Farewell of Slavianka
Russian patriotic song
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"Farewell of Slavianka"[a] is a Russian patriotic march, written by the composer Vasily Agapkin in honour of Slavic women accompanying their husbands in the First Balkan War.[1] The march was written and premiered in Tambov in late 1912. In the summer of 1915, it was released as a gramophone single in Kiev. Slavianka translates to 'Slavic woman'.
| English: Farewell of Slavianka | |
|---|---|
The cover of one of the first editions of the "Farewell of Slavianka" notes | |
Regional anthem of Tambov Oblast | |
| Also known as | Гимн Тамбовской области (English: Anthem of Tambov Oblast) |
| Lyrics | Various, including versions by unknown authors and by Vasily Agapkin, 1912 |
| Music | Vasily Agapkin |
| Adopted | 1937 |
History
The melody gained popularity in Russia and adjoining countries during World War I, when the Russian soldiers left their homes and were accompanied by the music of the march. It was also performed during the parade of 7 November 1941, on the Red Square, after which soldiers went straight to fight in the Battle of Moscow as part of World War II.[2] This march was also used as an unofficial anthem of Admiral Kolchak's White Army.
Sources alleged that the song was banned prior to its use in the award-winning 1957 film The Cranes Are Flying, because of its lyrics about supposedly banned subjects. However, there are multiple documentations of the song being performed prior to this, many conducted by Agapkin himself. The earliest recorded publication of Farewell to Slavianka in the Soviet era was in 1929, and its earliest known performance by communist troops was in 1918.[3] Most famously, it was one of four marching tunes performed during the 1941 October Revolution Parade on the Red Square.[4] The song was originally published by Zimmerman Production Association around 1912.[5] The march was published in an official collection of music for Red Army orchestras,[6] and it was recorded in the early 1940s by a military orchestra under the conductor Ivan Petrov (1906–1975), but different lyrics were then used. Other lyrics are now usually sung by the Red Army Choir.
Subsequently, several composers have written lyrics for the music in various languages. During the Finnish Civil War the Red Guards adapted the song into "Vapaa Venäjä", a working class marching song. During World War II in German-occupied Poland, an adapted "underground" version of the song, Rozszumiały się wierzby płaczące (lit. 'Weeping Willows Began to Hum'), became popular in the Polish resistance and was based on lyrics by Roman Ślęzak.[7]
In the 1990s, the liberal political party Yabloko lobbied unsuccessfully for the march to be adopted as the Russian national anthem.[8]
"Farewell of Slavianka" was used in movies such as The Cranes Are Flying and Charlie Wilson's War, which is about the Soviet–Afghan War, and in the Russian movies 72 Meters and Prisoner of the Mountains. An instrumental version of the song was also featured in the 1974 Soviet film At Home Among Strangers, and the 1990 Ukrainian film Raspad during the Pripyat evacuation scene.
A Hebrew version was written in 1945 by the singer-songwriter Haim Hefer for the Palmach. In his version of the song, "Ben Gvulot" (בין גבולות; lit. 'Between Borders'), Hefer coined the phrase "Anu po chomat magen" (אָנוּ פֹּה חוֹמַת מָגֵן; lit. 'We are here a defensive wall'), which was used by the Israel Defense Forces to call Operation Defensive Shield (literally "Operation Defensive Wall") in 2002.[9]
As the march was first published in 1912, the original musical composition has entered the public domain in the United States and many other jurisdictions. Under U.S. copyright law, all works published before 1 January 1929, are in the public domain regardless of the author's date of death.
Lyrics
1967 version
"Farewell of Slavianka" first received official lyrics under the Soviet leadership that were appropriate for the time's political climate, but references to Russian culture, religion and patriotism were changed. The new version by A. Fedotov.
The first version under the Soviet Union (1941) did not mention the Battle of Berlin, unlike the later version (1967).
| Russian original[10][11] | Anglo-Russian Romanization | English translation |
|---|---|---|
Этот марш не смолкал на перронах |
Étot marsh ne smolkál na perrónakh |
This march was not silent on the platforms, |
1984 version
Another version of the lyrics was written by Vladimir Lazarev in 1984 and has gained the popularity since the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991 because of the slower tempo and the added human fragility factor.[12]
| Russian original[12] | Anglo-Russian Romanization | English translation |
|---|---|---|
Наступает минута прощания, |
Nastupáyet minúta proshchániya, |
The minute of parting's near, |
1993 version
This version of the lyrics was performed in 1993, around the time of the constitutional crisis in Russia.
| Russian original | Anglo-Russian Romanization | English translation |
|---|---|---|
На причале славянка стояла |
Na prichále slavyánka stoyála |
A Slavic woman stood on the pier |
1997 version
A White Army version of the march, written by Andrei Mingalyov, was created after the dissolution of the Soviet Union.[13]
| Russian original[13] | Anglo-Russian Romanization | English translation |
|---|---|---|
Встань за Веру, Русская Земля! |
Vstan za Véru, Rússkaya Zemlyá! |
Arise for faith, o Russian land! |
2026 version
In the fifth year of the Special Military Operation on the territory of Ukraine, amid growing war-weariness, a perceived need emerged within Russian society for a patriotic song of a hymn-like character that would foster a positive attitude towards victory. Andrey Kandaurov[14], author of an alternative Russian anthem[15], subsequently wrote a new set of lyrics for the melody of the march.
| Russian original[14] | Anglo-Russian Romanization | English translation[14] |
|---|---|---|
Будь ты правдой Родина сильна! |
Bud ty právdoy Ródina silná! |
By the Truth our Motherland is strong! |
Anthem of Tambov Oblast
The melody of "Farewell of Slavianka" was used for the regional anthem of Tambov Oblast, whose lyrics were written on 22 May 2002 by A. Mitrofanov.[16]
| Russian original[16] | Anglo-Russian Romanization | English translation |
|---|---|---|
На просторах бескрайних и синих, |
Na prostórakh beskráynikh i sínikh, |
In endless blue expanses, |
My Comrade in Death Throes
The melody of the song is also used for the poem My Comrade in Death Throes. It was written in December 1944 by Ion Degen, a Second World War tank ace.[17][18]
Ты не плачь, не стони, ты не маленький,
Ты не ранен, ты просто убит.
Дай на память сниму с тебя валенки,
Нам еще наступать предстоит.
Cry not, moan not, you're not little.
You're not wounded, you're simply killed.
Let me take off your valenki for memory,
We've yet to delve into attack.
Charts
Military Band Service of the Armed Forces of Russia version
| Chart (2026) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Russia Streaming (TopHit)[20] | 65 |
Notes
- Russian: Прощание славянки, romanized: Proščanije slavjanki, IPA: [prɐˈɕːænʲɪje sɫɐˈvʲankʲɪ]; pre-1918 Russian orthography: Прощаніе славянки