 |
Putin Endorses Soviet National Anthem As Russia's State Symbol
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday signed into effect federal constitutional bills on state symbols, ensuring the Soviet-era national anthem as Russia's state song.
Putin inked the constitutional laws on Russia's state emblem, flag and anthem Tuesday morning. Thus the melody of the Soviet-era national anthem written by famous Russian composer Alexander Alexandrov will be played officially as Russia's national anthem at the celebration ceremonies on New Year's eve, the Russian presidential press service said.
Russia's political forces showed serious disputes over what should be national anthem. The Communist Party of Russian Federation and the Unity Party support Putin's decision to replace former President Boris Yeltsin's national anthem "The Song of Patriot" with Alexandrov's music. But the Union of Right Wing Forces and the Yabloko bloc voiced strong opposition to this motion. Yeltsin also publicly said "No" to the bill.
However, Putin insists on his own political stand, stressing that the Soviet history should not be negated completely.
The package of bills proposed by Putin on December 4, were approved by the State Duma, the lower house of parliament, on December 8 and by the Federation Council, the upper chamber,last Wednesday.
Official text of the law on the national emblem says the device is a "quadrangular red heraldic shield with rounded lower angles and a pointed top, with a golden two-headed eagle raising spread wings upward."
Under the law on national flag, the white-blue-red tricolor remains as Russia's state banner.
As Alexandrov's song has no lyric, Putin decided Tuesday to create a commission to study collected lyrics and submit them in a draft law to the parliament. The commission members will come from the presidential administration, the State Duma, the Federal Council and the Culture Ministry and be instructed to choose a final lyric as soon as possible, the Kremlin press service said.
The national anthem bill was first read at the Duma several years ago but had been suspended from further approval due to strong opposition from former president Boris Yeltsin and right- wing parties.
In This Section
|