Anthem of the Russian Empire
Hymn is a solemn song that praises and glorifies someone or something. The hymn genetically goes back to prayer and is found in the sacred poetry of many peoples of all times.
Currently, the anthem, along with the flag and coat of arms, is one of the national symbols of states.
From the history of European anthems
The first widely known national anthem in Europe (but not the official one) is the British “God save our Lord the King”. Then, in imitation of him, the hymns of others appeared European countries. Initially, most of them were sung to the music of the British anthem (for example, the Russian “God Save the Tsar!”, the American, the anthem of the German Empire, the Swiss and others - about 20 anthems in total). Then the anthems began to be approved by monarchs or parliaments, and therefore almost every anthem received its own melody. But the Liechtenstein anthem, for example, is still sung to the music of the English anthem.
Hymns of the Russian Empire
There were three famous anthems in the Russian Empire: “The thunder of victory, ring out!”, "Russian Prayer" And " God save the king!”.
“The thunder of victory, ring out!”
Russian-Turkish War 1787-1791 ended with the victory of the Russians and the conclusion of the Peace of Jassy between Russia and Ottoman Empire. As a result of this agreement, the entire Northern Black Sea region, including Crimea, was assigned to Russia, and its political positions in the Caucasus and Balkans strengthened significantly. In the Caucasus, the border along the Kuban River has been restored.
Ishmael was a tough nut to crack: neither Field Marshal N.V. Repnin, nor Field Marshal I.V. Gudovich, nor Field Marshal G.A. Potemkin could not “chew” him. But A.V. Suvorov did it!
D. Doe "Portrait of A.V. Suvorov"
First, he carefully examined the fortress, riding around it on a nondescript horse and dressing inconspicuously so as not to attract the attention of the Turks. The fortress turned out to be very reliably protected. “A fortress without weak points,” he said after inspection. Then Suvorov began training soldiers to take the fortress: he taught them to quickly set up ladders and storm the enemy. But he noted later that “one could only decide to storm such a fortress once in a lifetime.”
Assault on the Izmail fortress A.V. Suvorov began in the early morning of December 22, 1790, occupying all the fortifications by 8 a.m. and overcoming resistance on the city streets by 4 p.m.
The poet G. Derzhavin wrote poems in honor of the capture of Izmail “The thunder of victory, ring out!”, which became the unofficial Russian anthem of the end XVIII-beginning XIX centuries
A. Kivshenko "The Capture of Izmail"
Thunder of victory, ring out!
Have fun, brave Ross!
Decorate yourself with resounding glory.
You beat Mohammed!
Chorus:
Glory to this, Catherine!
Hail, mother tender to us!
The fast waters of the Danube
Already in our hands now;
Honoring the bravery of the Rosses,
The Taurus is below us and the Caucasus.
The hordes of Crimea cannot
Now to destroy our peace;
Selima's pride is lowered,
And he pales with the moon.
The groan of Sinai is heard,
Today in the sunflower everywhere,
Envy and enmity rage
And he is tormented within himself.
We rejoice in the sounds of glory,
So that enemies can see
That your hands are ready
We will stretch to the edge of the universe.
Look, wise queen!
Look, great wife!
What is Your glance, Your right hand
Our law, the soul is one.
Look at the glittering cathedrals,
Look at this beautiful system;
All hearts and eyes are with you
They are revived by one.
The music of the anthem was written by O. A. Kozlovsky, a Belarusian composer and organist.
Osip Antonovich Kozlovsky (1757-1831)
O.A. Kozlovsky
Born into a noble family on the Kozlovichi estate near the city of Propoisk (now Slavgorod) in the Mogilev province. Musical abilities appeared early, and the boy was sent to study music in Warsaw, where he studied at the Church of St. Yana received a musical education and practiced as a violinist, organist and singer. At one time his teacher was Mikhail Oginsky, composer and politician, best known among us as the author of the famous “Polonaise”, participant in the Kosciuszko uprising and diplomat of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth.
