Alexander vasilyevich alexandrov biography channel
Alexander vasilyevich alexandrov biography channel
Svetlana maslyakova.
Author of the Soviet Anthem and ‘The Sacred War’ Dies
On 8 July, Soviet and Russian composer Alexander Alexandrov (whose real name was either Koptelov or Koptelev) died unexpectedly in Moscow.
A versatile musician, Alexandrov was a conductor, choirmaster, teacher, and even a major-general.
He is best known for writing the anthem for the USSR which was finally adopted on 14 December and first broadcast on radio in its modern version on the night of 18 April
A competition to write the USSR’s anthem was held in , and the government commission was headed by Soviet Marshal Kliment Voroshilov, but everyone knew that it was Joseph Stalin who was running the competition and would determine the winner.
Each composer was paid , roubles for their participation and an extra 4, for each version.
A joint entry written by two greats, Dmitri Shostakovich and Aram Khachaturian, an anthem by Iona Tuskiya, and Alexander Alexandrov's “Hymn of the Bolshevik Party” all made the final round.
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