Shiroka Strana Moya Rodnaya
Very Large You Are, My Native Country, Широка страна моя родная
This song, also called "Song Of The Motherland", is a famous patriotic Soviet song, written in 1936 by the composer Isaak Dunaevskiy for the film "Circus", directed by Grigory Alexandrov, to the words of the poet Vasily Lebedev-Kumach.
Some time earlier, the famous writers Ilya Ilf, Yevgeny Petrov and Valentin Kataev had written the play "Under The Dome Of The Circus" for the Moscow Music Hall, which appeared to be original and successful. It was this play that brought the idea for the film "Circus". At that time, 1936, the world was in a turbulent period, with the Ku Klux Clan in the USA, the fascists in Europe. The foremost masters of the cinema wanted to tell about the internationalism of the Soviet people, and their love of their country. This was also the idea behind the movie "Circus", where the main character, Marion Dixie, was staged as the mother of a black child. The verse line "It does differ neither white, nor black" refers to this very idea. |
Lebedev-Kumach and Dunaevskiy were asked by the film director, Grigory Alexandrov, to create a song that would reflect the essence, the idea of the whole movie. They both started, sitting around the table, and created a first song. Soon though they came to the conclusion that nobody would sing it, as it was too heavy. The next song appeared them impossible to be related to the motherland, and they rejected this one too. Also the next, and the next ... For six months they had been sitting together, rejecting one song after another, till eventually the thirty-sixth version could satisfy them both: the "Song Of The Motherland" was born. Some of the other songs they wrote during that period were not used in the film "Circus", but became popular on their own, or were used in other movies.
Even before the release of the film on the screen, the "Song Of The Motherland" was broadcasted by radio and was heard in all regions of the country. The young people heard the song and learned it, while only months later the film "Circus" did reach them. With the greatest enthusiasm the Komsomol members (a communist youth organization in the Soviet Union) wrote to movie producing studio "Mosfilm", congratulating them for having used the folk song "Song Of The Motherland" in their film, which without any doubt was one of the best praises the composer and the poet could get for their work. This was the way the "Song Of the Motherland" started its glorious life.
After the adoption of the "Stalin Constitution" of December 5th, 1936, the song was completed with a verse about the "Nationwide Stalin Law", which ceased to be performed in the 50's. |
Paul Robson performs the song in Russian
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It was not only in peacetime that "The Song Of The Motherland" sounded. After the outbreak of the Great Patriotic War in 1941, Churchill issued a statement on the support of the USSR. On this occasion the BBC, not wanting to perform the USSR anthem, which was the "Internationale" composed by the Belgian composer Pierre De Geyter, aired "The Song Of The Motherland". Also on the fronts and even the battlefield itself the song sounded, the soldiers were singing it while going on a long march. One Soviet pilot, who perished in Spain, fighting against Franco, wrote to his wife: "Remember me with the words of this song!" The famous Soviet partisan troop of the Great Patriotic War, leaded by Kovpak, used to sing this song starting every long march.
Isaak Dunaevskiy
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Grigory Alexandrov, the film director, recalled having heard in Paris, France, how the participants of the working demonstration sang the "Song Of The Motherland". In London, at a public meeting on the occasion of the anniversary of the October Revolution in Russia, more than nine thousand Londoners sang the song in English! Apparently everybody knew the song, it was even known up to the USA, where the famous bass-singer Paul Robson performed it. Also in America, during the WWII, the film "The Northern Star" was staged, according to the script of the famous American author of Jewish origin, Lillian Hellman. The film told about the heroic struggle of the Soviet partisans, and as an anthem of the Soviet people the "Song Of The Motherland" was included, performed in English.
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In the 90's of previous century some Russian politicians wanted "The Song Of The Motherland" to become the national anthem of Russia, and in 2000 the similar proposals were made, as it remains a popular patriotic tune, that is seen by many people as a symbol of Russia.
