The Prayer of Russians
English: The Prayer of Russians | |
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Молитва русских | |
Former national anthem of Russia | |
Lyrics | Vasily Zhukovsky |
Music | Melody to "God Save the Queen" |
Adopted | 1816 |
Relinquished | 1833 |
Preceded by | "Let the Thunder of Victory Rumble!" |
Succeeded by | "God Save the Tsar!" |
Audio sample | |
The Prayer of Russians |
"The Prayer of Russians" (Russian: Молитва русских, romanized: Molitva russkikh, IPA: [mɐˈlʲitvə ˈruskʲɪx]) was a song used as the national anthem of Imperial Russia from 1816 to 1833.
After defeating the First French Empire, Tsar Alexander I of Russia recommended a national anthem for Russia. The lyrics were written by Vasily Zhukovsky, and the music of the British anthem "God Save the Queen" was used.
In 1833, "The Prayer of Russians" was replaced with "God Save the Tsar" (Bozhe, tsarya khrani). The two songs both start with the same words Bozhe, tsarya khrani but differ after that.
Some consider God Save the Tsar Russia's first true national anthem, as both its words and music were Russian. Others say the title belongs to Grom pobedy, razdavaysya!, another popular song of the time, although it never had official status.
Lyrics
Russian | Pre-1917 Orthography | Transliteration | English translation |
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Боже, Царя храни! |
Боже, Царя храни! |
Bozhe, tsarya khrani! |
God, save the Tsar! |
Перводержавную |
Перводержавную |
Pervoderzhavnuyu |
The land of the first throne, |
Rarely used verses | |||
Воинство бранное, |
Воинство бранное, |
Voinstvo brannoye, |
The soldiers swear, |
Мирных воителей |
Мирныхъ воителей |
Mirnykh voiteley, |
(For our) warriors of peace, |
О, Провидение! |
О, Провидѣніе! |
O, Provideniye! |
O Providence! |
Rarely used verse | |||
Будь нам заступником, |
Будь намъ заступникомъ, |
Bud' nam zastupnikom, |
Be our protector, |