My Belarusy
Encyclopedia
"My Belarusy" is the unofficial title of the national anthem
of Belarus
and the first line of its lyrics
. Officially, "My Belarusy" is titled "the State Anthem of the Republic of Belarus" . The anthem was originally written and adopted in 1955 for use in the Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic
. The music of the Byelorussian SSR anthem
was composed by Niescier Sakałoŭski and the lyrics were written by Mikhas Klimkovich. After the dissolution
of the Soviet Union
, the music composed by Sakałoŭski was kept and the lyrics were discarded. New lyrics, which were written by Klimkovich and Uladzimir Karyzny
, were adopted by a presidential decree
issued on July 2, 2002. The lyrics of the anthem now sing of a friendly Belarus, honoring past military battles and looking forward to the future. The music was kept due to the historical connections it has to Belarus.
. It was presented in front of a jury in 1944, but it took 11 years of modifications before it was officially adopted. Soon after Belarus became an independent country, the national anthem was modified to drop the Communist-era lyrics. An attempt was made in 1995 to adopt Natalla Arsiennieva's poem "O God Almighty" as the national anthem, but the suggestion was not acted on even though it was supported by a parliamentary committee.
. Section One, Article 19 of the constitution states that "The symbols of the Republic of Belarus as a sovereign state shall be its national flag
, national emblem
and national anthem." While the constitution only mentioned the use of the flag, anthem and arms as national symbols, each symbol had to be defined by law. A law introducing an anthem was not enacted until Presidential Decree 350 took effect, on July 18, 2002, the day before Belarus's independence day. The decree's main objective was to establish lyrics for the anthem and introduce musical notation along with the new lyrics. Moreover, the decree designated when, where, and how the anthem was to be performed.
Before issuing the decree, President
Alexander Lukashenko
listened to five possible candidates for the national anthem. Three out of the five candidates, including the one ultimately chosen, used the music composed by Sakalouski and began their lyrics with the line My Belarusy. According to the newspaper Soviet Byelorussia, President Lukashenko decided on the anthem on June 12, 2002 and chose to have its first performance on July 3, Belarusian independence day, the anniversary of the date in 1944 when the Wehrmacht
was driven away from Minsk by the Red Army
. However, the first performance actually took place on July 2 at a concert organized by the government as part of the Belarusian independence festivities.
Belarus did not have an anthem before one was adopted in the Soviet-era. When Lukashenko issued his decree selecting a new national anthem, only slight changes were made to the Soviet-era hymn. While the references to Russia, the Communist Party and Lenin were replaced; the overall theme of "friendship of peoples" and the original music composed by Sakalouski were preserved. The government decided to keep Sakalouski's music in order to maintain historical continuity, and also on account of its popularity and musical quality After the national anthem was adopted, the process of adopting national symbols was completed.
commented on the adoption of the anthem in a report about the country, published in 2003. On page 125 of the "Country Report of Belarus", Freedom House says that President Lukashenko has "reintroduced the state symbols used by the old Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic. In 2002, the president approved a streamlined version of the Soviet-era anthem "My Belarusy" ("We Belarusians"), as the country's new national anthem." The report also mentioned President Lukashenko's ban of the symbols that were used since Belarus's independence in 1991, such as the Pahonia
arms and the white, red, white flag, which Lukashenko claims are associated with fascism
(due to the fact that the pro-Nazi Belarusian Central Rada
in World War II used these symbols) . In 2003, Dr. Taras Kuzio wrote in Radio Free Europe
that President Lukashenko "is the quintessential Soviet Belarusian patriot who presides over a regime steeped in Soviet nostalgia." Kuzio said that the motives of Russia and Belarus in re-adopting Soviet-era symbols are part of restoring that nostalgia.
and radio
stations are required to play the national anthem upon signing on at 6 a.m. and again upon signing off (usually around midnight). The anthem can also be performed on certain occasions, such as at government meetings, before sporting events and presidential inauguration
s. While the anthem is being performed, citizens are required to stand at attention and those in military or police uniform must salute
.
Belarus and Russia have been working towards a closer relationship with each other, resulting in the proposed Union of Russia and Belarus
. While Belarus and Russia will be able to keep their own symbols, a song called "Sovereign Union of Nations" has been proposed as the Union's unofficial anthem. The song, which was modified from the National Anthem of the Soviet Union
, refers to a wider union of the two nations.
Some Belarusian emigrants use "Vajacki marš
" and "Mahutny Boža" as their anthem. "Vajacki Marš" was the official anthem of the Belarusian National Republic
, a state that was created in 1918 but lasted only 10 months, during the German occupation of Belarus in World War I
. "Mahutny Boža" is a religious hymn, but is now used as a song by those who oppose the Lukashenko Government.