Having joined the formation of the Russian army in 1786, Kozlovsky participated in the Russian-Turkish war as an officer, and after the war he received recognition as a composer in St. Petersburg: he wrote “Russian Songs” and was entrusted with the design of official celebrations. In 1795 O.A. Kozlovsky, commissioned by Count Sheremetyev, writes the opera “The Capture of Ishmael” based on the text by P. Potemkin. In 1799 he was appointed “music inspector” of the imperial theaters, and in 1803 he received the position of “music director” and actually became the head of the musical and theatrical life of St. Petersburg. Then he wrote the melodrama “Zhnei, or Dozhinki in Zalesye”, the tragedy “Oedipus in Athens”, “Requiem” and other serious musical works: instrumental, choral and symphonic, two comic operas, etc. The festive cantata “Glory to you, God”, written in 1814-1815, dedicated to the victory over Napoleon. It was first performed on the day of the coronation of Nicholas I. His work enjoyed great fame in Russia. Kozlovsky is the author of the festive polonaise “The Thunder of Victory, Ring Out,” which became the anthem of the Russian Empire (1791-1816).
“Prayer of the Russians” (“Prayer of the Russian people”
This was the first Supremely approved national anthem of Russia from 1816 to 1833.
In 1815, the first two stanzas of the poem by V.A. Zhukovsky were published in the magazine “Son of the Fatherland”, they were called “Prayer of the Russian People”. The music of the anthem was the melody of the British anthem by composer Thomas Arne.
At the end of 1816, Alexander I issued a decree establishing the procedure for performing the anthem: it was to be performed during meetings of the emperor. Remained the national anthem of Russia until 1833.
God save the Tsar!
The glorious one has long days
Give it to the earth!
Proud to the humbler,
Guardian of the weak,
Comforter to all -
Send everything down!
First-power
Orthodox Rus'
God bless!
Her kingdom is harmonious,
The strength is calm!
Still unworthy
Get out of here!
Oh, Providence!
Blessing
They sent it down to us!
Striving for good,
In happiness there is humility,
Patience in sorrow
Give it to the earth!
The history of the creation of the hymn “God Save the Tsar!” (1833-1917)
In 1833 A. F. Lvov accompanied Nicholas I during his visit to Austria and Prussia, where the emperor was greeted everywhere with the sounds of the English march. Then the emperor had the idea of creating the Russian anthem - he listened to the melody of monarchical solidarity without enthusiasm. Upon his return, the emperor instructed Lvov to compose a new anthem. Nicholas I appreciated Lvov's creativity and trusted his musical taste.
The words of the anthem were also written by V.A. Zhukovsky, but lines 2 and 3 were written by A.S. Pushkin. The anthem was first performed on December 18, 1833 under the title “Prayer of the Russian People,” and from December 31, 1833 it became the official anthem of the Russian Empire under a new name “God save the king!”. This anthem lasted until February Revolution 1917
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!
Manuscript by V.A. Zhukovsky
Just six lines of the hymn and 16 bars of melody were easy to remember and were designed for verse repetition.
The music for the new anthem was written by composer A.F. Lviv.
Alexey Fedorovich Lvov (1798-1870)
P. Sokolov "Portrait of A. Lvov"
A.F. Lvov is a Russian violinist, composer, conductor, music writer and public figure. In 1837-1861. led the Court Choir (now it is State Academic Chapel of St. Petersburg- a concert organization in St. Petersburg, including the oldest professional choir in Russia, founded in the 15th century, and a symphony orchestra. Has its own concert hall).
State Academic Chapel of St. Petersburg named after. M.I. Glinka
A.F. was born. Lvov in 1798 in Reval (now Tallinn) in the family of the famous Russian musical figure F.P. Lvov. He received a good musical education in the family. At the age of seven he played the violin in home concerts and studied with many teachers. In 1818 he graduated from the Institute of Railways, worked in the Arakcheevo military settlements as a railway engineer, but did not stop studying the violin.
Since 1826 - adjutant wing.
