The State Anthem of the Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic was the national anthem of Armenia between 1944 and 1991, when it was part of the Soviet Union. The lyrics were written by poet Armenak Sarkisyan (known by his alias Sarmen), and the music was composed by Aram Khachaturian[2] in the same year the regional anthem was adopted.
After the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, the anthem was relinquished and its successor "Our Fatherland", which was also the anthem of Armenia prior to its assimilation, replaced it.[1] There have been attempts to restore the Soviet-era anthem with different lyrics in recent years.
Lyrics[]
Unlike most anthems of Soviet Socialist Republics, this anthem did not start with an intro nor did it ever mention Stalin in the lyrics.
Post-Stalinist lyrics[]
Armenian version[]
| Armenian script | Latin script | IPA transcription | Cyrillic script | Arabic script |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Սովետական ազատ աշխարհ Հայաստան՝ |
Sovetakán azát ashkhárh Hayastán, |
[sɔ.vɛ.tɑ.ˈkɑn ɑ.ˈzɑt ɑʃ.ˈχɑɾ̥ hɑ.jɑs.ˈtɑn ǀ] |
Советакан азат ашхарҳ Ҳаястан, |
،سوتامان آزات آشخارہ هاياستان |
Russian translation[]
Советская свободная страна Армения,
За множество веков суровый путь ты прошла,
Храбрые сыны твои геройски погибли за тебя,
Чтоб ты стала матерью-родиной для армян.
Припев:
Слава тебе, всегда - слава, Советская Армения,
Трудолюбивая, мастерица-строительница,
В священном неколебимом согласии народов
Ты цветёшь и творишь свое светлое будущее!
Бессмертный Ленин наделил нас негаснувшим огнем,
Пред нами открылась аллея к счастью,
Октябрь нас от крушения спас
И дал нам жизнь новую, яркую и славную.
Припев
Великая Русь протянула нам братскую руку,
Мы создали крепкое государство,
Ленинская партия мудрая
Победно к коммунизму нас ведёт!
Припев
English translation[]
Armenia, the Soviet earth free,
For centuries a bleak path you endured,
Your brave sons struggled for thee
To become the Armenian motherland.
Chorus:
Glory to you, may there always be glory to Soviet Armenia,
You are hardworking and you build architecture.
Unbreakable by the holy alliance of the folk,
You are blooming and a bright future lies ahead!
Immortal Lenin presented us with eternal fire,
The dawn of happiness shone upon us.
From destruction has October rescued us
And newly bright and glorious life it gave us.
Chorus
Great Russia extended to us the hand of friendship,
We have created a powerful new state.
The sagacious Party of Lenin
Victoriously leads us to communism!
Chorus
Original lyrics[]
Armenian original[]
| Armenian script | Latin script | IPA transcription | Cyrillic script | Arabic script |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Սովետական ազատ աշխարհ Հայաստան՝ |
Sovetakán azát ashkhárh Hayastán, |
[sɔ.vɛ.tɑ.ˈkɑn ɑ.ˈzɑt ɑʃ.ˈχɑɾ̥ hɑ.jɑs.ˈtɑn ǀ] |
Советакан азат ашхарҳ Ҳаястан, |
،سوتامان آزات آشخارہ هاياستان |
Russian translation[]
Советская свободная страна Армения,
За множество веков суровый путь ты прошла,
Храбрые сыны твои геройски погибли за тебя,
Чтоб ты стала матерью-родиной для армян.
Припев I:
Слава тебе, всегда - слава, героическая Армения,
Ты гениальная мастерица-строительница,
В священном согласии народа и Сталина
Ты цветёшь и творишь свое светлое будущее!
Бессмертный Ленин наделил нас негаснувшим огнем,
Пред нами открылась аллея к счастью,
Великий Сталин нас от крушения спас
И дал нам жизнь новую, свободную и славную.
Припев II:
Слава тебе, всегда - слава, возрождённая Армения,
Ты гениальная мастерица-строительница,
В священном согласии народа и Сталина
Ты цветёшь и творишь свое светлое будущее!
Великая Русь протянула нам братскую руку,
Мы создали крепкое государство,
Никакая сила не может поставить на колени
Наш древний непоколебимый народ!
Припев III:
Слава тебе, всегда - слава, Советская Армения,
Ты гениальная мастерица-строительница,
В священном согласии народа и Сталина
Ты цветёшь и творишь свое светлое будущее!
English translation[]
Soviet free land Armenia,
You have gone through many cruel centuries,
Our brave ancestors fought for you,
For you to become the motherland of the Armenians.
Chorus I:
Glory to you, always glory, heroic Armenia,
You are a brilliant architect-builder,
With Stalin's holy alliance of the people,
You flourish and create a bright future.
Immortal Lenin gave us an unrelenting fervour,
A dawn of fortune shone upon us,
Great Stalin saved us from destruction
And gave us a new, free, glorious life.
Chorus II:
Glory to you, always glory, reborn Armenia,
You are a brilliant architect-builder,
With Stalin's holy alliance of the people,
You flourish and create a bright future.
Great Russia extended a hand of brotherhood to us,
We built a strong, new state,
No enemy can bring to its knees
Our ancient unshakeable people.
Chorus III:
Glory to you, always glory, Soviet Armenia,
You are a brilliant architect-builder,
With Stalin's holy alliance of the people,
You flourish and create a bright future.
