My Belarusy

"My Belarusy" ("Мы, беларусы", We Belarusians) is an unofficial title of the national anthem of Belarus, by the first line of its lyrics. Official, My Belarusy is titled the National Anthem of the Republic of Belarus (Russian: Государственный гимн Республики Беларусь, Belarusian: Дзяржаўны гімн Рэспублікі Беларусь). The song itself has been in existence since 1955 as the anthem of the Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic. While the music, which was composed by Nester Sakalouski, has not been changed, the Soviet lyrics were not used after the fall of the Soviet Union. This was changed on July 2, 2002, with a decree passed by President Alexander Lukashenko issued a decree to establish a new lyrics.

Anthem of Byelorussian SSR

The first use for My Belarusy was as the hymn of the Byelorussian SSR (гимн Белорусская Советская Социалистическая Республика, гімн Беларуская Савецкая Сацыялістычная Рэспубліка), which was adopted on February 24 1955. The hymn was composed by Sakalouski and the lyrics were written by Maxim Klimkovich. Byelorussia was not the only Soviet Socialist Republic to adopt a hymn; every SSR adopted their own unique hymn except for the Russian Soviet Federated Socialist Republic, which used the Hymn of the Soviet Union as their hymn.

Anthem of the Republic of Belarus

File:Lukashenko anthem contest 2002.jpg

Alexander Lukashenko listening to the anthem contest finalists

File:My Belarusy first performance.jpg

The first performance of "My Belarusy" on July 2 2002

Upon the breakup of the Soviet Union, Belarus and the other 14 republics became their own countries. While some of the republics either reverted to previous anthems or adopted new ones, Belarus chose to use their Soviet Republic anthem. However, the former lyrics, which has references to Russia, the Communist Party and to Lenin, were not used. Legally, the Constitution of the Republic of Belarus had listed in Section One, Article 19 that "The symbols of the Republic of Belarus as a sovereign state shall be its national flag, national emblem and national anthem." Though this provision states the use of a national anthem along with other symbol, each had to be enacted by law. The law about the anthem was not enacted until Decree 350, which was issued by President Alexander Lukashenko, took effect on July 2 2002. The decree issued when and where the anthem will be performed, how the anthem is performed, and issued lyrics and sheet music to use when performing the anthem. ^[1] The day of the adoption of the lyrics, July 2, also co-incised with the day that Belarus celebrated their independence. Before issuing the decree, Lukashenko listened to the current anthem and four other candidates for the national anthem. Three out of the five candidates, including the current anthem, used the music composed by Sakalouski and their lyrics started out with "My Belarusy." ^[2] According to the newspaper Soviet Byelorussia, President Lukashenko chose the anthem on June 12 2002 and chose to have the anthem to be first performed on July 3, the Belarusian holiday when the Wehrmacht was drvien away from Belarus by the Red Army in 1944. ^[3] However, the first performance took place on July 2 at a concert, organized by the government, as part of the Belarusian independence festivities. ^[4]

Even after the enacting of the decree, Lukashenko has referred to the anthem in various speeches to the nation. This comment was made in a New Years Day address in 2004, referring to the Athens Olympic Games: "We believe that our athletes will excel at the main sport event of every four years – the Olympic Games, and the Belarusian anthem will time and again be heard in ancient Athens." ^[5]

Regulations

Television stations inside Belarus must play the national anthem twice a day: when they sign on at 6:00 and when they sign off around 24:00.

Other songs

There is a song with similar lyrics, also have been put to the music Sakalouski has composed. The song is called "Жыве Беларусь!" ( Belarus!). The lyrics to this song were composed in 1994, but they were not used in any official capacity by the Belarusian Government. ^[6]

Another favorite was the poem called "Young Belarus" (Маладая Беларусь) by Janka Kupala. However, music was not put to this poem. ^[7]

Belarus, along with Russia, are trying to form a join union of both nations called the Union of Russia and Belarus. While Belarus and Russia will be able to keep their own symbols, there is an unofficial anthem that is proposed to be used by the Union. The song, called Sovereign Union of Nations (Державный союз народов, Derzhavny soyuz narodov) refers to a wider union of the two nations, the song was a modified from the National Anthem of the Soviet Union, which Russia uses today with modified lyrics. ^[8]

Official lyrics (In Belarusian)

Lyrics by Maxim Klimkovich and Uladzimir Karyzny
Music by Nester Sakalouski

Мы, беларусы - мірныя людзі,
Сэрцам адданыя роднай зямлі,
Шчыра сябруем, сілы гартуем
Мы ў працавітай, вольнай сям'і.

Refrain:

Слаўся, зямлі нашай светлае імя,

Слаўся, народаў братэрскі саюз!

Наша любімая маці-Радзіма,

Вечна жыві і квітней, Беларусь!

Разам з братамі мужна вякамі
Мы баранілі родны парог,
У бітвах за волю, бітвах за долю
Свой здабывалі сцяг перамог!

Refrain

Дружба народаў - сіла народаў -
Наш запаветны, сонечны шлях.
Горда ж узвіся ў ясныя высі,
Сцяг пераможны - радасці сцяг!

Refrain

We Belarusians (translation)

We are Belarusians, peaceful people,
Our heart is to our native land,
We maintain generous friendship and gain our powers
Within the industrious, free family.

Refrain:

Glory to the bright name of our land,

Glory to the fraternal union of our peoples!

Our beloved mother-Motherland,

Long you live and flourish, Belarus!

Together with brothers, with fortitude, during centuries
We guarded our native thresholds,
In struggles for freedom, in struggles for fate,
We have been gaining our banner of victories.

Refrain

The friendship of peoples (which is) the power of peoples
Is our venerable, sunny path
You soar up proudly, into the bright heights,
The banner of victory, the banner of joy!

Refrain

Anthem of Byelorussian SSR

For comparison, below is a part of the Anthem of Byelorussian SSR.

Belarusian lyrics:

Мы, беларусы, з братняю Руссю
Разам шукалі к счасцю дарог.
У бітвах за волю, у бітвах за долю
З ёй здабылi мы сцяг перамог!

Нас аб’яднала Леніна імя,

Партыя к шчасцю вядзе нас у паход.

Партыі слава! Слава Радзіме!

Слава табе беларускі народ!

English translation:

We, the Belarusians, together with fraternal Rus',
Looked for roads to fortune.
In struggles for freedom, in struggles for fate,
We have gained our banner of victories.

We were united by the name of Lenin

The Party leads us in the quest to happiness

Glory to the Party! Glory to the Motherland!

Glory to you, Belarusian people!