Among the first and most famous performers were the Soviet movie star, Lubov Orlova, who performed the role of the American woman Marion Dixie, and her husband, the film producer Grigory Alexandrov, who sang in the movie. Lubov Orlova sang with an artificial American accent. In the Soviet years, a lot of performers and ordinary people sang this song on festive occasions, as well as when the soul asked for it, as the song is easy for memorizing and singing. It stayed the theme song of the Soviet radio for a very long time from 1939, it was learned and sung at schools. After the 1991 the public mood changed concerning all the songs regarded to be Communist. However, it firmly stays in the historical memory and is known almost by everybody, that is proved by occasional flash-mobs. Sometimes it is performed at the official festivities also as a bright and patriotic one.
Among the performers: Peter Leshchenko, Mark Reisen, Ivan Petrov, Muslim Magomaev, Iosif Kobzon, Renat Ibragimov, Zara, Aziza, Nadezhda Babkina, Andrei Malikov, Elena Maksimova & Evgeny Kungurov, Syabry ensemble, and many others. There are versions in other languages.
SIMPLE SCORE
Among the first and most famous performers were the Soviet movie star, Lubov Orlova, who performed the role of the American woman Marion Dixie, and her husband, the film producer Grigory Alexandrov, who sang in the movie. Lubov Orlova sang with an artificial American accent. In the Soviet years, a lot of performers and ordinary people sang this song on festive occasions, as well as when the soul asked for it, as the song is easy for memorizing and singing. It stayed the theme song of the Soviet radio for a very long time from 1939, it was learned and sung at schools. After the 1991 the public mood changed concerning all the songs regarded to be Communist. However, it firmly stays in the historical memory and is known almost by everybody, that is proved by occasional flash-mobs. Sometimes it is performed at the official festivities also as a bright and patriotic one.
Among the performers: Peter Leshchenko, Mark Reisen, Ivan Petrov, Muslim Magomaev, Iosif Kobzon, Renat Ibragimov, Zara, Aziza, Nadezhda Babkina, Andrei Malikov, Elena Maksimova & Evgeny Kungurov, Syabry ensemble, and many others. There are versions in other languages.
SIMPLE SCORE
Russian lyrics
Припев: Широка страна моя родная, Много в ней лесов, полей и рек! Я другой такой страны не знаю, Где так вольно дышит человек. От Москвы до самых до окраин, С южных гор до северных морей Человек проходит как хозяин Необъятной Родины своей. Всюду жизнь привольно и широко, Точно Волга полная, течет. Молодым везде у нас дорога, Старикам везде у нас почет. Припев: Широка страна моя родная, Много в ней лесов, полей и рек! Я другой такой страны не знаю, Где так вольно дышит человек. Наши нивы взглядом не обшаришь, Не упомнишь наших городов, Наше слово гордое «товарищ» Нам дороже всех красивых слов. С этим словом мы повсюду дома, Нет для нас ни черных, ни цветных, Это слово каждому знакомо, С ним везде находим мы родных. Припев: Широка страна моя родная, Много в ней лесов, полей и рек! Я другой такой страны не знаю, Где так вольно дышит человек. Над страной весенний ветер веет, С каждым днем все радостнее жить, И никто на свете не умеет Лучше нас смеяться и любить! Но сурово брови мы насупим, Если враг захочет нас сломать. Как невесту, Родину мы любим, Бережем, как ласковую мать! Припев: Широка страна моя родная, Много в ней лесов, полей и рек! Я другой такой страны не знаю, Где так вольно дышит человек. |
Transliteration
