a kind of “short” set of basic state laws of the Russian Empire, expressing in just six lines the essence of the primordial Russian sovereignty.

With all this, the anthem did not become a dry declaration. The words of the anthem, so that they could evoke a lasting response in the hearts of those on whose behalf they were written, should not have sounded official, they should have had a lyrical note. What was needed was sincere enthusiasm and poetic inspiration. According to the author, the anthem is an outpouring of feeling, which is designed for sympathy, i.e. to the sensitive soul. The best confirmation of this is Zhukovsky’s words about his own perception of his work: “The words of our folk song, God Save the Tsar, resonated deeply, deeply in my soul!” In the words of Zhukovsky himself: “A folk song is a wonderful native voice, expressing everything together; in it one hears a combined harmonic greeting from all the same-earth people who lived before to those living now, when the folk word sounds for you: God save the Tsar! all your Russia, with its past days of glory, with its present power, with its sacred future, will appear before you in the person of your sovereign."

Shortly before the death of V.A. Zhukovsky wrote to A.F. Lvov: “Our joint double work will outlive us for a long time. A folk song, once heard, having received the right of citizenship, will remain alive forever as long as the people who appropriated it live. Of all my poems, these humble five6, thanks to your music, will outlive all the brothers ". Where have I not heard this singing? In Perm, in Tobolsk, at the foot of Chatyrdag, in Stockholm, in London, in Rome!"

So, one hundred and seventy-five years ago, Vasily Andreevich Zhukovsky and Alexey Fedorovich Lvov, whose family coats of arms were in 1848. The motto “God Save the Tsar” was introduced; correctly capturing the feelings of the people, they managed to create a beautiful example of prayer chants and one of the best national anthems in the world.

How was this main musical work of Tsarist Russia created, which sounded during all the celebrations of 1983?

1. The appearance of the official anthem in the Russian Empire is associated with the victory in the Patriotic War of 1812 and the glorification of Emperor Alexander I. The Russian victorious Tsar was glorified in some musical works. Similar songs appeared already in 1813. Thus, “Song to the Russian Tsar” by A. Vostokov to the melody of the English anthem “God Save the King!” contained the following words: “Accept the crown of victory, Father of the Fatherland, Praise be to you!”

God save the Tsar!
Strong, sovereign,
Reign for our glory,
Reign to the fear of your enemies,
Orthodox Tsar!
God save the Tsar!

God save the Tsar!
The glorious one has long days
Give it to the earth!
Proud to the humbler,
Guardian of the weak,
Comforter of all -
All have descended!

First-power
Orthodox Rus',
God Bless!
Her kingdom is harmonious,
Calm in strength,
Still unworthy
Get away! (drive away - Slavicism)

O providence,
Blessing
It was sent down to us!
Striving for good
In happiness there is humility,
Patience in sorrow
Give it to the earth!

And it was this work, set to the music of the English anthem, that was used as the Russian anthem from 1816 to 1833.

2. In 1816, A. Pushkin added two more stanzas to the poem. On October 19, 1816, they were performed by students of the Tsarskoye Selo Lyceum to the music of the English anthem. Thus, Zhukovsky’s poem received an original continuation written by Pushkin. Zhukovsky supplemented his work in 1818 - it was performed at a public exam for students of the St. Petersburg gymnasium. The text of the Russian anthem was practically created, only the music remained English. With this music, military bands in Warsaw greeted Alexander I, who arrived there in 1816. From that time on, it was ordered to always play the anthem when welcoming the sovereign. For almost 20 years, the Russian Empire officially used the melody of the English anthem.

3. Usually the history of the creation of the official anthem of the Russian Empire is explained by the whim of Emperor Nicholas I, who allegedly said: “It’s boring to listen to English music that has been used for so many years...”

