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All About National Anthem of Russia
The State Anthem of the Russian Federation () is the name of the official national anthem of Russia
Its musical composition and lyrics were adopted from the National Anthem of the Soviet Union, composed by Alexander Alexandrov, and lyricists Sergey Mikhalkov and Gabriel El-Registan
The Soviet anthem was used from 1944, replacing "The Internationale" with a more Russocentric song
The anthem had no lyrics after 1956, due to the original lyrics having references to former leader Joseph Stalin
New lyrics were introduced in 1977 by Mikhalkov with lyrics placing less emphasis on the Great Patriotic War and more on the victory of communism.
Russia was the only republic of the USSR without its own anthem
The lyric-free "Patrioticheskaya Pesnya", composed by Mikhail Glinka, was officially adopted in 1990 by the Supreme Soviet of Russia and confirmed in 1993, after the dissolution of the Soviet Union, by President of Russia, Boris Yeltsin
The government sponsored contests to create lyrics for the unpopular anthem because of its inability to inspire Russian athletes during international competitions
None of the entries were adopted, resulting in President Vladimir Putin's restoration of the Soviet anthem
The government sponsored a contest to find lyrics, eventually settling upon a composition by Mikhalkov; according to the government, the lyrics were selected to evoke and eulogize the history and traditions of Russia
The new anthem was adopted in late 2000, and became the second anthem used by Russia after the dissolution of the Soviet Union.
Public perception of the anthem is mixed among Russians
The anthem reminds some of the best days of Russia and past sacrifices, while it reminds others of the violence that occurred under the rule of Stalin
The Russian government maintains that the anthem is a symbol of the unity of the people, and that it respects the past
A 2009 poll showed that 56% of respondents felt proud when hearing the anthem, and that 81% liked it.