August 24, 2025

Anthem of a Disputed Land


Anthem of a Disputed Land
Something to listen to while enjoying a summer getaway. Wikimedia Commons, Alexxx1979.

On August 22, the head of the Crimean parliament, Vladimir Konstantinov, announced via Telegram that the region had adopted a new anthem. According to Konstantinov, the new anthem "emphasizes the struggle of generations of Crimeans to return to their homeland [and] the inseparable connection of Crimea with Russia."

The new anthem was adopted on Russia's Flag Day and was composed by a local poet and a former regional senator. While audio recordings of it are scarce online, its final line reportedly reads, "Heroic Crimea is the honor and pride of Russia."

Crimea was invaded by unmarked Russian troops in 2014, following a westward turn in Ukraine, and it was subsequently "annexed" by an act of the Russian Duma. All but a few members of the international community have failed to recognize Moscow's claim.

In recent years, Crimea has come to symbolize Russian belligerence, as it, along with the eastern Ukrainian regions of Donetsk and Luhansk, remain under Moscow's rule, even as Russia's full-scale invasion simmers. The full integration of Crimea, Donetsk, and Luhansk remain key parts of a potential Russia-approved peace plan.

As such, the new anthem is part of a larger effort by Kremlin-approved authorities to bring Crimea further into the Russian fold. The anthem is slated to be played in schools on Sept. 1, a major holiday marking students' return to the classroom. It replaces a previous song adopted in 2000 that left out any mention of Russia.

You Might Also Like

Cleaning up Kerch Strait Oil Spill
  • December 25, 2024

Cleaning up Kerch Strait Oil Spill

A massive oil spill in the Kerch Strait has polluted miles of shoreline in Russia’s Krasnodar Oblast, killing birds and dolphins.
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of our Books

93 Untranslatable Russian Words
December 01, 2008

93 Untranslatable Russian Words

Every language has concepts, ideas, words and idioms that are nearly impossible to translate into another language. This book looks at nearly 100 such Russian words and offers paths to their understanding and translation by way of examples from literature and everyday life. Difficult to translate words and concepts are introduced with dictionary definitions, then elucidated with citations from literature, speech and prose, helping the student of Russian comprehend the word/concept in context.

The Little Humpbacked Horse
November 03, 2014

The Little Humpbacked Horse

A beloved Russian classic about a resourceful Russian peasant, Vanya, and his miracle-working horse, who together undergo various trials, exploits and adventures at the whim of a laughable tsar, told in rich, narrative poetry.

Steppe
July 15, 2022

Steppe

This is the work that made Chekhov, launching his career as a writer and playwright of national and international renown. Retranslated and updated, this new bilingual edition is a super way to improve your Russian.

The Moscow Eccentric
December 01, 2016

The Moscow Eccentric

Advance reviewers are calling this new translation "a coup" and "a remarkable achievement." This rediscovered gem of a novel by one of Russia's finest writers explores some of the thorniest issues of the early twentieth century.

Murder and the Muse
December 12, 2016

Murder and the Muse

KGB Chief Andropov has tapped Matyushkin to solve a brazen jewel heist from Picasso’s wife at the posh Metropole Hotel. But when the case bleeds over into murder, machinations, and international intrigue, not everyone is eager to see where the clues might lead.

A Taste of Chekhov
December 24, 2022

A Taste of Chekhov

This compact volume is an introduction to the works of Chekhov the master storyteller, via nine stories spanning the last twenty years of his life.

Russian Rules
November 16, 2011

Russian Rules

From the shores of the White Sea to Moscow and the Northern Caucasus, Russian Rules is a high-speed thriller based on actual events, terrifying possibilities, and some really stupid decisions.

White Magic
June 01, 2021

White Magic

The thirteen tales in this volume – all written by Russian émigrés, writers who fled their native country in the early twentieth century – contain a fair dose of magic and mysticism, of terror and the supernatural. There are Petersburg revenants, grief-stricken avengers, Lithuanian vampires, flying skeletons, murders and duels, and even a ghostly Edgar Allen Poe.

How Russia Got That Way
September 20, 2025

How Russia Got That Way

A fast-paced crash course in Russian history, from Norsemen to Navalny, that explores the ways the Kremlin uses history to achieve its ends.

About Us

Russian Life is the 31-year-old publication of an award-winning publishing house that also creates books, and other products for Russophiles the world over.

Latest Posts

Our Contacts

Russian Life
73 Main Street, Suite 402
Montpelier VT 05602

802-223-4955