Due to his official position, Lvov did not have the opportunity to perform in public concerts, but, playing music in circles, salons, and at charity events, he became famous as a wonderful virtuoso. But while traveling abroad, he also performed in front of a wide audience. He had friendly relations with many European performers and composers: F. Mendelssohn, J. Meyerbeer, G. Spontini, R. Schumann, who highly appreciated his performing skills. He wrote a book about the beginnings of violin playing and added his own “24 Caprices” to it, which still have artistic and pedagogical significance. He also wrote sacred music.
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 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 following 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 allegedly 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 (clearly negative characters), or 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.
In 1833, Prince Alexei Fedorovich Lvov accompanied Nicholas I during his visit to Austria and Prussia, where the emperor was greeted everywhere by the sounds of the English march. The Tsar listened to the melody of monarchical solidarity without enthusiasm. Upon returning to his homeland, the emperor wished that his own Russian march be created. Then a secret competition began to write a new monarchist anthem, in which many Russian composers took part, including the great Mikhail Glinka, but the composer Alexei Lvov, close to the court, won the competition.
The new anthem was first performed on December 18, 1833 (according to other sources - December 25), it existed until the February Revolution of 1917. After the October Revolution, this anthem was erased from the history of the new Soviet state, and the International began to perform it instead...
The anthem of the Russian Empire was called “God Save the Tsar!”, lyrics to music by A.F. Lvov was written by the famous Russian poet V.A. Zhukovsky. There was not a single person in Russia who had never heard or sung Russian anthem, glorifying the Orthodox Tsar and the Orthodox Autocratic Fatherland, at the same time this anthem was not just a patriotic march, but also a prayer, which is why it turned out to be so close to the soul of the Russian people.
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 out of here!
.
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!
On November 23, 1833, the anthem was first presented to the tsar - for which the royal family and their retinue specially arrived at the Singing Chapel, where the court singers with two military bands performed the anthem in front of them. Thanks to the sublime, choral melody, the anthem sounded extremely powerful. The tsar really liked the melody, which he listened to several times, and he ordered to “show” the anthem to the general public.
Performance of the hymn “God Save the Tsar”
On December 11, 1833, at the Bolshoi Theater in Moscow, the orchestra and the entire theater troupe took part in the performance of “Russian Folk Song” ( This is how the hymn “God Save the Tsar” was named in the poster.). 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 cannot describe to you the impression that this national song made on the audience; all the men and ladies listened to her standing; first “hurray” and then “foro” thundered in the theater when it was sung. Of course, it was repeated..."
.
On December 25, 1833, on the anniversary of the expulsion of Napoleon's troops from Russia, the anthem was performed in the halls of the Winter Palace during the consecration of banners and in the presence of high military officials. 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, parades, divorces and other occasions instead of the currently used anthem, taken from national English.”
.
On August 30, 1834, a monument, the Alexander Pillar, 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 an official setting "
Soon the music of the hymn “God Save the Tsar” became famous in Europe.
On May 26, 1883, on the Day of the Ascension of the Lord, the consecration of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior in Moscow took place, coinciding with the Day of the Holy Coronation of Emperor Alexander III to the All-Russian Throne. Then this anthem was performed especially solemnly. P.I. Tchaikovsky - back in 1880, wrote an overture in which the theme of the hymn “God Save the Tsar” sounds in a beautiful harmonic arrangement, and it was performed on the occasion of the consecration of the Temple. In total, Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky used the music of the anthem in six of his works.
However, not everyone liked the music of the anthem, for example, the famous critic V.V. Stasov did not like her and made critical remarks about her. M.I. also expressed some disapproval of the anthem. Glinka, but despite this composer A.F. Lvov 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 in it, along with Glinka, Chopin, Rimsky-Korsakov and others, the author of the official Russian anthem A.F. is depicted in an embroidered court uniform. Lviv.
Painting by I. Repin “Slavic Composers”
After the overthrow of the tsarist regime, covered by the imaginary abdication of Tsar Nicholas II from the throne and the subsequent murder royal family Bolsheviks, glorifying the royal person with a “folk song” became impossible. The new interim government almost immediately made attempts to create its own Russian anthem. Then the Russian poet V.Ya. Bryusov in March 1917 wrote an article “On the new Russian anthem”, in which he expressed the idea of the need to arrange All-Russian competition to write a hymn New Russia and suggested several options for approaching writing the music and words of this work.
