National anthem of Ukraine
 | A request that this article title be changed to National anthem of Ukraine is under discussion. Please do not move this article until the discussion is closed. |
| English: State Anthem of Ukraine | |
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| Державний Гімн України | |
 The Ukrainian national anthem, written for mixed choir and piano | |
National anthem of Ukraine | |
| Lyrics | Pavlo Chubynsky, 1862 |
| Music | Mykhailo Verbytsky, 1863 |
| Adopted | 15 January 1992 (music) 6 March 2003 (lyrics) |
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"Shche ne vmerla Ukrainy i slava, i volia" | |
| Music of Ukraine | ||||
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"Shche ne vmerla Ukrainy i slava, i volia" (Ukrainian: Ще не вмерла України і слава, і воля, pronounced [ˈʃtʃɛ nɛ ˈu̯mɛrlɐ ʊkrɐˈjinɪ i ˈslɑwɐ i ˈwɔlʲɐ], lit. 'The glory and freedom of Ukraine has not yet perished'),[1][note 1] also known by its official title of "State Anthem of Ukraine" (Державний Гімн України, Derzhavnyi Himn Ukrainy)[2] or by its shortened form "Shche ne vmerla Ukrainy" (Ще не вмерла України, lit. 'Ukraine has not yet perished'), is the national anthem of Ukraine. It is one of the state symbols of the country.
The lyrics constitute a slightly modified version of the first stanza of a patriotic poem written in 1862 by the poet Pavlo Chubynsky, a prominent ethnographer from Kyiv. In 1863, Mykhailo Verbytsky, a western Ukrainian composer and Greek-Catholic priest, composed music to accompany Chubynsky's text. The first choral performance of the piece was at the Ukraine Theatre in Lviv, in 1864.
In the first half of the 20th century, during unsuccessful attempts to gain independence and create a state from the territories of the Russian Empire, Poland, and Austria-Hungary, the song was the national anthem of the Ukrainian People's Republic, the West Ukrainian People's Republic, and Carpatho-Ukraine. A competition was held for a national anthem following Ukraine's secession from the Soviet Union, with one of the songs being "Za Ukrajinu" (English: "For Ukraine") by the Ukrainian writer and actor Mykola Voronyi. "Shche ne vmerla Ukrainy i slava, i volia" was officially adopted by Ukraine's Verkhovna Rada (parliament) on 15 January 1992. The official lyrics were adopted on 6 March 2003 by the Law on the Anthem of Ukraine (Закон про Гімн України).
History
Background
The Ukrainian national anthem can be traced back to one of the parties of the Ukrainian ethnographer and poet Pavlo Chubynsky that occurred during the autumn of 1862. Scholars think that the Polish national song "Poland Is Not Yet Lost" ("Polish: Jeszcze Polska nie zginęła"), which dates back to 1797, and which later became the national anthem of Poland and the Polish Legions, also had an influence on Chubynsky's lyrics.[3][4][5] "Jeszcze Polska nie zginęła" was popular among the nations of the former Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth that were at that time fighting for their independence; the January Uprising started a few months after Chubynsky wrote his lyrics.[6][note 2]
Chubynsky's words were rapidly taken up by the earliest Ukrainophiles. In 1862 , the head gendarm Prince Vasily Dolgorukov exiled Chubynsky to Arkhangelsk Governorate for the "dangerous influence on the minds of commoners".[7]
The poem was first officially published in 1863, when it appeared in the fourth issue of the Lviv journal Meta.[8] It became popular in the territories which now form part of Western Ukraine, and came to the attention of a member of the Ukrainian clergy, Mykhailo Verbytsky of the Greek-Catholic Church. Inspired by Chubynsky's poem, Verbytsky, then a prominent composer in Ukraine, decided to set it to music.[9] The poem was first published with Verbytsky's sheet music In 1865.[1] The first choral performance of the piece was in 1864 at the Ukraine Theatre in Lviv.[timeframe?]
