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Sergei Mikhalkov, the Russian who wrote the words of the Soviet and Russian national anthems, has died at the age of 96. He first wrote the lyrics for the anthem during World War II, when Stalin was Soviet leader, but later rewrote them to omit references to him. Mikhalkov also wrote the words for the current Russian anthem adopted in 2001. While Mikhalkov’s first version praised Stalin and his second Lenin, the current lyrics hail Russia’s uniqueness and vastness and refer to it being a land “protected by God”. Alex Gallafent took a look at the troubled anthem. >>> BBC coverage
Both the Russian Czars and the U. of Pennsylvania borrowed the tunes for their anthems from the same source: Tchaikovsky, the 1812 Overture.
Folks should know that the tune to the 1833 “God Save the Tsar” is also used by Macalester College in St. Paul, MN for its school song (in addition to the University of Pennsylvania).
Personally, I’ve always loved the current Russian national anthem. So majestic.