Vasiliy Agapkin - 'Farewell of Slavianka' March (1912) and Song

Vasily Ivanovich Agapkin (Russian: Васи́лий Ива́нович Ага́пкин; 3 February 1884 – 29 October 1964) was a Russian/Soviet military orchestra conductor and composer.

March "Farewell of Slavianka" (1912) (0:00)
Valeri Khaliliov conducting
Song Прощание славянки (2:48)

There are several versions of the lyrics under the Soviet Union:
1. First version (1941)
2. A. Fedotov (1967)
3. Vladimir Lazarev (1986)
4. Andrei Mingalyov (1997)
5. Tambov Oblast anthem by A. Mitrofanov (2002)

Lyrics by Andrei Mingalyov (1997)

Встань за Веру, Русская Земля!
Много песен мы в сердце сложили,
Воспевая родные края
Беззаветно тебя мы любили,
Святорусская наша земля.
Высоко ты главу поднимала –
Словно солнце твой лик воссиял.
Но ты жертвою подлости стала –
Тех, кто предал тебя и продал!

Припев:
И снова в поход труба нас зовёт.
Мы все встанем в строй
И все пойдём в священный бой.

Встань за Веру, Русская земля!
Ждут победы России святые.
Отзовись, православная рать!
Где Илья твой и где твой Добрыня?
Сыновей кличет Родина-мать.
Под хоругви мы встанем все смело
Крестным ходом с молитвой пойдём,
За Российское правое дело
Кровь мы русскую честно прольём.

The melody gained popularity in Russia and adjoining countries during the First World War, when the Russian soldiers left their homes and were accompanied by the music of the march. It was performed also during parade of 7 November 1941 on the Red Square after which soldiers went straight to fight in the Battle of Moscow. This march was also used as an unofficial anthem of Admiral Kolchak's White Army.

It was commonly believed that prior to its use in the award-winning 1957 film The Cranes Are Flying, the song was banned in the Soviet Union because of its lyrics about banned subjects. The song's popularity and quality made the Communist authorities adopt the song, but they had made significant changes to its lyrics. The original text mentioned Russian patriotism, religion, nationalism and culture, which was not acceptable under the Soviet Union. The song was originally published by Zimmerman Production Association around 1912. The march was published in an official collection of music for Red Army orchestras, and it was recorded in the early 1940s by a military orchestra under the conductor Ivan Petrov (1906–1975), but different lyrics were then used. Other lyrics are now usually sung by the Red Army choir.

Subsequently, several Russian and Polish composers have written lyrics for the music. During the Second World War in German-occupied Poland, an adapted "underground" version of the song, Rozszumiały się wierzby płaczące ("Weeping Willows Began to Hum"), became popular in the Polish resistance and was based on lyrics by Roman Ślęzak.

In the 1990s, the political party Yabloko lobbied unsuccessfully for the march to be adopted as the Russian national anthem.

"Farewell of Slavyanka" was used in movies like The Cranes Are Flying and Charlie Wilson's War, which is about the Soviet–Afghan War, and in the Russian movies 72 Meters (72 метра) and Prisoner of the Mountains (Кавказский пленник). An instrumental version of the song was also featured in the 1990 Ukrainian film Raspad ("Decay") during the Pripyat evacuation scene.

A Hebrew version was written in 1945 by the singer/songwriter Haim Hefer for the Palmach. In his version of the song, בין גבולות‎ ("Between Borders"), Hefer coined the phrase אָנוּ פֹּה חוֹמַת מָגֵן‎ (We are here a defensive wall), which was used by Israel Defense Forces to call Operation Defensive Shield (literally "Operation Defensive Wall") in 2002.