Farewell of Slavianka is a Russian patriotic march, written by the composer Vasily Agapkin in honour of the Slavic women accompanying their husbands in the First Balkan War. The march was written and premiered in Tambov in the end of 1912. In summer of 1915 it was released as a gramophone single in Kiev. Slavyanka means "Slavic woman".
History
The melody gained popularity in Russia and adjoining countries during World War I, when the Russian soldiers left their homes accompanied by this music. This march was performed also during parade of 7 November 1941 on the Red Square, after which soldiers went straight to fight in Battle of Moscow. This march was also used as an unofficial anthem of Admiral Kolchak's White Army. It was commonly believed that prior to its use in the award-winning 1957 filmThe Cranes Are Flying, the song was banned in the Soviet Union due to lyrics about banned subjects. Due to its popularity and quality, the Communist authorities adopted the song; however, only after significant changes were made to its lyrics. The original text, which sings about Russian patriotism, religion, and culture was not acceptable under the Soviet Union regime. It was originally published by Zimmerman Production Association around 1912. This march was published in an official collection of music for Red Army orchestras, and it was recorded in the early 1940s by a military orchestra under Ivan Petrov, though different lyrics were used during that time. There are lyrics which are usually sung by the Red Army choir today. Subsequently, several Russian and Polish composers have written lyrics for this music. During World War II in German occupied Poland an adapted "underground" version of the song, Rozszumiały się wierzby płaczące became popular, among anti Nazi partisans, based on lyrics by Roman Ślęzak. During the 1990s, the Yabloko party lobbied for the march to be adopted as the National Anthem of Russia, but without success. "Farewell of Slavyanka" was first used in movies in The Cranes Are Flying. It has also featured in the film Charlie Wilson's War which is set around the Soviet–Afghan War and in the Russian movies72 Meters and Prisoner of the Mountains. An instrumental version of the song was featured in the 1990 Ukrainian film, "Raspad", during the Pripyat evacuation scene. A Hebrew version was written in 1945 by singer/songwriter Haim Hefer for the Palmach. In his version of the song, called , Hefer coined the phrase used by Israel Defense Forces when naming Operation Defensive Shield in 2002.
Lyrics
1967
The Farewell of Slavianka first received official lyrics under the Soviet leadership, which were appropriate for the political climate at the time. The part about Russian culture, religion, and patriotism was changed. It was made by A. Fedotov. The first version made under the Soviet Union, didn't mention about the Battle of Berlin. The later version, mentioned it.
1984
This version of lyrics is written by Vladimir Lazarev in 1984 and it has gained the popularity since the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991 because of the slower tempo and the added human fragility factor.
1997
A more patriotic version of the march, written by Andrei Mingalyov, was created after the fall of the Soviet Union.
The Farewell of Slavianka melody was used for the Tambov Oblast anthem. The lyrics for the anthem were made on 22 May 2002, by A. Mitrofanov.
"My Comrade in Death Throes"
The melody of the song is also used for the poem "My Comrade in Death Throes". A sample verse is: It was written in December 44 by Ion Degen, World War II tank ace.
