Alexander Alexandrov
The "State Anthem of the Soviet Union" was the national anthem of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and the regional anthem of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic from 1944 to 1991, replacing "The Internationale". Its original lyrics were written by Sergey Mikhalkov (1913–2009) in collaboration with Gabriel El-Registan (1899–1945), and its music composed by Alexander Alexandrov (1883–1946). Following a two-decade interval in which the anthem was performed without lyrics, a second set of lyrics, also written by Mikhalkov, was adopted in 1977.