In 1833, on the instructions of Nicholas I, a closed competition for a new anthem was held. The authors should have reflected in it the unity of Orthodoxy, autocracy and nationality. Unlike the existing one since 1816, the new anthem was supposed to show not the role of God, but the role of the king in state power. Among the best participants in the competition were poets Nestor Kukolnik and Vasily Zhukovsky and composers Mikhail Glinka and Alexey Lvov. Mikhail Glinka offered the final chorus from his opera “A Life for the Tsar,” the “Glory” chorus. He was rejected and Glinka was very upset. Vasily Zhukovsky adapted his previous text, shortening it several times, and the tsar chose a person close and devoted to him, Alexei Lvov, as the author of the music.

4. Alexey Lvov was born in Reval in 1798 into an aristocratic and musical family. His father, F.P. Lvov, was the director of the Court Singing Chapel. Alexey Fedorovich received a good musical education and studied violin. However, after graduating from the Corps of Railway Engineers in 1818, he entered military service - in the military settlements of the Novgorod province under the command of A.A. Arakcheeva. Lvov tried more than once to leave the service and start studying music seriously. However, he could not refuse the chief of gendarmes A.Kh. Benckendorf and went to serve in the Ministry of Internal Affairs, convincingly asking, however, “not to use him in secret matters,” for which he was incapable. In 1826, he was seconded to the retinue of Nicholas I, first to “carry out affairs related to voyages,” and then became the manager of the affairs of the Imperial Apartment. He took part in the war with Turkey of 1828-1829, participated in the battles near Varna, receiving his first military awards. In 1832, Lvov was enlisted in the honorary Cavalry Regiment, he commanded the royal convoy, accompanying the king on all trips. From that time on, he became close not only to the emperor, but also to his family, accompanying him on the violin and participating in home concerts of the imperial family.

5. Lvov was very worried when composing music for the anthem: “I felt the need to create a majestic, strong, sensitive hymn, understandable to everyone, bearing the imprint of nationality, suitable for the church, suitable for the troops, suitable for the people - from the scientist to the ignorant.”

The anthem of Zhukovsky - Lvov consisted of only 6 lines:

"God save the Tsar!
Strong, sovereign,
Reign for our glory;
Reign to the fear of your enemies,
Orthodox Tsar!
God save the Tsar!"

Thanks to its sublime, choral melody, it sounded exceptionally powerful.

6. In November 1833, the Tsar and his family specially arrived at the Singing Chapel, where the first performance of the anthem music took place. The tsar liked the melody after listening to it several times and gave the order to “show” it to the general public.

7. In December 1833, at the Bolshoi Theater in Moscow, the orchestra and the entire theater troupe took part in the performance of the “Russian Folk Song” (as the anthem “God Save the Tsar” was named in the playbill). The next day, rave reviews appeared in the newspapers. As the National Anthem of Russia, the work of Zhukovsky - Lvov was approved on Christmas Eve 1834 - January 6 - by the highest Decree of Nicholas I. Also, the commander of the Separate Guards Corps, Grand Duke Mikhail Pavlovich, gave the order: “It was the pleasure of the Sovereign Emperor to express his permission so that at parades, at parades, divorces and other occasions, instead of the currently used anthem, taken from national English, play newly composed music."

8. On August 30 (September 11, new style), 1834, a monument was opened on Palace Square in St. Petersburg - the Alexander Pillar - in honor of the victory over Napoleon in the War of 1812. The grand opening of the monument was accompanied by a parade of troops, in front of which for the first time in such a In an official setting, the Russian anthem “God Save the Tsar” was performed.

9. The music of the hymn “God Save the Tsar” quickly became famous in Europe. Forty years later, Lvov was awarded a place of honor in Ilya Repin’s allegorical painting “Slavic Composers” among Glinka, Dargomyzhsky, Rimsky-Korsakov, Balakirev, Chopin, Oginsky and others. P.I. Tchaikovsky "quotes" him in two musical works - "Slavic March" and the overture "1812", written in 1880 and performed on the occasion of the consecration of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior in Moscow.