He wrote: “We need a short song that, by the power of sounds, the magic of art, would immediately unite those gathered in one impulse, would immediately set everyone in one high mood”... Bryusov emphasized that the “spirit of the people”, usually characteristic of the national anthems of countries with a “uniform ” by the population, must be expressed differently in multinational Russia. According to Bryusov, the anthem cannot be “Great Russian”. He also cannot draw pathos from the Orthodox religion due to the diversity of faiths in the country. Finally, the anthem should not divide the population by class, nationality, etc. - it should sound for everyone who considers Russia their Motherland. In the verses of the anthem, as V.Ya. believed. Bryusov, should be reflected: military glory, the size of the country, the heroic past and the exploits of the people. The pathos of the words of the anthem should correspond to the pathos of the melody and contain ideas: the brotherhood of the peoples inhabiting Russia, their meaningful work for the common good, the memory of the best people native history, those noble undertakings that will open the way for Russia to true greatness... “In addition,” the poet wrote, “the anthem must be an artistic creation, genuine, inspired poetry; the other is unnecessary and useless. External form - the anthem must be a song..."
.
Following Bryusov, many other proposals were made regarding a new anthem.
At first, the orchestras performed the classic French version of “La Marseillaise,” while the Russian “Workers’ Marseillaise” was sung to the words of P. Lavrov. Meanwhile, the socialist anthem “Internationale” began to be heard more and more often at rallies and meetings. In January 1918 the International was approved by the Council people's commissars as the anthem of the country and began to be sung by the people, but it was no longer a prayer song, rather, on the contrary, it was a song of rebels who had risen to the old order of life, ready to demolish and destroy everything, in the hope of building their own world on the ruins of the old world. It remains only to add that according to Holy Scripture, “those branded with a curse” are demons, but people can also brand themselves with the curse of the Almighty if they rebel against God and begin to cooperate with demons. Here is the first verse of the international, compare it with the prayer hymn “God Save the Tsar”:
Arise, branded with a curse,
The whole world is hungry and slaves!
Our indignant mind is boiling
And ready to fight to the death.
We will destroy the whole world of violence
Down to the ground and then
We are ours, we will build a new world:
He who was nothing will become everything!
The appearance of the official anthem in the Russian Empire is associated with the victory in Patriotic War 1812 and the glorification of Emperor Alexander I. “In honor” was then in Russia the melody of the English anthem “God Save the King,” as mentioned above. Some musical works glorified the Russian victorious Tsar. Similar songs appeared already in 1813: “Song to the Russian Tsar” by A. Vostokov with the melody of the English anthem contained the following words: “Accept the crown of victory, Father of the Fatherland, Praise be to you!”
In 1815 V.A. Zhukovsky wrote and published in the magazine “Son of the Fatherland” a poem called “The Prayer of the Russians,” also dedicated to Alexander I. Someone believes that this was a translation from English, at least of the first line - “God Save the Tsar” (“God Save the Tsar” (“God Save the Tsar”). God save the king." In 1816 A.S. Pushkin added two more stanzas to the poem. On October 19, 1816, they were performed by students of the Lyceum to the music of the English anthem. Thus, on the occasion of the celebration of the anniversary of the Lyceum, Zhukovsky’s translation 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.
Thus, the text of the “Prayer of the Russian People,” the text of the Russian anthem, was practically created, but when it was performed, the music remained English. With this music, military bands in Warsaw greeted Alexander I, who arrived there in 1816. From that time on, the Emperor was ordered to always play the anthem when meeting the sovereign. For almost 20 years, the Russian Empire officially used the melody of the English anthem.
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, which has been used for so many years...” It has already been noted that Nicholas I was extremely interested in the issue of Russian state attributes, strengthening them, giving weight to monarchical symbols. It is unlikely that he decided to create a “folk song” out of boredom.