Pripev: Shiroka strana moya rodnaya, Mnogo v ney lesob, poley i rek. Ya drugoy takoy strany ne znayu, Gde tak vol'no dyshit chelovek. Ot Moskvy do samykh do okrain, S yuzhnykh gor do severnykh morey, Chelovek prokhodit kak khozyain Neob'yatnoy Rodiny svoyey. Vsyudu zhizn' privol'no i shiroko, Tochno Volga polnaya, techet. Molodym vezde u nas doroga, Starikam vezde u nas pochet. Pripev: Shiroka strana moya rodnaya, Mnogo v ney lesov, poley i rek! Ya drugoy takoy strany ne znayu, Gde tak vol'no dyshit chelovek. Nashi nivy vzglyadom ne obsharish', Ne upomnish' nashikh gorodov, Nashe slovo gordoye "tovarishch" Nam dorozhe vsekh krasivykh slov. S etim slovom my povsyudu doma, Net dlya nas ni chernykh, ni tsvetnykh, Eto slovo kazhdomu znakomo, S nim vezde nakhodim my rodnykh. Pripev: Shiroka strana moya rodnaya, Mnogo v ney lesov, poley i rek! Ya drugoy takoy strany ne znayu, Gde tak vol'no dyshit chelovek. Nad stranoy vecenniy veter veyet, S kazhdym dnem vse radostneye zhit', I nikto na svete ne umeyet Luchshe nas smeyat'sya i lyubit'. No surovo brovi my nasupim Yesli vrag zakhochet nas slomat', Kak nevestu, Rodinu my lyubim, Berezhem, kak laskovuyu mat'. Pripev: Shiroka strana moya rodnaya, Mnogo v ney lesov, poley i rek. Ya drugoy takoy strany ne znayu, Gde tak vol'no dyshit chelovek. |
English lyrics
Chorus: Very large you are, my native country! Your fields, woods and rivers widely spread. No other lands let dream more bluntly, Breath more free and braver look ahead. On from Moscow to a far bound, From the Sayans to the Arctic Seas, People own their vasty ground, All the fields, the rivers and the trees. Like the Volga, wide and free, life flows. In its waters the bright sun reflects. The young people choose whatever roads, The old everywhere face respect. Chorus: Very large you are, my native country! Your fields, woods and rivers widely spread. No other lands let dream more bluntly, Breath more free and braver look ahead. No glance encompasses all grain fields, All the cities` names one never calls. Comrade is a proud word we all wield, Far behind it any fine word falls. This word gives us everyplace a home, It does differ neither white, nor black, Everyone gets this word well to know, Far and wide it comes with friendship back. Chorus: Very large you are, my native country! Your fields, woods and rivers widely spread. No other lands let dream more bluntly, Breath more free and braver look ahead. Spring is always in the country`s air, Every day the joy of life gets more, Better than whoever we can dare Love and smile the way all men adore! But the foes, wanting us to perish, With an angry frown we observe. Like a bride, the motherland we cherish, Like a tender mother, we preserve! Chorus: Very large you are, my native country! Your fields, woods and rivers widely spread. No other lands let dream more bluntly, Breath more free and braver look ahead. Translation by accordeonworld |
Sources
https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/Широка_страна_моя_родная ;
http://gym2.nsk.ru/2011-01-12-07-50-21/2-20-30-/842-q-q- ; https://medium.com/the-history-of-russia/42227e942bee ;
http://cyclowiki.org/wiki/Широка_страна_моя_родная ; https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Komsomol ;
https://sites.google.com/site/ernstbush/pesni-i-ih-istoria-mp3-file-1/spisok/pesna-o-rodine-1936 ;
http://svpressa.ru/post/article/149336/ ; http://songspro.ru/17/Sovetskaya-muzyka/tekst-pesni-Shiroka-strana-moya-rodnaya;
https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/Широка_страна_моя_родная ;
http://gym2.nsk.ru/2011-01-12-07-50-21/2-20-30-/842-q-q- ; https://medium.com/the-history-of-russia/42227e942bee ;
http://cyclowiki.org/wiki/Широка_страна_моя_родная ; https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Komsomol ;
https://sites.google.com/site/ernstbush/pesni-i-ih-istoria-mp3-file-1/spisok/pesna-o-rodine-1936 ;
http://svpressa.ru/post/article/149336/ ; http://songspro.ru/17/Sovetskaya-muzyka/tekst-pesni-Shiroka-strana-moya-rodnaya;