The song “The Sacred War” is considered the “national anthem” of the great war against fascism during World War II.
This song was very popular at that time and is still famous today with the melody of Alexander Vasilyevich Alexandrov and the lyrics of Vasily Lebedev-Kumach. The song aroused intense emotions, tearing up most Soviet citizens when they first heard it. The lyrics came only two days after the Nazis attacked the Soviet Union, on June 24, 1941. The poem with the first two famous verses appeared in the newspapers “Izvestia” and “Red Star”:
“Arise, vast country,
Arise for a fight to the death”
Too impressed with the poem as well as sympathizing with it on thinking and emotion, after only one night, composer Alexander Vasilyevich Alexandrov finished music for the poem. On June 26, 1941, the song was played for the first time at Belorussky Station to bring soldiers on the train to the front. Witnesses recounted that the song was performed six times each time a new troop came to the front.
The Sacred War was quickly and strongly popularized during the Great Defense War, played daily on Soviet radio, every morning after the Kremlin bell. Along with the legendary voice of the radio man Levitan, the Soviet National Anthem, the songs “Farewell of Slavianka” and “Kachiusa”, the “Sacred War” have become one of the “National Spirit Treasures” of the Soviet people in the great war. These songs helped the Red Army soldiers overcome difficulties and sacrifices to overcome the enemies, especially in the fierce battles that have entered legends such as Stalingrad, Leningrad, Kursk. …
On the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the victory over Nazi Germany, on May 9, 2005, at the Belorussky Station in Moscow, a stone plaque was built to commemorate the first time the “Sacred War” was sang at this station.
It can be said that the Soviet Union and its allies won a War of Myths, and they also won a war of culture and spirit, typically songs that went into legend. Today, the deep, dramatic but passionate melodies of the “Sacred War” still play every year, as we turn on the television and look to Russian TV channels to watch live coverage of the parade celebrates the Victory Day. This year’s Victory Day anniversary is certainly no exception.
Across Russia and many republics of the former Soviet Union, besides the Russian national anthem, “The Sacred War” is a song of the spirit and willpower as a second Russian national anthem. The song whose melody has become flesh and blood to every Russian. “The Sacred War” is the only song that when sung on any stage, any hall, every audience if the Russians stand up, serious, many people sing along, many people take hand wipe tears…
“The Sacred War” is always used to open the Victory Day parade. When the flag of victory was solemnly taken by honorary soldiers across the stage to the starting position, all Russians, heads of state and international visitors stood up solemnly to follow the footsteps of the victorious soldiers.
This is one of the rare versions of “The Sacred War” on Youtube with the most realistic images of when the song was born.
And confess to you, as the writer of this article, I was really moved to tears when watching the Red Army soldiers go to the front, go to the dead to revive the mother land. Thank you for visiting, I will see you again in other posts.