The first recording of this anthem (then spelled "Szcze ne wmerła Ukrajiny ni sława ni wola") in Ukrainian was released on a vinyl record by Columbia Phonograph Company during World War I in 1916.[10] As a folk song it was performed by a Ukrainian emigrant from Lviv and New York resident Mychajlo Zazulak in 1915.[11]
Early use
However, Chubynsky's poem wasn't used as a state anthem until 1917, when it was adopted by the Ukrainian Republic. Still, even between 1917 and 1921, this anthem was not legislatively adopted as an exclusive state anthem as other anthems were also used at the time.
During the period between 1918 and 1919, Chubynsky's poem was also used as a state anthem of the short-lived West Ukrainian People's Republic.
Ukraine's anthem during the Soviet period
In 1922, the Ukrainian SSR signed the Treaty on the Creation of the USSR with the Russian SFSR, Transcaucasian SFSR and Byelorussian SSR, which created the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic. Following the signing of the treaty, the anthem was immediately banned by the Soviet regime.[citation needed] The authorities later decided that each separate Soviet republic could have its own anthem, but Shche ne vmerla Ukraina was rejected in an attempt to help to suppress separatist sentiments held by Ukrainian Nationalists. In 1939, "Szcze ne wmerła Ukrajina" was adopted as the official state anthem of Carpatho-Ukraine.[citation needed]
Soviet leaders instead wanted an anthem that would evoke emotions of Ukraine being a fraternal republic within the USSR, which was "equal among equals, free among the free". It necessarily had to mention the Communist Party of the Soviet Union which was leading Ukraine towards communism. They chose Pavlo Tychyna's version of "Zhyvy, Ukraino, prekrasna i syľna", which become the official anthem of the Ukrainian SSR in 1949, and remained the republic's anthem until 1991. Unpopular among Ukrainians, the anthem of the USSR was played instead during nearly all official events in Ukraine during the communist era.[citation needed]
Post-independence
On 15 January 1992, the music for the State Anthem of Ukraine was adopted by Ukraine's parliament, the Verkhovna Rada, and was later instituted in the Ukrainian constitution. However, the lyrics for the anthem were not officially adopted until 6 March 2003, when the Verkhovna Rada passed a law on the state anthem of Ukraine (Закон "Про Державний гімн України"), proposed by then president Leonid Kuchma. The law proposed Mykhailo Verbytsky's music and Pavlo Chubynsky's first verse and refrain of his poem "Šče ne vmerla Ukrajina". However, the first stanza of the anthem was to be changed from "Shche ne vmerla Ukraina, ni slava ni volia" to "Shche ne vmerla Ukrainy, i slava i volia".
The law was passed with an overwhelming majority of 334 votes out of 450, with only 46 MPs opposing. Only the members of Socialist Party of Ukraine and Communist Party of Ukraine refrained from the voting. The passing of this law finalised Article 20 of the Constitution of Ukraine. The national anthem that up until then had only officially consisted of Mykhailo Verbytsky's music, would henceforth also include the modified lyrics of Pavlo Chubynsky.
The popularity of the Ukrainian anthem has become particularly high in the wake of the Orange Revolution protests of 2004 and Euromaidan of 2013. Ukrainian composer Valentyn Sylvestrov, who participated in Ukrainian protests in Kyiv, characterised the Ukrainian anthem thus:[12]
The Ukrainian anthem is amazing. At first it doesn't impress you at all, but that's only at first glance. Indeed, this anthem was created by Mykhailo Verbytsky, clerical composer of the mid-19th century. He lived under the Austrian monarchy, probably was fond of Schubert; he had an euphonic gift – it's clear from his liturgical compositions. He was a church composer. And this patriotic song, he created as a church composer. This chant is a Hallelujah. No other anthem has this! It's a unique piece: the anthem of Ukraine, which at the same time has all characteristic features of a liturgy's beginning. Some memory of a liturgy, of an all-night vigil, has submerged in this anthem. It seems as if wind blows in this simple chant, as if tree branches are singing.
