Russian Imperial Anthem (1791 -1816) - Grom Pobedy, Razdavaysya

Grom pobedy, razdavaysya (Let the Thunder of Victory Sound) was an unofficial Russian national anthem in the late 18th and early 19th century. The lyrics were written by the premier Russian poet of the time, Gavrila Derzhavin, and the music by composer Osip Kozlovsky, in 1791. The song was written to commemorate the capture of major Ottoman fortress Izmail by the great Russian general Aleksandr Suvorov. This event effectively ended the Seventh Russo-Turkish War. It was replaced in 1816 by Molitva russkikh Pictured: Empress Catherine II Lyrics: Grom pobedy, razdavaysya! Veselisya, khrabry Ross! Zvuchnoy slavoy ukrashaysya. Magometa ty potryos! Slav’sya sim, Yekaterina! Slav’sya, nezhnaya k nam mat’! Zri, premudraya tsaritsa! Zri, velikaya zhena! Chto Tvoy vzglyad, Tvoya desnitsa Nash zakon, dusha odna. Slav’sya sim, Yekaterina! Slav’sya, nezhnaya k nam mat’! Zri na bleshchushchi sobory, Zri na sey prekrasny stroy; Vsekh serdtsa Toboy i vzory Ozhivlyayutsya odnoy.