My Belarusy

"My Belarusy" ("Мы, беларусы", "We Belarusians") is the unofficial title of the national anthem of Belarus and the first line of its lyrics. Officially, "My Belarusy" is titled "the National Anthem of the Republic of Belarus" (Russian: Государственный гимн Республики Беларусь, Belarusian: Дзяржаўны гімн Рэспублікі Беларусь). The song itself was written in 1955 and later became the anthem of the Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic. The music of the anthem composed by Nester Sakalouski has not been changed, however the original Soviet lyrics have not been used since the fall of the Soviet Union. The lyrics were officially changed on July 2, 2002 by a decree passed by President Alexander Lukashenko establishing the song, with new lyrics, as the national anthem.

Anthem of the Byelorussian SSR

"My Belarusy" was originally used as the anthem of Byelorussian SSR (Russian: гимн Белорусская Советская Социалистическая Республика, Belarusian: гімн Беларуская Савецкая Сацыялістычная Рэспубліка) starting from February 24 1955. The anthem was composed by Sakalouski and the lyrics were written by Maxim Klimkovich. Byelorussia was not the only Soviet Socialist Republic to adopt its own anthem; every SSR adopted their own unique anthem except for the Russian Soviet Federated Socialist Republic, which used the Hymn of the Soviet Union.

Anthem of the Republic of Belarus

File:Lukashenko anthem contest 2002.jpg

Alexander Lukashenko listening to the anthem contest finalists

File:My Belarusy first performance.jpg

The first performance of "My Belarusy" on July 2 2002

When Belarus became an independent country after the dissolution of the Soviet Union it did not have an official anthem. The inherent difficulty of selecting a national anthem was further aggravated by the fact that Belarus' had no historic state anthems, as its first complete statehood was under Soviet rule. Finally, president Alexander Lukashenko decreed that the Soviet Republic anthem would be used with modified lyrics: references to Russia, the Communist Party and to Lenin were replaced, however the dominating Soviet theme of "friendship of peoples" was preserved.

The only legal mention of the national anthem before 2002 is in the Constitution of the Republic of Belarus. Section One, Article 19 of the constitution states that "The symbols of the Republic of Belarus as a sovereign state shall be its national flag, national emblem and national anthem." While the constitution only mentioned of the use of the flag, anthem and arms as national symbols, each symbol had to be defined by law. A law introducing an anthem was not enacted until Decree 350 issued by President took effect, on July 2 2002, the day before the Belarus's independence day. The decree's main goal was to establish lyrics for them anthem and introduce musical notations with the new lyrics. However, the decree also mentioned when, where, and how the anthem is to be performed^[1]

Before issuing the decree, President Lukashenko listened to five possible candidates for the national anthem. Three out of the five candidates, including the one ultimately chosen by Lukashenko, used the music composed by Sakalouski and began their lyrics with the line "My Belarusy." ^[2] According to the newspaper Soviet Byelorussia, President Lukashenko chose the anthem on June 12, 2002 and chose to have the anthem first performed on July 3, Belarusian independece day. July 3rd is the day when the Wehrmacht was driven away from Minsk by the Red Army in 1944. ^[3] However, the first performance actually took place on July 2 at a concert, organized by the government, as part of the Belarusian independence festivities. ^[4]

Reaction

The United Nations has commented about the adoption of the anthem in a report called Nations in Transit 2003: Country Report of Belarus. The report said "Since coming to power, President Lukashenko has reintroduced the state symbols used by the old Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic. In 2002, the president approved a streamlined version of the Soviet-era anthem "My Belarusy" ("We Belarusians"), as the country's new national anthem." The UN report also mentioned about President Lukashenko banning the symbols that were used when Belarus became independent in 1991, such as the Pahonia arms and the white, red, white flag. Lukashenko claims that he banned the symbols because they were associated with fascism. ^[5] In 2003, Dr. Taras Kuzio wrote in Radio Free Europe that President Luakshenko "is the quintessential Soviet Belarusian patriot who presides over a regime steeped in Soviet nostalgia." Kuzio said that the motives of Russia and Belarus selecting Soviet era symbols is part of restoring the nostalgia. ^[6]

