The National Anthem of the Soviet Union (or Hymn, Russian: Гимн Советского Союза, Gimn Sovetskogo Soyuza) replaced The Internationale as the national anthem on March 15, 1944. The lyrics were written by Sergey Mikhalkov (born 1913) in collaboration with G. El-Registan (1899-1945) and the music was composed by Alexander Alexandrov (1883-1946). It was believed that Soviet soldiers would respond more to an anthem that was dedicated only to the Soviet Union rather than to a worldwide movement. The song was originally written as the Anthem of the Bolshevik Party with lyrics in the Alexandrine meter by Vasily Lebedev-Kumach in 1939.

Stalin was originally mentioned in the lyrics; however, after his death in 1953 and the process of Destalinization, the lyrics referring to Stalin were unacceptable. From that time until 1977, the anthem was played without lyrics. Revised lyrics without the references to Stalin and World War II were approved in 1977.

After the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, Russia adopted a new national anthem. In 2000, the old Soviet national anthem was re-adopted, with Mikhalkov writing new lyrics to represent Russia's new non-communist nature.

Literal translation:

Unbreakable union of free republics,
Great Rus' has joined forever!
Long live the created by the will of peoples
United and mighty Soviet Union

CHORUS:
To Glory, our free Fatherland
The stronghold of the friendship of peoples
Party of Lenin is the power of the people
It leads us to the triumph of Communism

Through storms the sun of freedom shone to us
And the great Lenin lighted us the way
He raised peoples to the right cause
He inspired us for labour and for acts of heroism

CHORUS

In the victory of the immortal ideas of Communism
We see the future of our country,
And to the Red banner of our glorious Fatherland
We shall always be selflessly loyal

CHORUS (less info)