Month: October 2022

Between Moldova and Ukraine, mainly on the left bank of the Dniester River, there is an unrecognized state called Transnistria. It can be quite interesting for fans of unrecognized and partially recognized states, since it has all the features of a state, including even its own currency, which, as far as I know, is unique for unrecognized states, mainly using the currencies of neighboring countries.
This state appeared in the early 1990s, even before the collapse of the Soviet Union. Due to the approximately equal number of Russians, Ukrainians and Moldovans there, its residents planned to remain part of the Soviet Union if Moldova left it or wanted to unite with Romania. However, later the Soviet Union collapsed, and the status of the state turned out to be uncertain. After the war in 1992, the conflict was frozen.
Now it continues to exist, although all recognized states consider it part of Moldova. But let’s talk about it’s anthem.
The melody to the anthem was written back in 1943, and was one of the proposed ones for the new anthem of the Soviet Union. However, a different anthem was chosen that time. Closer to 2000, the Lyrics were written, and since 2000 Transnistria has the anthem that exists now and it’s called "We Sing the Praises of Transnistria".
Since the state has 3 official languages Russian, Ukrainian and Moldovan or Romanian, as you prefer, the anthem has 3 versions for each language. All of them are slightly different in content. However, a trilingual version has been invented that can be used for various official events. It consists of the first verse and chorus in Russian, the second verse and chorus in Moldovan, the first verse and chorus in Ukrainian and the final repeat of the chorus in Russian. And this version is presented here.
However, below I will leave the English Lyrics for all three versions so that you can find out what is sung in each of them.
The lyrics:
Russian version:
We sing glory to Transnistria,
Where the friendship of nations is strong.
We are closely connected to our land
With great love.
Let’s praise gardens and factories,
Settlements, fields and towns –
Much effort has been put in them
For the sake of the Motherland.
chorus
We’ll bear through the years
The name of the proud country,
And to the Republic of liberty,
And to justice, we’ll be faithful.
We sing the praises of native valleys,
The banks of the old Dniester.
We remember epic heroic deeds,
The glory of our ancestors is dear to us.
Let’s sing the praises of every person
Who died for the native land.
We take an oath to the Motherland
In holy memory of the fallen.
We’ll bear through the years
The name of the proud country,
And to the Republic of liberty,
And to justice, we’ll be faithful.
Moldovan (Romanian) version:
Long live Mother Transnistria,
A country of brothers and sisters
This love without notice
Gift you daughters, sons.
We’ll sing orchards and factories,
Cities, hamlets, plains,
With them also tomorrow
O country, prosperous make us be!
chorus
Through the time we shall carry
The name of our proud country
Thee, the Republic of liberty
You are the belief in peaceful horizons.
We shall sing both valleys and hills,
Morning stars from the gray old Dniester
Wise and old ballads
Which for centuries wanted us worthy.
We shall glorify the heroic name
Which fell in that battle
And in the face of the holy memory
We swear to the country to be its shield!
Through the time we shall carry
The name of our proud country
Thee, the Republic of liberty
You are the belief in peaceful horizons.
Ukrainian version:
We praise the land Transnistria
Where people are proud
Friendship, harmony, love
Are forever associated with it.
Famous for our plants,
Broad fields and cities
There are honest people
Who labor for the benefit of the Motherland.
chorus
Through shares and water
Our proud name
The Republic of freedom,
Long live the family of people here.
We praise native valley
Beauty of the Dniester river banks,
And we should not forget the epic
Of the deeds of our fathers.
Glorify their names
Fallen for our father’s house,
Where the sacred memory of the dead,
Fatherland sing the anthem.
Through shares and water
Our proud name
The Republic of freedom,
Long live the family of people here.

I’ve been thinking for a long time about what to post here besides radio stuff. Still, this topic is quite niche, and interesting to a small number of people. But then I remembered the anthems. There are a large number of them, and the national anthems are only some part of them. Many regions, organizations and the like have their own anthems, and I’m not even talking about historical ones, among which there are real masterpieces. Therefore, I will try from time to time to post various anthems that seem interesting to me. This post is the first in a series called "The Russian Republics".
Below is a bit of information about what I’m talking about at all.
According to its constitution, the Russian Federation is divided into 89 federal subjects, 24 of which are republics. Republics are administrative divisions originally created as nation states to represent areas of non-Russian ethnicity. The indigenous ethnic group that gives its name to the republic is referred to as the titular nationality. However, due to centuries of migration, each nationality is not necessarily a majority of a republic’s population.
Republics differ from other federal subjects in that they have the right to establish their own official language,. have their own constitution, and have an anthem. Other federal subjects, such as krais and oblasts, are not explicitly given this right. And anthems are what interests us here.
Let’s travel to Southern Siberia, where the republic called Tuva is located. Despite the fact that it is 2 times larger than Serbia, its population is only slightly more than 300,000 people. This territory is inhabited by Tuvans. Some people mistakenly think that Tuvans are related to Mongols. And they definitely have similar features, for example, both historically had a nomadic lifestyle, living in their yurts, and both are predominantly Buddhist peoples. However, Tuvans belong to the Turkic peoples, and have their own language, which is not similar to Mongolian. One of the things that Tuva is known for is the unique form of throat singing that exists there called Khoomei, which sounds generally softer than other styles of throat singing.
Speaking of it’s anthem, it is called "Men – tyva men" or "I am a Tuvan", and has been used since 2011. I discovered it about two years ago, and from time to time I come back to listen to it, because in my opinion it sounds strong and proud. Also, if you listen closely, you will be able to hear elements of throat singing in some fragments.
Below are the lyrics in English for those who want to know what is sung there.
The lyrics:
In the most sacred ovaa pass,
I set a stone and I prayed.
Tangdy, Sayan* most hallowed,
With white milk I purified.
Chorus:
I am a Tuvan,
The son of immortal snow-capped peaks.
I am a Tuvan,
The daughter of our homeland’s argent creeks.
In the land of my fathers,
Beloved bliss became thine.
Sound of khoomei** most divine,
Blessed be my Tuvan line.
I am a Tuvan,
The son of immortal snow-capped peaks.
I am a Tuvan,
The daughter of our homeland’s argent creeks.
We are made of holy tribes,
As brothers, friends together we thrive.
For progress as a whole we strive,
As allied Tuvans we live!
I am a Tuvan,
The son of immortal snow-capped peaks.
I am a Tuvan,
The daughter of our homeland’s argent creeks.
* Tangdy and Sayan are mountain systems located in Tuva.
** Khoomei is the Tuvan technique of throat singing.
P.S. Please give your feedback on whether you are interested in such posts and whether you would like to see more of them in the future.