The Sacred War

"The Sacred War" (Russian: Священная война Svyashchennaya Voyna, also known as Вставай, страна огромная! Vstavaj, strana ogromnaja, "Arise, Great (Vast) Country!") was one of the most famous Soviet songs associated with the Second World War. The music is by Aleksandr Aleksandrov, founder of the Alexandrov Ensemble and the music composer for the National Anthem of the Soviet Union. The lyrics are by Vasily Lebedev-Kumach.

The circumstances of the composition and first performance of the song were hurried; the lyrics were published on 24 June 1941, and Aleksandrov immediately wrote the music for them, writing the notes out on a blackboard for the singers to copy manually. The first performance was on 26 June at Belorussky Rail Terminal, where according to eyewitnesses it was sung five times in succession.^[1]

There are a number of foreign-language adaptations of this song, among them the German version Der Heilige Krieg (written by Stephan Hermlin) and the Hungarian version Fel, küzdelemre, hős haza.

In the 1990s Russian media published the allegation that the lyrics had been plagiarized by Lebedev-Kumach, and that they were indeed written during the First World War by Aleksandr Bode (Russian: Александр Адольфович Боде, 1865–1939). These claims were taken to court, and the newspaper Nezavisimaya Gazeta in June 2000 was forced to publish a retraction of the claim.^[2] Prof. Evgeniy Levashev (2000) still upheld doubts on the authorship, and on the reasonableness of the court's decision.^[3]

The song has been used during the march of the color guard in Victory Day parades in both the Soviet Union and the Russian Federation.

Lyrics

Вставай, страна огромная, Вставай на смертный бой С фашистской силой тёмною, С проклятою ордой. Припев: (2x) Пусть ярость благородная Вскипает, как волна! Идёт война народная, Священная война! Дадим отпор душителям Всех пламенных идей, Насильникам, грабителям, Мучителям людей! Припев Не смеют крылья чёрные Над Родиной летать, Поля её просторные Не смеет враг топтать! Припев Гнилой фашистской нечисти Загоним пулю в лоб, Отребью человечества Сколотим крепкий гроб! Припев (2x)

Vstavay, strana ogromnaya, Vstavay na smertny boy! S fashistskoy siloy tyomnoyu, S proklyatoyu ordoy. Pripev: (2x) Pust’ yarost’ blagorodnaya Vskipaet, kak volna! Idyot voyna narodnaya, Svyaschennaya voyna! Dadim otpor dushitelyam Vsekh plamennykh idey, Nasil’nikam, grabitelyam, Mutchitelyam lyudey. Pripev Ne smeyut kryl’ya tchornye Nad Rodinoy letat’, Poljya eyo prostornye Ne smeet vrag toptat’. Pripev Gniloy fashistskoy nechisti Zagonim pulyu v lob, Otreb’yu tchelovechestva Skolotim krepkiy grob! Pripev (2x)

Arise, vast country, Arise for a fight to the death Against the dark fascist forces, Against the cursed hordes. Chorus: (2x) Let noble wrath Boil over like a wave! This is the peoples' war, a sacred war! We shall repulse the oppressors Of all ardent ideas. The rapists and the plunderers, The torturers of people. Chorus The black wings shall not dare Fly over the Motherland, On her spacious fields The enemy shall not dare tread! Chorus We shall drive a bullet into the forehead Of the rotten fascist filth, For the scum of humanity We shall build a solid coffin! Chorus (2x)

Notes

1. В. Олару. Стихотворение в газете Независимая Молдова, 21 июня 2001 (Archived July 11, 2008, at the Wayback Machine.)
2. Опровержение Независимая газета, 5 июля 2000; A. Barinov, Бард сталинской эпохи. 105 лет со дня рождения Василия Лебедева-Кумача, «АиФ Долгожитель» № 15 (27), 8 August 2003.
3. Е. М. Левашев. Судьба песни // Архив наследия — 2000 / Сост. и науч. ред. Плужников В. И.; РАН. Российский Научно-исследовательский институт культурного и природного наследия им. Д. С. Лихачёва. — М.: Институт Наследия, 2001, 305–330. (online version).

References

• Viktor Suvorov, Моему читателю (1993)

External links

• Lyrics and recording, 1942 recording (sovmusic.ru)
• German lyrics by Hermlin (erinnerungsort.de)