The tsar chose a person close and devoted to him as the author of the music - A.F. Lvov, although he could have chosen the number one Russian composer - M.I. Glinka. It is believed that some kind of secret competition was organized, about which the composer’s stepmother Lvova recalled: “We knew that many people compose new music to these (?) words, that even the Empress sings and plays these compositions, that the Tsar hears and does not say a word " Contemporaries in their memoirs call M.Yu. Vielgorsky and M.I. Glinka, who supposedly wrote the music of the hymn. However, the latter later reported that no one instructed him to write the anthem.
Alexey Fedorovich Lvov
Alexey Fedorovich 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, by the will of fate, 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 continued to study music, in particular, he made a new orchestration of Pergolesi’s Stabat Mater, which was performed in St. Petersburg at the Philharmonic Society. For this he receives the honorary title of composer of the Bologna Academy.
Lvov tried more than once to leave the service and focus only on music. 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, for the benefit of the service, “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 the princess’s singing on the violin and participating in home concerts of the imperial family.
It was to him that Nicholas I approached through Benckendorff with a proposal to try to write a “Russian anthem.” This happened in 1833 after the return of the Tsar from Austria and Prussia. Lvov recalled that the task seemed very difficult to him, especially when he thought about the majestic English anthem. “I felt the need,” Lvov wrote, “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.”
Although all these thoughts worried and frightened the young musician, one evening, returning home, he sat down at the table - and in a few minutes the hymn was written. Here, as we see, A.F. Lvov became like Rouget de Lisle. Zhukovsky provided practically already existing words, “fitting” them to the melody. This is how the masterpiece of Zhukovsky - Lvov appeared. The text consisted of only 6 lines:
Strong, sovereign,
Reign for our glory;
Reign to the fear of your enemies,
Orthodox Tsar!
However, thanks to its sublime, choral melody, it sounded exceptionally powerful.
On November 23, 1833, the Tsar with his family and retinue specially arrived at the Singing Chapel, where the first performance of the anthem music composed by Lvov took place with court singers and two military bands. After listening to the melody several times, the king liked it and gave the order to “show” it to the general public.
On December 11, 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. 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 cannot describe to you the impression that this national song made on the audience; all the men and ladies listened to her standing; first “hurray” and then “foro” thundered in the theater when it was sung. Of course, it was repeated...”
On December 25, 1833, on the anniversary of the expulsion of Napoleon's troops from Russia, the anthem was performed in the halls of the Winter Palace during the consecration of banners and in the presence of high military officials. 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 national English.”
On August 30, 1834, on Palace Square in St. Petersburg, a monument was opened - 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, before which the Russian anthem “God, the Tsar” was performed for the first time in such an official setting keep it."
In 1840, Lvov went on vacation, and as a non-military person, an artist. He performed concerts in Germany, England, France and everywhere else with great success; Mendelssohn, Liszt, and Schumann admired his talent as a violinist. The latter, in the article “Alexey Lvov,” wrote: “Mr. Lvov is a violinist so remarkable and rare that he can be put on a par with the first performers in general.”
The music of the hymn “God Save the Tsar” quickly became famous in Europe. The musical theme of the anthem varies in several works by German and Austrian composers. In Russia P.I. Tchaikovsky “quotes” him 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.
Lvov, favored by the sovereign (he received a precious snuffbox with diamonds, and later the motto in the coat of arms: “God Save the Tsar”), is engaged in active musical activity, writes church music, creates several operas, violin concertos, and songs. After the death of his father, he “inherited” the court singing chapel, created a wonderful ensemble and school of singing skills, and then the St. Petersburg Symphony Society.
In military service, he also received ranks - aide-de-camp to the Tsar, two years later - colonel, and in 1843 - major general.
However, the authorship of the creation of the national anthem came from A.F. Lviv the greatest glory. His co-author understood this very well. 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 five, thanks to your music, 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!
The music of the anthem was not to the liking of the famous critic V.V. Stasov, she did not delight M.I. Glinka, but A.F. Lvov 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 in it, along with Glinka, Chopin, Rimsky-Korsakov and others, the author of the official Russian anthem A.F. is depicted in an embroidered court uniform. Lviv.
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,
Give patience to the earth in times of sorrow!
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 - everything send!
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!
