Lessons on spirituality. Metropolitan Kirill of Smolensk and Kaliningrad answers questions from Komsomolskaya pravda readers (November 21 issue)

LESSONS ON SPIRITUALITY
Metropolitan Kirill of Smolensk and Kaliningrad answers questions from Komsomolskaya pravda readers (November 21 issue)

What is the Russian Orthodox Church position on a new Russian Anthem and its variations under debate today?

(I. Sokolov, Orel)

I will express my own opinion, since an official statement on behalf of the whole Church needs to be first discussed with His Holiness the Patriarch, the Synod, my fellow-pastors and the people of God.

In the public debate on the Russian Anthem, the problem is posed in this way: should we use the music composed by A. Alexandrov for the USSR Anthem or take as a basis the pre-Revolutionary Russian Imperial Anthem? This approach seems to me basically wrong. Indeed, it is a great mistake to regard the Anthem of a country as a mechanical fusion of music and verse in which either of these components may be arbitrarily changed or replaced. An Anthem is an indissoluble cultural and historical and nationally significant unity of purpose. So, we should either restore the Anthem of the Soviet Union in its rights and make it the Anthem of the new Russia or return to the Anthem of the pre-Revolutionary empire “God, Save the Tsar”.

It is only in this way that we can avoid dangerous ambiguity and remain faithful to our history as given to us by God. “God, save the Tsar” – these words have been sealed for good in the music of the pre-Revolutionary Anthem, just as “The Union unshakeable…” in the Anthem of the Soviet era. Both Anthems are part of our common history. The question is whether we have the right to distort it as the realities of politics and life change.

Be that as it may, I am one of those who believe in the renewal of the union state in this or that form. The forthcoming union between Russia and Belorussia can well attract other states as well, which once were part of the USSR. The creation of a new union state would be a sufficient reason for the restoration of the Anthem of the former Union.

Today the melody of “Patriotic Song” by Glinka is used as the Russian Anthem. This is a worthy music, and I, unlike some of its critiques, believe that it is possible to compose appropriate anthem verses for it. But Glinka has another music, striking it is beauty and power. It is “Glory” from the finale of “A Life for the Tsar” (“Ivan Susanin”) opera. I believe this melody can well be used.

However, the decision should be made by the people. But I do not think that a national referendum would be the best form here. Partly because some people are indifferent or insensitive to music. Partly because the attitude to the problem of anthem has often assumed the tone of political confrontation. It is also noteworthy that people’s attitude to the past and its attributes, such as anthem, is often reversed by their attitude to the present.