Euromaidan to present
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During the Euromaidan protests of 2013, the anthem became a revolutionary song for the protesters. In the early weeks of the protests, they sang the national anthem once an hour, led by singer Ruslana.[13]
In the wake of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, many orchestras in Europe and North America performed the anthem in solidarity with Ukraine and its people.[14]
Lyrics
Shche ne vmerla Ukraina was sung as the de facto national anthem at the inauguration of the first President Leonid Kravchuk on 5 December 1991, but it was not until 6 March 2003 that Chubynsky's poem officially became a part of Ukraine's national anthem. The Constitution of Ukraine designated Verbytsky's music for the national anthem on 28 June 1996:[2]
The State Anthem of Ukraine is the national anthem set to the music of M. Verbytsky, with words that are confirmed by the law adopted by no less than two-thirds of the constitutional composition of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine.
— Article 20 of the Constitution of Ukraine r
On 6 March 2003, the Verkhovna Rada officially adopted the anthem's lyrics, opting to use only the first verse and chorus from Chubynsky's original poem, while slightly modifying the first stanza. Instead of stating "Ukraine has not yet died, neither her glory, nor her freedom", the opening line now states "Ukraine's glory has not yet died, nor her freedom".
| Official Ukrainian lyrics | Romanization | IPA transcription | Poetic English translation |
|---|---|---|---|
Ще не вмерла України і слава, і воля, |
Šče ne vmerla Ukrajiny i slava, i volia. |
[ʃtʃɛ nɛ ˈu̯mɛrlɐ ʊkrɐˈjinɪ | i ˈslɑwɐ | i ˈwɔlʲɐ ‖] |
Nay, thou art not dead, Ukraine, see, thy glory's born again, |
Chubynsky's original lyrics
The first stanza of Chubynsky's original poem is somewhat similar to the first stanza of national anthems of Poland, Yugoslavia, and "Hatikvah", the national anthem of Israel.[citation needed]
| Ukrainian original | Romanization | English translation |
|---|---|---|
Ще не вмерла Украіна, |
Šče ne vmerla Ukraina, |
Never perished is Ukraine, |
Draft lyrics
| Ukrainian original | Romanization | English translation |
|---|---|---|
Ще не вмерла України ні слава, ні воля. |
Šče ne vmerla Ukrajiny, ni slava, ni volja, |
Ukraine hath not yet perished, nor her glory, nor her freedom, |
Adaptations
The song Slava Ukraini!, written as a "song of resistance" during the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, is inspired by the opening motif of the Ukrainian national anthem.[17]
See also
Notes
- ^ Also "Shche ne vmerla Ukraina, i Slava, i Volia" (Ще не вмерла Україна, і слава, і воля); lit. 'Ukraina has not yet perished, as hasn't its glory and its will'
- ^ Likewise influenced by the Polish national song, Slovak poet Samo Tomášik wrote the song "Hey, Slavs", which later became Yugoslavia's anthem in 1944–2003.[citation needed]
- ^ The IPA transcription was put together based on the sources from Ukrainian phonology and Help:IPA/Ukrainian.
References
- ^ a b Magocsi 2010, p. 401.
- ^ a b "Constitution of Ukraine, Chapter 1, General Principles". Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine. Archived from the original on 26 May 2009. Retrieved 2 March 2022.
- ^ Grinevich, Victor (22 January 2009). "Павло Чубинський писав вірші "під Шевченка"" [Pavlo Chubynsky wrote poems "under Shevchenko"]. Gazeta.ua (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 3 March 2022.
- ^ Hrytsak 2005, pp. 57–58.
- ^ Grabowska, Sabina (2016). "The Evolution of Polish National Symbols on the Example of the Flag and Anthem". Kultura i Edukacja (4). Wydawnictwo Adam Marszałek: 183. ISSN 1230-266X.
- ^ Trochimczyk, Maja (2000). "Dąbrowski Mazurka". National Anthems of Poland. Los Angeles: Polish Music Center, USC Thornton School of Music. Archived from the original on 26 February 2013. Retrieved 7 March 2013.