National anthem
A national anthem is a generally patriotic musical composition that evokes and eulogizes the history, traditions and struggles of its people, recognized either by a nation's government as the official national song, or by convention through use by the people.- History :Anthems rose to prominence...
of Belarus
Belarus
Belarus , officially the Republic of Belarus, is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe, bordered clockwise by Russia to the northeast, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest. Its capital is Minsk; other major cities include Brest, Grodno , Gomel ,...
and the first line of its lyrics
Lyrics
Lyrics are a set of words that make up a song. The writer of lyrics is a lyricist or lyrist. The meaning of lyrics can either be explicit or implicit. Some lyrics are abstract, almost unintelligible, and, in such cases, their explication emphasizes form, articulation, meter, and symmetry of...
. Officially, "My Belarusy" is titled "the State Anthem of the Republic of Belarus" . The anthem was originally written and adopted in 1955 for use in the Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic
Byelorussian SSR
The Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic was one of fifteen constituent republics of the Soviet Union. It was one of the four original founding members of the Soviet Union in 1922, together with the Ukrainian SSR, the Transcaucasian SFSR and the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic...
. The music of the Byelorussian SSR anthem
Anthem of Byelorussian SSR
The State Anthem of the Byelorussian SSR was the state anthem of Belarus when it was a republic of the Soviet Union and known as the Byelorussian SSR. The anthem was used from 1955 until Belarusian independence in 1991. It took over 11 years to create the music and lyrics for the anthem, even...
was composed by Niescier Sakałoŭski and the lyrics were written by Mikhas Klimkovich. After the dissolution
Dissolution of the Soviet Union
The dissolution of the Soviet Union was the disintegration of the federal political structures and central government of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , resulting in the independence of all fifteen republics of the Soviet Union between March 11, 1990 and December 25, 1991...
of the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
, the music composed by Sakałoŭski was kept and the lyrics were discarded. New lyrics, which were written by Klimkovich and Uladzimir Karyzny
Uladzimir Karyzny
Uladzimir Karyzny is a musical composer from Belarus. Karyzny co-wrote the lyrics of the current national anthem of Belarus, My Belarusy.-Biography:...
, were adopted by a presidential decree
Decree
A decree is a rule of law issued by a head of state , according to certain procedures . It has the force of law...
issued on July 2, 2002. The lyrics of the anthem now sing of a friendly Belarus, honoring past military battles and looking forward to the future. The music was kept due to the historical connections it has to Belarus.
Anthem of the Byelorussian SSR
"My Belarusy" was originally used as the anthem of the Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic (Belarusian: гімн Беларускай Савецкай Сацыялістычнай Рэспублікі, Russian: гимн Белорусской Советской Социалистической Республики) starting from February 24, 1955. The original anthem was composed by Sakalowski and the lyrics were written by Maxim KlimkovichMihas' Klimovich
Mikhas Klimkovich was a Belarusian poet, librettist, and author of the lyrics to the Anthem of the Byelorussian SSR.-Biography:...
. It was presented in front of a jury in 1944, but it took 11 years of modifications before it was officially adopted. Soon after Belarus became an independent country, the national anthem was modified to drop the Communist-era lyrics. An attempt was made in 1995 to adopt Natalla Arsiennieva's poem "O God Almighty" as the national anthem, but the suggestion was not acted on even though it was supported by a parliamentary committee.
Anthem of the Republic of Belarus
The only legal mention of the national anthem before 2002 is in the Constitution of the Republic of BelarusConstitution of Belarus
The Constitution of the Republic of Belarus is the ultimate law of Belarus. Adopted in 1994, three years after the country declared its independence from the Soviet Union, this formal document establishes the framework of the Belarusian state and government and enumerates the rights and freedoms...
. Section One, Article 19 of the constitution states that "The symbols of the Republic of Belarus as a sovereign state shall be its national flag
Flag
A flag is a piece of fabric with a distinctive design that is usually rectangular and used as a symbol, as a signaling device, or decoration. The term flag is also used to refer to the graphic design employed by a flag, or to its depiction in another medium.The first flags were used to assist...
, national emblem
Emblem
An emblem is a pictorial image, abstract or representational, that epitomizes a concept — e.g., a moral truth, or an allegory — or that represents a person, such as a king or saint.-Distinction: emblem and symbol:...
and national anthem." While the constitution only mentioned the use of the flag, anthem and arms as national symbols, each symbol had to be defined by law. A law introducing an anthem was not enacted until Presidential Decree 350 took effect, on July 18, 2002, the day before Belarus's independence day. The decree's main objective was to establish lyrics for the anthem and introduce musical notation along with the new lyrics. Moreover, the decree designated when, where, and how the anthem was to be performed.
Before issuing the decree, President
President of Belarus
The office of President of Belarus is the head of state of Belarus. The office was created in 1994 with the passing of the Constitution of Belarus by the Supreme Soviet. This replaced the office of Chairman of the Supreme Soviet as the head of state...
