Creation

After the Sakha Republic became a separate constituent state of Russia, its constitution was adopted. At that time, no regional anthem of the Sakha Republic existed. The constitution only stipulates that:

The Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) has the State Emblem, the National Flag and the National Anthem.

— Constitution of the Sakha Republic (1992), Article 140^[4]

After the approval of the new constitution, a commission for the creation of the national anthem was formed, with the poet Savva Tarasov as the chairman. A competition for the national anthem was announced. Hundreds of submission for the national anthem was received from throughout the country, but the commission did not approved any of the submission. This caused Savva Tarasov to be replaced from her position in September 1992 by the Deputy Chairman of the Government of the Republic of Sakha, K. Koryakin.^[5]

After this failure, the president of the Sakha Republic, Mikhail Nikolayev, entrusted the Ministry of Culture of the Sakha Republic, to continue the search for the anthem. In September 1995, at a meeting of the State Assembly of the Sakha Republic, a proposed anthem was presented. The lyrics of the proposed anthem was written by Dmitry Sivtsev. The music of the anthem was based on the final chorus from the opera Nyurgun Bootur, which was composed by Mark Zhirkov and Heinrich Litinsky, and was re-arranged by Y. Sheykina.^[6]

In 2000, a new commission was formed under the leadership of the People's Deputy G. G. Mestnikov. The commission presented a new version of the anthem, titled "Sargı ırıata" (Саргы ырыата; "Song of the Footman"). The lyrics was written by Savva Tarasov and Mikhail Tarasov, and the music was composed by Kirill Gerasimov.^[6]

Approval

On 26 March 2003, the President of the Sakha Republic, Vyacheslav Shtyrov, issued a decree to form a new commission to prepare the issue of the anthem, under the leadership of E.S. Nikitina. The commission chooses the work "Sargı ırıata" and recommended the work to be submitted to the State Assembly of the Sakha Republic. On 15 July 2004, the national anthem was approved by the State Assembly.^[6]

On 27 April 2004 the first official performance of the anthem took place on the Day of the Republic.^[6]

"Sargılardaaq saqalarbıt"

The song "Sargılardaaq saqalarbıt" (Саргылардаах сахаларбыт; Russian: Овеянный счастьем якут; "Sakha, Covered in Happiness") was adopted as the anthem of the Tungus Republic.^[7][8] The anthem itself was composed by Adam Skryabin, and the lyrics of the song was based on the poem "Iççat saqalarga" (Ыччат сахаларга) by Alampa.^[9] The poem itself was written in 1917.^[10]

Yakut Wikisource has original text related to this article:

Ыччат сахаларга (Алампа)

The Internationale

The "Internationale" (Yakut: Интернационал, romanized: Internatsional, Novgorodov alphabet: Internessijene:l), was the national anthem of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) and the state anthem of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic from 1922 to 1944.

The Yakut translation of the anthem was planned to be written by Semyon Novgorodov. Unfortunately, due to his nescience of the lyrics of the anthem, he handed over the task to Platon Oyunsky. It was finished on 7 December 1921. The translation was first published in the "Lena Commune" newspaper on 15 December 1921.

Yakut Wikisource has original text related to this article:

Интернационал

State Anthem of the Soviet Union

The "State Anthem of the Soviet Union" (Yakut: Сэбиэскэй Сойуус өрөгөйүн ырыата, romanized: Sebieskey Soyuus örögöyün ırıata; Russian: Государственный гимн Советского Союза), was the official national anthem of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) and the state anthem of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic from 1944 to 1991, replacing "The Internationale".

"Saqa ırıata"

The song "Saqa ırıata" (Саха ырыата; "Sakha Song") was originally a poem written by Alampa in 1919. The poem was musicalized by Adam Skryabin.^[12]

The song became a symbol of resistance against Soviet rule in the Yakut region from 1921 until 1923, so much that the writer of the poem, Alampa, was labelled as a "nationalist-bourgeoisie". Alampa was sent to the Solovki prison camp after his arrest. The composer of the song, Adam Skryabin, went abroad to evade the persecution and was given trial in absentia.^[12]

After a long time, the song was allowed by the Soviet government to be performed publicly. The first public performance of this song was in the Victory Day celebration in the Yakut ASSR in 1945, from a gramophone record. The song was proposed to become the anthem of the Sakha Republic in 1990.^[12]

Yakut version

Russian version

English version

I
O Sakha land, thou dawn's shining light,
Thou bring'st us to good will and delight.
Like a fine rainbow thou shinest bright,
May thy destined victory be in sight.

Chorus:
Shine and enriched be, o native land!
Blossom and rejoice, o Sakha land!
Thy beauty and honour of Russia stand,
Blessed be thy land bountiful and grand!

II
Abundantly our Lena floweth,
Around thy wide borders with great strength.
She beareth harmony and good health,
Peace to our people she bestoweth.

Chorus

III
O Sakha land, thy sacred places
Guide and save us from peaks of aeons.
We shall uphold our forebears' path,
Their mandate we shall fulfill with faith.

Chorus