God Save the Tsar!

{{Listen

| title = Instrumental version

| type = music

| filename = God Save the Tsar (instrumental).ogg

| description =

| filename2 = Боже, Царя храни!.ogg

| title2 = Circa 1897 recording, Columbia Phonograph Company (wax cylinder)

| description2 =

| title3 = English Version

| type3 = music

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Many composers made use of the theme in their compositions, most notably Tchaikovsky, who quoted it in the 1812 Overture, the Marche Slave, his overture on the Danish national anthem, and the Festival Coronation March. During the Soviet era, authorities altered Tchaikovsky's music (such as the 1812 Overture and Marche Slave), substituting other patriotic melodies, such as the "Glory" chorus from Mikhail Glinka's opera A Life for the Tsar, for "God Save the Tsar".{{cite web |url=https://pages.stolaf.edu/music242-spring2014/portfolio/aftershocks-of-1812-nationalism-and-censorship-in-tchaikovskys-1812-overture/ |title=Aftershocks of 1812: Nationalism and Censorship in Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture |date=13 May 2014 |access-date=14 November 2014 |archive-date=28 December 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171228053959/https://pages.stolaf.edu/music242-spring2014/portfolio/aftershocks-of-1812-nationalism-and-censorship-in-tchaikovskys-1812-overture/ |url-status=dead }} Charles Gounod uses the theme in his Fantaisie sur l'Hymne National Russe (Fantasy on the Russian National Hymn). William Walton's score for the 1970 film Three Sisters, based on Chekhov's play, is dominated by the theme.

In 1842, English author Henry Chorley wrote "God, the Omnipotent!", set to Lvov's tune and published in 19th- and 20th-century hymnals as the Russian Hymn.{{cite book |title=The Hymnal 1982 |publisher=Episcopal Church Publishing |year=1985 |location=New York |page=569 }} The Russian Hymn tune continues to appear in various modern English language hymnals, such as those of the United Methodist Church, the Presbyterian Church, the Lutheran Book of Worship of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, or as Russia in The Hymnal 1982 of the U.S. Episcopal Church.{{cite book |title=The Methodist Hymnal |publisher=The Methodist Publishing House |location=Nashville, Tennessee |year=1966 |page=544 }}

The same melody is also used with different lyrics for various institutional songs: Doxology of Phi Gamma Delta, "Noble Fraternity" of Phi Kappa Psi, West Chester University Alma Mater, "Hail, Pennsylvania!" (alma mater of the University of Pennsylvania),{{Citation |title=Hail, Pennsylvania! | date=17 October 2016 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=axioaLyZP9o |access-date=2023-12-20 |language=en}} "Dear Old Macalester" (alma mater of Macalester College),{{Citation |title=Dear Old Macalester | date=19 May 2020 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y13-e2iEcbs |access-date=2023-12-20 |language=en}} "Hail, Delta Upsilon" (Delta Upsilon fraternity), "Firm Bound in Brotherhood" (official song of the Order of the Arrow),{{Citation |title=The Order of the Arrow Song (Firm Bound in Brotherhood) Piano | date=August 2012 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MHae1qWj5RI |access-date=2023-12-20 |language=en}} the UST High School Hymn of the University of Santo Tomas High School in Manila,{{Citation |title=University of Santo Tomas High School Hymn/instrumental guitar | date=8 February 2019 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n-ElH_t7ILg |access-date=2023-12-20 |language=en}} and the alma mater of Texas Woman's University, Jesuit College Preparatory School of Dallas in Dallas, Texas, Westover School in Middlebury, Connecticut titled "Raise Now to Westover", Tabor Academy in Marion, Massachusetts, Dimmitt High School in Dimmitt, Texas, Grant High School in Portland, Oregon, Jesuit High School in Tampa, Florida, Windber Area High School in Windber, Pennsylvania and the former St Peter's High School in McKeesport, Pennsylvania.