Restoration attempts[]
- Main article: Orhnerg
The anthem has maintained simultaneous public support and displeasure in Armenia, and there have been attempts to restore the anthem's melody with new lyrics as the new national anthem of Armenia, similar to the case with Russia's in 2000 during the early years of Vladimir Putin's presidency. Some Armenian composers and artists have long disliked the uncomplicated theme of the current national anthem, "Our Fatherland", and have expressed a desire for a more solemn tune,[5] while others have stated that singing "Our Father" itself has carried too much sorrow throughout the 20th and 21st centuries and that a more joyous alternative should be chosen.[6]
In 2005, the issue of changing the national anthem was discussed in government, which culminated in a constitutional referendum on adopting new state symbols within one year.[7]
In 2006, a competition for a new anthem was held by Minister of Culture Hasmik Poghosyan. The competition received 85 entries, and in August the commission shortlisted five, which did not include "Our Fatherland" but included a proposal with the music of the Armenian SSR anthem and new lyrics by Armen Soghomonyan. This proposal won the competition, but the commission members rejected the submitted lyrics, urging local authors to submit better ones.[5] While several Armenian music and arts figures were indifferent to or supportive of the change to the music,[8] the results of the competition were eventually scrapped in October, after strong opposition from the Dashnaks, then a member of the ruling coalition, throughout over the selection of a Soviet-era anthem. The government instead adopted a draft law that would keep "Our Fatherland" as the anthem for at least one more year.[5] The adoption of the law was after the 6 December 2006 date set late the year prior as the constitutional deadline for reaffirming the existing state symbol.[7]
In 2012, actor Sos Sargsyan, writer Levon Ananyan and publicist Zori Balayan sent an open letter with over 2,000 signatures to the president, petitioning to restore the Soviet-era coat of arms designed by painter Martiros Saryan and the anthem composed by Aram Khachaturyan. Ananyan stated, "... this is an issue that’s always important and has to always be raised, it’s the face of our country, our symbols that have to be representative and impressive." Political historian Shushan Khatlamadzhyan, the widow of the painter who restored Armenia's current coat of arms, opposed the restoration of the anthem, stating that people were trying to return "symbols of a period when they had a good life" and attributed Russia's Soviet-era anthem restoration to "pro-empire aspirations", stating, "... what do we want to achieve by trying to bring back fragments from our past?" while director of the Martin Saryan House-Museum Ruzan Saryan, Martin's granddaughter, supported it, stating, "... viewing the masterpieces by Saryan and Khachaturyan through the prism of ‘totalitarian past’ is medieval prejudice.”[9]
In 2015, Chairman of the Composers' Union of Armenia Aram Satyan criticised the current Armenian anthem's sad impression and stated that the tone of the music should rise and become upbeat in the process. He stated, "In the case of other nations’ anthems we see some grandeur as it rises to the space, and ours on the contrary is directed to the earth… We can restore Aram Khachaturian’s music or use the Hayastan song composed by Gabriel Yeranyan in 2012."[10]
In 2018, the House-Museum of Aram Khachaturian proposed for the national anthem to be changed to one based on the music of that of the Armenian SSR. This petition was not supported at the time in Armenia, which was dealing with the 2018 Armenian revolution.[11]
In 2019, National Assembly vice-speaker Alen Simonyan claimed that most Armenians do not like the current anthem. Eurasianet reported in 2019 that the current anthem remains unpopular with many Armenians, mainly for aesthetic reasons. Another suggestion to adopt a national anthem based on the music of the anthem of the Armenian SSR was put forward by vice-speaker of the National Assembly Alen Simonyan.[11][12] In a Facebook post, he stated that it is "a powerful anthem that meets all the requirements." His comment received support from composer Ara Gevorgyan, who replied, "It is a great hymn and we look forward to the decision to restore it." Simonyan subsequently created a Facebook poll, in which two-thirds of more than 6,500 respondents voted in favour of the change. Minister of Diaspora Babken Ter-Grigoryan responded by stating that he would survey the Armenian diaspora on the potential change.[12] With Armenia's new parliament under Nikol Pashinyan seated just three weeks prior, many among the Armenian public responded by saying it was not a pressing issue at the time.[11][12] A member of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation again expressed strong opposition to the idea.[12]
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Armenia (1944-1991) – NationalAnthems.info
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Armenian lyrics.
- ↑ Հայկական Սովետական Սոցիալիստական Հանրապետություն օրհներգ
- ↑ Հատընտիր (1951). Sarmen. Հայպետհրատ. p. 5.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Government Shelves Plans For New Armenian Anthem. «Ազատ Եվրոպա/Ազատություն» ռադիոկայան։
- ↑ ARMENIA'S NATIONAL ANTHEM TO BE REVAMPED (2006-08-26). HyeTert.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Is Armenia Left Without an Anthem?
- ↑ ԽԱՉԱՏՐՅԱՆԸ՝ ԽԱՉԱՏՐՅԱՆ | Առավոտ - Լուրեր Հայաստանից
- ↑ Symbols of Debate: Initiative underway to restore historic Coat of Arms and anthem (2012-12-04). Abrahamyan, Gayane. ArmeniaNow.
- ↑ National Symbols: Artists again raise questions over Armenian anthem, coat of arms (2015-03-04). Mkrtchyan, Gayane. ArmeniaNow.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 Armenia takes yet another look at changing its national anthem - JAMnews (2019-02-05). JAMnews.
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 12.3 Armenia's new authorities debate changing national anthem (2019-02-05). Eurasianet.