In Russian Culture and Folklore
Razin is the subject of a symphonic poem by Alexander Glazunov, a cantata by Shostakovich, a novel I Have Come To Give You Freedom (ru:Я пришёл дать вам волю) by Vasily Shukshin.
Stenka Razin is the hero of a popular Russian folk song, Ponizovaya Volnitsa, better known by the words Volga, Volga mat' rodnaya. The words were written by Dmitri Sadovnikov (Дмитрий Николаевич Садовников) in 1883; the music is folk. The song gave the title to the famous Soviet musical comedy Volga-Volga. The melody was used by Tom Springfield in the song "The Carnival Is Over" that placed The Seekers at #1 in 1965 in Australia and the UK.
The lyrics of the song were dramatized in one of the very first Russian narrative films, Stenka Razin directed by Vladimir Romashkov in 1908. The film lasts about 10 minutes. The screenplay was written by Vasily Goncharov, and the music (the first film music to be specially written to accompany a silent film) was by Mikhail Ippolitov-Ivanov.
Words in Russian | Transcribed | English language version |
Из-за острова на стрежень, |
Iz-za ostrova na strezhen', |
From beyond the wooded island |
На переднем Стенька Разин, |
Na perednem Sten'ka Razin, |
On the first is Stenka Razin |
Позади их слышен ропот: |
Pozadi ikh slyschen ropot: |
From behind there comes a murmur |
Этот ропот и насмешки |
Etot ropot i nasmeshki |
Stenka Razin hears the murmur |
Брови черные сошлися, |
Brovi chornye soshlisya, |
His dark brows are drawn together |
"Ничего не пожалею, |
"Nichevo ne pozhaleyu, |
"I will give you all you ask for |
"Волга, Волга, мать родная, |
"Volga, Volga, mat' rodnaya, |
Volga, Volga, Mother Volga |
Чтобы не было раздора |
Shtoby ne bylo razdora |
So that peace may reign forever |
Мощным взмахом поднимает |
Moshchnym vzmakhom podnimaet |
Now, with one swift mighty motion |
"Что ж вы, братцы, приуныли? |
"Shto zh vy, bratsy, priunyli? |
"Dance, you fools, and let's be merry |
Из-за острова на стрежень, |
Iz-za ostrova na strezhen', |
From beyond the wooded island |
Read more about this topic: Stenka Razin
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