- ^ "Павло Платонович Чубинський. Андрусов Микола Іванович".
- ^ "Pavlo Platonovich Chubynsky". National Technical University of Ukraine. Retrieved 5 March 2022.
- ^ Struk 1993, p. 581.
- ^ "у інтернеті набирає популярність аудіозапис гімну україни 1916 року" [The audio recording of the Anthem of Ukraine of 1916 is gaining popularity on the Internet]. Channel 5 News (in Ukrainian). 20 October 2014. Retrieved 3 March 2022.
- ^ Zhytkevych, Anatoliy (7 November 2013). "Маловідомі сторінки із життя Михайла Зазуляка" [Less known pages out of the life of Mykhailo Zazulyak]. MICT Online (in Ukrainian). Meest. Archived from the original on 20 October 2014.
- ^ Semenchenko, Maria (29 December 2013). "Валентин Сильвестров: "Читайте Шевченка, доки не пізно..."" [Valentyn Silvestrov: "Read Shevchenko before it's too late..."]. The Day (Kyiv)] [День] (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 3 March 2022.
- ^ Tishchuk, Olga (2 December 2013). "Євромайдан уночі забарикадувався ялинкою і щогодини співав гімн із Русланою] fakty.ictv.ua" [Euromaidan barricaded itself with a Christmas tree at night and sang the anthem with Ruslana every hour]. Facts (in Ukrainian). ICTV (Ukraine). Retrieved 3 March 2022.
- ^ "Video of the Day: orchestras across Europe perform Ukrainian national anthem". Gramophone. Retrieved 2022-03-06.
- ^ "On the National Anthem of Ukraine". Legislation of Ukraine (in Ukrainian, English, and Russian). The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine. Retrieved 3 March 2022.
- ^ "Ukrainas nationalsång" [Ukraine's national anthem]. Ukraina i Sverige (in Swedish). Ukrainaemb.se. Retrieved 11 January 2020.
- ^ "Marcus Paus om sitt nye verk: – Jeg skrev 'Slava Ukraini!' fordi jeg ikke kunne la være" [Marcus Paus on his new work: I wrote 'Slava Ukraini!' because I had to]. Kulturplot. Norwegian News Agency. 4 March 2022.
Sources
- Hrytsak, Yaroslav (2005). "On Sails and Gales, and Ships Driving in Various Directions: Post-Soviet Ukraine as a Test Case for the Meso-Area Concept". In Matsuzato, Kimitaka (ed.). Emerging Meso-areas in the Former Socialist Countries: histories revised or improvised?. Hokkaido University. ISBN 978-4-938637-35-4.
- Magocsi, Paul Robert (2010). A History of Ukraine: The Land and Its Peoples. Toronto: University of Toronto Press. ISBN 978-1-4426-4085-6.|edition=2nd
- Struk, Danylo Husar, ed. (1993). "Verbytsky, Mykhailo". Encyclopedia of Ukraine. Vol. 5. Toronto: University of Toronto Press. ISBN 0-8020-3010-6 – via Internet Archive.
Further reading
- Saltan, A.N. (2 March 2022). "Как Кучма с Медведчуком слова для государственного гимна выбирали" [How Kuchma and Medvedchuk chose the words for the national anthem] (in Russian). KyivVlast. Retrieved 2 March 2022.
- Saltan, A.N.; Saltan, О. М. (2016). "Живи Україно незламна і сильна… Парламентські дебати навколо затвердження тексту Державного гімну України 4 та 6 березня 2003 року" [Long live Ukraine unbreakable and strong… Parliamentary debate on the adoption of the text of the National Anthem of Ukraine on March 4 and 6, 2003]. Сіверянський літопис (Severyansky Chronicle) (in Ukrainian). 130 (4): 16–36.
External links
- National Symbols from President of Ukraine (in Ukrainian)
- A orchestral arrangement of the anthem, available to download from the website of St Gregory's Orchestra, Norwich, UK
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