10. Shortly before his death, Zhukovsky wrote to Lvov: “Our joint double work will outlive us for a long time. A folk song, once heard, having received the right of citizenship, will remain alive forever as long as the people who appropriated it live. Of all my poems, these humble five, "Thanks to your music, they will outlive all their brothers. Where have I not heard this singing? In Perm, in Tobolsk, at the foot of Chatyrdag, in Stockholm, in London, in Rome!"

“God Save the Tsar” was the national anthem of the Russian Empire from 1833 to 1917. It was written on behalf of Nicholas I after his visit in 1833 to Austria and Prussia, where the emperor was greeted with the sounds of the English anthem. “God Save the Tsar” was first performed in December 1833 and at the end of the month, on the 31st, it became the official anthem of the Russian Empire. Marina Maksimova will recall the history of the creation of the anthem.

Among the definitions of the anthem one can find the following: the anthem is a symbol of the state, reflecting the ideological and spiritual mood of society, or the anthem is a brief statement of the national and sovereign idea of ​​the people. Historians say that in the 19th century the need for a new, official state anthem of the Russian Empire became obvious. The anthem was supposed to open a new stage in the development of Russia as a self-sufficient great power. The main song of the country, set to foreign music, no longer corresponded to the ideological postulates of its time.

For the first time in Russia they thought about their own anthem at the end of the 18th century after victories in the Russian-Turkish wars, then there was the famous capture of Izmail, and finally, a new patriotic impulse swept Russia after the victory over Napoleon. In 1815, Vasily Zhukovsky wrote and published in the magazine “Son of the Fatherland” a poem entitled “The Prayer of the Russians,” dedicated to Alexander I, which began with the words: “God save the Tsar!” And it was this work, set to the music of the English anthem (God Save the King), that was used as the Russian anthem from 1816 to 1833 - a whole 17 years. This happened after the conclusion of the “Quadruple Alliance” in 1815 - Russia, Great Britain, Austria and Prussia. It was proposed to introduce a single anthem for the members of the union. The music chosen was one of the oldest anthems in Europe - God Save the King.

For 17 years the anthem of the Russian Empire was performed to the music of the British anthem

Lvov recalled that the task seemed very difficult to him: “I felt the need to create a majestic, strong, sensitive hymn, understandable to everyone, bearing the imprint of nationality, suitable for the church, suitable for the troops, suitable for the people - from the scientist to the ignorant.” Such conditions frightened Lvov; he later said that days passed and he could not write anything, when suddenly one evening, returning home late, he sat down at the table, and in a few minutes the anthem was written. Then Lvov turned to Zhukovsky with a request to write words for the finished music. Zhukovsky provided practically already existing words, “fitting” them to the melody. There are only 6 lines of text and 16 bars of melody.

God save the Tsar!

Strong, sovereign,

Reign for our glory;

Reign to the fear of your enemies,

Orthodox Tsar!

God save the Tsar!

The anthem “God Save the Tsar” consisted of only 6 lines

Eyewitnesses say that Nicholas I was delighted with the new anthem. The Emperor praised Lvov, saying that he “absolutely understood him” and gave him a gold snuffbox with diamonds. The anthem was performed publicly for the first time in Moscow at the Bolshoi Theater on December 6, 1833. This is how one Moscow eyewitness describes this memorable theatrical evening: “As soon as the words of the chant “God Save the Tsar!” were heard, all three thousand spectators who filled the theater, following the representatives of the nobility, rose from their seats and remained in this position until the end of the singing. The picture was extraordinary; the silence that reigned in the huge building breathed majesty, the words and music so deeply affected the feelings of all those present that many of them shed tears from excess excitement.”

For the first time in an official setting, “God Save the Tsar” was performed in St. Petersburg during the opening of the Alexander Column on Palace Square. After this, the anthem was subject to mandatory performance at all parades, at parades, during the consecration of banners, at morning and evening prayers of the Russian army, meetings of the imperial couple with troops, during the taking of the oath, as well as in civilian educational institutions.

