Farewell of Slavianka (Russian: Прощание славянки - Proshchanye Slavyanki) is a Russian patriotic march, written by the composer Vasily Agapkin in honour of the Bulgarian women bidding farewell to their husbands who left for the First Balkan War. The march premiered in Tambov in 1912 and was subsequently released as a single. Slavyanka means "Slavic woman".
A theory of some musicians is that the main tune of this march had originated as an anti-war protest song during the Russo-Japanese War 1904-1905. In spite of being banned, it became very popular in Russia during that time, especially among the Russian soldiers.
The melody gained popularity in Russia and adjoining countries during World War I, when the Russian soldiers left their homes accompanied by this music. It was also used as an unofficial anthem of Admiral Kolchak's White Army.
It was commonly believed, erroneously, that prior to its use in the award-winning 1957 film The Cranes Are Flying, the song was banned in the Soviet Union due to associations with the tsarist regime and the counter-revolutionary movements. This was not the case. This march was published in an official collection of music for Red Army orchestras,[1] and it was recorded in the early 1940s by a military orchestra under Ivan Petrov (1906–1975), 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 attempted to write lyrics for this music. During World War II in German occupied Poland an adapted "underground" version of the song, Rozszumiały się wierzby płaczące ("Weeping willows began to hum") 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. Currently, the march is recognized as the anthem of the Tambov Oblast. Ships cruising along the Volga and the Rossiya train which runs from Moscow to Vladivostok make use of the tune before departing. Train #2 (named "Ukraine" at the time) used to depart from Kiev to Moscow to the sound of this tune.
"Farewell of Slavyanka" was first used in movies in the 1957 film, The Cranes Are Flying. It has also featured in the film Charlie Wilson's War which is set around the Soviet war in Afghanistan.
Saint George's was a major decoration in the Imperial Russian Army of the time, awarded to soldiers, sailors, non-commissioned officers, warrant officers and junior officers for acts of courage, self sacrifice and distinction in battle to protect the Fatherland from attack. Now restored in Russia, see State Decorations of the Russian Federation.
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English translationn
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Nastupayt minuta proshaniya,
Ty gljadish' mne trevozhno v glaza,
I lovlju ya rodnoe dykhanie,
A vdali uzhe dyshit groza.
2.
Drognul vozdukh tumannyjj i sinijj,
I trevoga kosnulas' viskov,
I zavyot nas na podvig Rossiya,
Veet vetrom ot shaga polkov.
Proshay, otchiy kray,
Tyi nas vspominaya,
Proshay, miliy vzgljad,
Prosti-proshay, prosti-proshay...
3.
Letyat, letyat goda,
Ukhodyat vo mglu poezda,
A v nikh - soldatyi.
I v nebe temnom
Gorit soldatskaya zvezda.
A v nikh - soldatyi.
I v nebe temnom
Gorit soldatskaya zvezda.
4.
Les da step', da v stepi polustanki.
Svet vecherneyi i novoyi zari?
Ne zabud' zhe proshan'e Slavianka,
Sokrovenno v dushe novtori!
5.
Nyet, ne budet dusha bezuchastna?
Spraveddivosti svetyat ogni...
Za lubov', za vezikoe bratstvo
Otdavali myi zhzni svom.
6.
Letyat, letyat goda,
A pesnya - tyi s nami vsegda:
Tebya myi pominim,
I v nebe temnom
Gorit soldatskaya zvezda.
The moment of parting is nigh
You look into my eyes with alarm.
I sense you dear breath,
And far away the storm is already gathering.
A tremor ran through the blue, misty air,
Alarm touched my temples,
And Russia calls us to a feat,
A breathe is wafting from the marching regiments.
Farewell, the land of the fathers,
Remember us.
Farewell, dear glance,
Forgive-farewell, Forgive-
farewell...
Years fly by
Trains disappear in the dark.
In them—the soldiers.
And in the dark sky
The soldier's star is shining.
In them—the soldiers.
And in the dark sky
The soldier's star is shining.
Farewell, the land of the fathers,
Remember us.
Farewell, dear glance,
Forgive-farewell, Forgive-
farewell...
Forests, the steppe, junctions stand in the steppe
The light of the twilight, evening, morning—So, don't forget the Slavic woman's farewell,
Repeat it to yourself in your soul!
No, the soul will not be indifferent—The lights of justice shine...
For love, for the great fraternity
We have sacrificed our lives.
Farewell, the land of the fathers,
Remember us.
Farewell, dear glance,
Not all of us shall return.
Years fly by,
A the song—your are always with us.
We remember you,
And in the dark sky
The soldier's star is shining.
Farewell, the land of the fathers,
Remember us.
Farewell, dear glance,
Forgive-farewell, Forgive-
farewell...
Этот марш не смолкал на перронах
когда враг заслонял горизонт.
С ним отцов наших в дымных вагонах
Поезда увозили на фронт.
Он Москву отстоял в сорок первом,
В сорок пятом шагал на Берлин,
Он солдатом прошел до Победы
По дорогам нелегких годин.
Припев:
И если в поход
Страна позовет
За край наш родной
Мы все пойдем в священный бой! (2 раза)
Шумят в полях хлеба.
Шагает Отчизна моя
К высотам счастья,
Сквозь все ненастья —
Дорогой мира и труда.
Припев:
И если в поход
Страна позовет
За край наш родной
Мы все пойдем в священный бой!
Etot marsh nye smolkal na perronakh
Kogda vrag zaslonyal gorizont.
S nim otsov nashikh v dymnykh vagonakh
poezda uvozili na front.
On Moskvu otstoyal vsorok pervom
vsorok pyatom shagal na Berlin
On s soldaton proshol do pobedy
po dorogam nelegkim godni.
I yesliv pokhod
strana pozoviot
za kray nash rodnoy
My vse poydom svyaschenny boy (2 times)
Shumyat v polyakh khleba
Shagaet otchizna moya
K vysotam schast'ya skvoz' vse nenast'ya, dorogoy mira i truda
I yesliv pokhod
strana pozoviot
za kray nash rodnoy
My vse poydom v svyshchenny boy!
This is an inspiring song
Recalling the aggressor pressing the border
Soldiers leave their homes to the train
Setting off with this song to the front.
Singing it to defend Moscow in 1941
Singing it to take Berlin in 1945
Russia firmly erect and unite as one
Even with decades of difficulties and hardship
(Chorus) If one day
Enemy dare
For our motherland
Rise up and commit into this holy war! (2 times)
The wheat fields rolling
Motherland is big step moving forward
Overcoming the hardship
Praising the hardworking
Defending the happiness and peace<
Overcoming the hardship
Praising the working party
Defending the happiness and peace
If one day
Enemy dare
For our motherland
Rise up and commit into this holy war!
A Hebrew version was written in 1945 by singer/songwriter Haim Hefer for the Palmach. In his version of the song, Hefer coined the phrase אָנוּ פֹּה חוֹמַת מָגֵן (We are a defensive shield) used by Israel Defence Forces when naming Operation Defensive Shield in 2002.[2]