Alexander Lukashenko
Alexander Lukashenko
Alexander Grigoryevich Lukashenko has been serving as the President of Belarus since 20 July 1994. Before his career as a politician, Lukashenko worked as director of a state-owned agricultural farm. Under Lukashenko's rule, Belarus has come to be viewed as a state whose conduct is out of line...
listened to five possible candidates for the national anthem. Three out of the five candidates, including the one ultimately chosen, used the music composed by Sakalouski and began their lyrics with the line My Belarusy. According to the newspaper Soviet Byelorussia, President Lukashenko decided on the anthem on June 12, 2002 and chose to have its first performance on July 3, Belarusian independence day, the anniversary of the date in 1944 when the Wehrmacht
Wehrmacht
The Wehrmacht – from , to defend and , the might/power) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the Heer , the Kriegsmarine and the Luftwaffe .-Origin and use of the term:...
was driven away from Minsk by the Red Army
Red Army
The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army started out as the Soviet Union's revolutionary communist combat groups during the Russian Civil War of 1918-1922. It grew into the national army of the Soviet Union. By the 1930s the Red Army was among the largest armies in history.The "Red Army" name refers to...
. However, the first performance actually took place on July 2 at a concert organized by the government as part of the Belarusian independence festivities.
Belarus did not have an anthem before one was adopted in the Soviet-era. When Lukashenko issued his decree selecting a new national anthem, only slight changes were made to the Soviet-era hymn. While the references to Russia, the Communist Party and Lenin were replaced; the overall theme of "friendship of peoples" and the original music composed by Sakalouski were preserved. The government decided to keep Sakalouski's music in order to maintain historical continuity, and also on account of its popularity and musical quality After the national anthem was adopted, the process of adopting national symbols was completed.
Reaction
The organization Freedom HouseFreedom House
Freedom House is an international non-governmental organization based in Washington, D.C. that conducts research and advocacy on democracy, political freedom and human rights...
commented on the adoption of the anthem in a report about the country, published in 2003. On page 125 of the "Country Report of Belarus", Freedom House says that President Lukashenko has "reintroduced the state symbols used by the old Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic. In 2002, the president approved a streamlined version of the Soviet-era anthem "My Belarusy" ("We Belarusians"), as the country's new national anthem." The report also mentioned President Lukashenko's ban of the symbols that were used since Belarus's independence in 1991, such as the Pahonia
Pahonia
The Pahonia , transliteration: Pahonya, , Lithuanian: Vytis, Pagaunė, is a historical symbol of Grand Duchy of Lithuania, of which the eastern part later became known as Belarus...
arms and the white, red, white flag, which Lukashenko claims are associated with fascism
Fascism
Fascism is a radical authoritarian nationalist political ideology. Fascists seek to rejuvenate their nation based on commitment to the national community as an organic entity, in which individuals are bound together in national identity by suprapersonal connections of ancestry, culture, and blood...
(due to the fact that the pro-Nazi Belarusian Central Rada
Belarusian Central Rada
The Belarusian Central Rada was nominally the government of Belarus from 1943–44. It was a collaborationist government established by Nazi Germany within the occupation and colonial administration of Reichskommissariat Ostland.- Timeline :...
in World War II used these symbols) . In 2003, Dr. Taras Kuzio wrote in Radio Free Europe
Radio Free Europe
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty is a broadcaster funded by the U.S. Congress that provides news, information, and analysis to countries in Eastern Europe, Central Asia, and the Middle East "where the free flow of information is either banned by government authorities or not fully developed"...
that President Lukashenko "is the quintessential Soviet Belarusian patriot who presides over a regime steeped in Soviet nostalgia." Kuzio said that the motives of Russia and Belarus in re-adopting Soviet-era symbols are part of restoring that nostalgia.
Regulations
The anthem must be performed in accordance with the lyrics and sheet music established by law. Every day, state-owned Belarusian televisionTelevision
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
and radio
Radio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
stations are required to play the national anthem upon signing on at 6 a.m. and again upon signing off (usually around midnight). The anthem can also be performed on certain occasions, such as at government meetings, before sporting events and presidential inauguration
Inauguration
An inauguration is a formal ceremony to mark the beginning of a leader's term of office. An example is the ceremony in which the President of the United States officially takes the oath of office....
s. While the anthem is being performed, citizens are required to stand at attention and those in military or police uniform must salute
Salute
A salute is a gesture or other action used to display respect. Salutes are primarily associated with armed forces, but other organizations and civil people also use salutes.-Military salutes:...
.