Maurice Jarre's score for the 1965 film Doctor Zhivago uses this melody in several tracks, most notably in the Overture.{{cite book |last=Macdonald |first= Laurence E. |author-link= |date=2013 |title=The Invisible Art of Film Music: A Comprehensive History |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=clPmzY4YNNYC&pg=PT218 |location=Lanham, Maryland |publisher=Scarecrow Press |page=201 |isbn=978-0810883970}} The anthem, played by the Band of the Welsh Guards, was used as the theme music for the epic BBC television adaptation of War and Peace in 1972.{{cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p01k1vnv|title=War and Peace 28 September 1972, History of the BBC|website=BBC|date=20 October 2013 }} The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards continue to play "God Save the Tsar!" at formal events as a tribute to Nicholas II as the former colonel-in-chief of their predecessor, the Scots Greys.{{cite web | url=https://www.thecourier.co.uk/fp/news/uk-world/273283/russia-love-remarkable-tales-east-coast-scots-ties-moscow/ | title=From Russia with love - remarkable tales of east coast Scots' ties with Moscow | date=26 August 2016 }}

In 1998, singer-songwriter Alexander Gradsky, one of the best-known rock artists during the Soviet period, proposed using the theme again as the Russian national anthem, but with substantially different lyrics from those originally written by Zhukovsky.{{Cite web |title=Broad is my native land - Alexander Gradsky |url=https://alexandergradsky.com/publication/s00_24.shtml |access-date=2023-12-20 |website=alexandergradsky.com}}

In Fiddler on the Roof (1971), a character tells a popular joke: “Rebbe, can we pray for the Tsar?” “Yes. ‘God save the Tsar… keep him far away from us!’”

The composition was used as the royal anthem of the Principality of Bulgaria, having been imposed by the temporary Russian government and the Russian army commanders. The usage of it in Bulgaria was relinquished after the Bulgarian Declaration of Independence in 1908.{{cite web|url=http://socbg.com/2014/04/%D1%85%D0%B8%D0%BC%D0%BD%D1%8A%D1%82-%D0%BD%D0%B0-%D0%B1%D1%8A%D0%BB%D0%B3%D0%B0%D1%80%D0%B8%D1%8F-%D0%BF%D1%80%D0%B5%D0%B7-%D0%BF%D1%80%D0%B5%D0%B2%D1%80%D0%B0%D1%82%D0%BD%D0%BE%D1%81%D1%82%D0%B8.html|title=Химнът на България през превратностите на времето|website=socbg.com|access-date=July 26, 2018}}

• "The Prayer of the Russians", another anthem with a near-identical incipit
• "God Save the King", another anthem with a similar title
• "God Save the South", another anthem with a similar title
• "O Sanctissima", a Catholic Marian hymn with a similar melody

{{Reflist}}

{{Wikisourcelang|ru|Гимн Российской империи|God Save the Tsar!, in Russian}}

{{wikisource|The National Anthems of the Allies/Russia|God Save the Tsar!, with English lyrics}}

• [https://wayback.archive-it.org/all/20101002054755/http://www.hymn.ru//index-en.html Russian Anthem Museum] {{in lang|en}} [https://web.archive.org/web/20050701001453/http://www.hymn.ru/] {{in lang|ru}}
• [http://www.nationalanthems.info/ru-17.htm National Anthem Info]
• Brandenburg Historica (C) 2014. "[http://stores.militaryhistoryshop.com/blog/military-music-and-tradition-in-imperial-russia/ Military Music and Tradition in Imperial Russia, 1700-1917]". Updated 22 August 2014.
• [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mejgZ5SNxZs „God Save the Tsar!“ in the House of the Union]
• [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r-1C7M6nJc8&feature=youtu.be Bozhe tsarya khrani!]

{{National anthems of Russia}}

{{National anthems of Bulgaria}}

{{Former anthems of Europe}}

{{National Anthems of North America}}

{{National Anthems of Asia}}

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Category:1833 songs

Category:Historical national anthems

Category:Russian anthems

Category:European anthems

Category:Royal anthems

Category:God in culture

Category:God Save the King

Category:Royal Scots Dragoon Guards