As a hymn, the work of Zhukovsky and Lvov existed until the abdication of Nicholas II from the throne - March 2, 1917.

God Save the Tsar
Anthem of the Russian Empire
(1833-1917)

Music by Alexey Fedorovich Lvov
Words by Vasily Andreevich Zhukovsky

God save the Tsar!
Strong, sovereign,
Reign for glory, for our glory!
Reign to the fear of your enemies,
Orthodox Tsar!
God, the Tsar, save the Tsar!

God save the Tsar!
The glorious one has long days
Give it to the earth! Give it to the earth!
Proud to the humbler,
Glorious to the keeper,
All to the comforter - all sent down!

First-power
Orthodox Rus',
God Bless! God Bless!
Her kingdom is harmonious,
Calm in power!
Anything unworthy, throw away!

The army is blasphemous,
Glory's chosen ones,
God Bless! God Bless!
To the avenging warriors,
Honor to the saviors,
Long days to peacemakers!

Peaceful warriors,
Guardians of truth
God Bless! God Bless!
Their life is approximate
Unhypocritical
Remember faithful valor!

Oh, Providence!
Blessing
It was sent down to us! It was sent down to us!
Striving for good
In happiness there is humility,
In times of sorrow, give patience to the earth!

Be our intercessor
Faithful companion
See us off! See us off!
Light and lovely,
Life in heaven
Known to the heart, shine to the heart!

Translation of the text of the song Cossack Choir - God Save the Tsar (1833-1917)

God save the Tsar
The National Anthem Of The Russian Empire
(1833-1917.)

The Music Of Alexei Fedorovich Lvov
The Words Of Vasily Andreyevich Zhukovsky

God save the Tsar!
Strong, majestic,
Reign glory, glory to us!
Reign on fear to enemies,
The king of the Orthodox!
My God, the Tsar, save the Tsar!

God save the Tsar!
Debt glorious days
Let's on the earth! Let's on the earth!
Proud serialu,
Glorious guardian,
All the Comforter - send everything!

Perladangan
Orthodox Russia,
God bless! God bless!
The Kingdom of her slender,
In the power of calm!
All the unworthy away atzeni!

The host of a curse,
Fame favorites
God bless! God bless!
Soldiers-Avengers,
Honor the saviors,
Mirotvorets long days!

Peaceful warriors,
The guardians of truth
God bless! God bless!
Their exemplary life
Unfeigned
The valor of the faithful to remember!

Oh, Providence!
Blessing
We send! We send!
To the good desire,
In the happiness of humility,
In sorrow patience give on earth!

Whether we intercede
Faithful satellite
Follow us! Follow us!
Light pretty,
The life of the celestial Empire,
Known heart, the heart Shine!

The national anthem is not just one of the symbols of the country, it is also a reflection of the era. The main song of the state should contain not just a set of memorable words, but also certain ideological postulates of its time. This is exactly what the anthem “God Save the Tsar,” which was the main song of Russia from 1833 to 1917, successfully did.

For the first time in Russia they thought about their own anthem at the end of the 18th century, after victories in the Russian-Turkish wars. In 1791 the poet Gabriel Derzhavin, inspired by the capture of Ishmael by the army under the command of Alexandra Suvorova, wrote the song “Roll the Thunder of Victory.” Created the music for the work Osip Kozlovsky, and within a short time the song gained extremely great popularity in Russia. I liked the song and, so to speak, “at the very top.” Thanks to this, “Roll the Thunder of Victory” became the unofficial anthem of the Russian Empire for a quarter of a century. Unofficial, because no one made an official decision about this.

A new patriotic impulse swept Russia after the victory in the war with Napoleon. Famous writer and statesman, mentor of the Tsarevich Alexander Nikolaevich, future emperor Alexandra II, Vasily Andreevich Zhukovsky wrote in 1815 the poem “Prayer of the Russian People”, which began with the terms:

God save the Tsar!