Other songs
A favorite in the anthem competition was the poem called "Young Belarus" (Маладая Беларусь) by Janka Kupala. However, the poem was never set to a musical composition so Young Belarus could not be selected as the anthem.Belarus and Russia have been working towards a closer relationship with each other, resulting in the proposed Union of Russia and Belarus
Union of Russia and Belarus
The Union State , semi-officially known as Union State of Russia and Belarus , is a supranational entity consisting of the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus.- Creation :...
. While Belarus and Russia will be able to keep their own symbols, a song called "Sovereign Union of Nations" has been proposed as the Union's unofficial anthem. The song, which was modified from the National Anthem of the Soviet Union
National Anthem of the Soviet Union
The National Anthem of the Soviet Union or the State Anthem of the USSR was introduced during World War II on March 15, 1944, replacing The Internationale as the official national anthem of the Soviet Union as well as the national anthem of the Russian SFSR...
, refers to a wider union of the two nations.
Some Belarusian emigrants use "Vajacki marš
Vajacki marš
Vajacki marš is the National anthem for the short-lived Belarusian People's Republic that existed in 1918. Currently the government of BNR exists in exile. The anthem was written by Makar Kraŭcoŭ and music by Uladzimier Teraŭski...
" and "Mahutny Boža" as their anthem. "Vajacki Marš" was the official anthem of the Belarusian National Republic
Belarusian National Republic
The Belarusian People's Republic was a self-declared independent Belarusian state, which declared independence in 1918. It is also called the Belarusian Democratic Republic or the Belarusian National Republic, in order to distinguish it from Communist People's Republics...
, a state that was created in 1918 but lasted only 10 months, during the German occupation of Belarus in World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. "Mahutny Boža" is a religious hymn, but is now used as a song by those who oppose the Lukashenko Government.
Official lyrics
| Belarusian | Transliteration | English translation |
|---|---|---|
| Мы, беларусы мірныя людзі, Сэрцам адданыя роднай зямлі, Шчыра сябруем, сілы гартуем Мы ў працавітай, вольнай сям'і. Прыпеў: Слаўся, зямлі нашай светлае імя, Слаўся, народаў братэрскі саюз! Наша любімая маці-Радзіма, Вечна жыві і квітней, Беларусь! (Repeat last two lines) Разам з братамі мужна вякамі Мы баранілі родны парог, У бітвах за волю, бітвах за долю Свой здабывалі сцяг перамог! Прыпеў Дружба народаў сіла народаў — Наш запаветны, сонечны шлях. Горда ж узвіся ў ясныя высі, Сцяг пераможны радасці сцяг! Прыпеў |
My, biełarusy mirnyja ludzi, Sercam addanyja rodnaj ziamli. Ščyra siabrujem, siły hartujem My ŭ pracavitaj, volnaj siamji. Prypieŭ: Słaŭsia ziamli našaj śvietłaje imia, Słaŭsia, narodaŭ braterski sajuz! Naša lubimaja maci-Radzima, Viečna žyvi i kvitniej, Biełaruś! (Repeat last two lines) Razam z bratami mužna viakami My baranili rodny paroh, Ŭ bitvach za volu, bitvach za dolu Svoj zdabyvali ściah pieramoh! Prypieŭ Družba narodaŭ siła narodaŭ — Naš zapavietny, soniečny šlach. Horda ž uzvisia ŭ jasnyja vysi, Ściah pieramožny radaści ściah! Prypieŭ |
We, Belarusians, are peaceful people, Wholeheartedly devoted to our Motherland. We are faithful friends, growing up and Living in a hardworking and independent family. Refrain Glory to the blessed name of our land, Glory to the brotherly union of peoples! Our dearly beloved Motherland, May you live long and prosper, Belarus! (Repeat Last two lines) Together with our brothers, we for centuries Courageously defended our home’s threshold. In battles for freedom, and battles for our lot We have won our banners of victory! Refrain Friendship of peoples is the strength of peoples And it is our sacred sunlit path. Proudly we fly in the clear blue skies, The banner of victory, the sunshine's flag! Refrain |
Anthem of the Byelorussian SSR
For comparison, below is a part of the anthem of the Byelorussian SSR.Belarusian lyrics: Мы, беларусы, з братняю Руссю Разам шукалі к шчасцю дарог. У бітвах за волю, у бітвах за долю З ёй здабылi мы сцяг перамог!
|
Transliteration: My, biełarusy, z bratniaju Ruśsiu Razam šukali k ščaściu daroh. Ŭ bitvach za volu, u bitvach za dolu Ź joj zdabyli my ściah pieramoh!
|
English translation:
|
Media
External links
- President of the Republic of Belarus - The Website of the President has a page on the anthem that includes a vocal version.
- Decree 350 President Lukashenko's decree selecting "My Belarusy" as the official national anthem (in Belarussian).
- Sovetskaya Belorussiya - An article on the selection process (in Belarussian)
- Recordings of the Belarusian anthem