Regulations

Television and radio stations inside Belarus must play the national anthem twice a day: when they sign on at 6 am and again when they sign off around midnight. The anthem can be peformed at certian occasions, such as government meetings and before sporting events. When the anthem is performed at official occasions, the citizens who are present are required to stand at attention, and those in a military or police uniform must present a salute. The anthem must be performed in accordance with the lyrics and sheet music established by law. The anthem is played at every presidental inauguration after the oath of office has been recited.

Other songs

"Жыве Беларусь!" (Long Live Belarus!) has similar lyrics to the chosen anthem and is also set to Sakalouski's music. The lyrics to this song were composed in 1994, but it has never been used in any official capacity by the Belarusian Government. ^[7]

Another favorite in the competition was the poem called "Young Belarus" (Маладая Беларусь) by Janka Kupala. However, this poem has not been set to music and so could not be selected as the anthem. ^[8]

Belarus and Russia have been working towards a closer relationship with each other. The result of this cooperation is the proposal of the Union of Russia and Belarus. While Belarus and Russia will be able to keep their own symbols, there an unofficial anthem has been proposed for the Union. The song, called "Sovereign Union of Nations" (Russian: Державный союз народов, Derzhavny soyuz narodov) refers to a wider union of the two nations. The song is modified from the National Anthem of the Soviet Union, which Russia uses as their anthem today. ^[9]

Official lyrics (in Belarusian)

Lyrics by Maxim Klimkovich and Uladzimir Karyzny
Music by Nester Sakalouski

Мы, беларусы - мірныя людзі,
Сэрцам адданыя роднай зямлі,
Шчыра сябруем, сілы гартуем
Мы ў працавітай, вольнай сям'і.

Refrain:

Слаўся, зямлі нашай светлае імя,

Слаўся, народаў братэрскі саюз!

Наша любімая маці-Радзіма,

Вечна жыві і квітней, Беларусь!

Разам з братамі мужна вякамі
Мы баранілі родны парог,
У бітвах за волю, бітвах за долю
Свой здабывалі сцяг перамог!

Refrain

Дружба народаў - сіла народаў -
Наш запаветны, сонечны шлях.
Горда ж узвіся ў ясныя высі,
Сцяг пераможны - радасці сцяг!

Refrain

We Belarusians (translation)

We are Belarusians, peaceful people,
Our heart is to our native land,
We maintain generous friendship and gain our powers
Within the industrious, free family.

Refrain:

Glory to the bright name of our land,

Glory to the fraternal union of our peoples!

Our beloved mother-Motherland,

Long you live and flourish, Belarus!

Together with brothers, with fortitude, during centuries
We guarded our native thresholds,
In struggles for freedom, in struggles for fate,
We have been gaining our banner of victories.

Refrain

The friendship of peoples (which is) the power of peoples
Is our venerable, sunny path
You soar up proudly, into the bright heights,
The banner of victory, the banner of joy!

Refrain

Anthem of the Byelorussian SSR

For comparison, below is a part of the Anthem of the Byelorussian SSR.

Belarusian lyrics:

Мы, беларусы, з братняю Руссю
Разам шукалі к счасцю дарог.
У бітвах за волю, у бітвах за долю
З ёй здабылi мы сцяг перамог!

Нас аб’яднала Леніна імя,

Партыя к шчасцю вядзе нас у паход.

Партыі слава! Слава Радзіме!

Слава табе беларускі народ!

English translation:

We, the Belarusians, together with fraternal Rus',
Looked for roads to fortune.
In struggles for freedom, in struggles for fate,
We have gained our banner of victories.

We were united by the name of Lenin

The Party leads us in the quest to happiness

Glory to the Party! Glory to the Motherland!

Glory to you, Belarusian people!