The glorious one has long days

Give it to the earth!

The work, the first two stanzas of which were published in the magazine “Son of the Fatherland” for 1815, was to the taste Alexander I, and in 1816 it was approved as the official anthem of the Russian Empire.

True, a purely Russian incident occurred here. The anthem had lyrics but no original music. However, the emperor and those close to him decided that the music of the English anthem “God save the king” would be quite suitable for this.

Photofact AiF

Pushkin and incorrect borrowing

Vasily Andreevich Zhukovsky, an incredibly talented man, remained in history in the shadow of his younger friend and another genius - Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin. And, imagine, even Pushkin indirectly participated in the story with the anthem.

In the same 1816, when Zhukovsky’s text became the national anthem, the Tsarskoye Selo Lyceum celebrated its 5th anniversary. The director of the institution turned to the lyceum student Pushkin, who wrote his loyal poem called “The Prayer of the Russians.” The young poet added two verses of his own to Zhukovsky’s original lines.

It is important to note that the text of the anthem approved by Alexander I was also called “The Prayer of the Russians,” which gave rise to subsequent confusion.

Zhukovsky was very unlucky in this story. Some believe that his “Prayer of the Russian People” is a free translation of the text of the English anthem, others point to Pushkin, believing that the “Sun of Russian Poetry” is the real author of the anthem. Although, if we can talk about “incorrect borrowing,” it would be by Pushkin from Zhukovsky, but not vice versa.

Photo fact: AiF

Lvov, Zhukovsky and a drop of “Sun”

For the next 17 years, Russia lived with an anthem with words by Zhukovsky and British music, until the next Russian emperor Nicholas I after one of his foreign visits, he did not ask a very logical question: how long will the Russian anthem have someone else’s music?

According to legend, a competition was supposedly organized among the best Russian composers, at which the music was chosen. In fact, Emperor Nikolai Pavlovich did not deign to compete. In his circle at that time there was Alexey Lvov, a talented composer and violinist who successfully combined music studies with public service. The emperor commissioned him to write music. Lvov was inspired by the idea and created music, as they say, on the fly.

Photofact AiF

And then Vasily Andreevich Zhukovsky did what the creator of the Soviet anthem would later repeat Sergei Vladimirovich Mikhalkov— he wrote a corrected version of the text:

God save the Tsar!

Strong, Sovereign,

Reign for glory, for our glory!

Reign to the fear of your enemies,

Orthodox Tsar!

God save the Tsar!

When they say that Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin was the author of the anthem “God Save the Tsar,” they mean the line “Strong, sovereign,” which was not in the first version of Zhukovsky’s anthem. But the line “strong power” was in the text written by Pushkin at the Lyceum.

Photofact AiF

The most enduring anthem

The new version of the anthem was first heard on December 18, 1833 under the title “Prayer of the Russian People” and received the highest approval. Since 1834 it has become the official anthem of the Russian Empire.

Today, “God Save the Tsar” is the most enduring national anthem. It existed in this status for more than 80 years.

The extreme brevity of the anthem is striking - only six lines, designed to be repeated three times in verses, and 16 bars of music. As they say, everything ingenious is simple.

After the revolution of 1917, “God Save the Tsar” disappeared from the life of our state for a long time, returning about 40 years later. In Soviet cinema, the anthem was performed either by ideological monarchists (strongly negative characters) or by positive heroes who used it to achieve their goals. This was most clearly manifested in the film “New Adventures of the Elusive,” where a Soviet intelligence officer, trying to establish contacts with a white counterintelligence officer, asks the artists in a restaurant to perform “God Save the Tsar,” which turns into a fabulous fight between representatives of different political views. It must be said that this film episode could easily be repeated in our present life, if someone suddenly suddenly wants to perform “God Save the Tsar” in a restaurant.