Anthem of the Latvian Soviet Socialist Republic

**Regional anthem of the Latvian Soviet Socialist Republic**

The **Anthem of the Latvian Soviet Socialist Republic** was the regional anthem of the Latvian Soviet Socialist Republic (LPSR), when Latvia was then part of the Soviet Union. It was written by Fricis Rokpelnis and Jūlijs Vanags, and its music was composed by Anatols Liepiņš. It was adopted on 19 July 1945, then it was relinquished on 15 February 1991 after declaring independence from the Soviet Union. It was replaced by Latvia's current anthem "Dievs, svētī Latviju!".

## History

Previously, "Dievs, svētī Latviju!" was the anthem of Latvia before it joined the USSR. Until then, that anthem was considered illegal and was abolished, so it was replaced by this anthem. The original lyrics of this anthem had references to Joseph Stalin until they were removed in 1977. On 15 February 1991, "Dievs, svētī Latviju!" was restored as the sovereign state's anthem.

After the Soviet Union dissolved, this song was abolished in 1990, and "Dievs, svētī Latviju!" was restored as Latvia's anthem in February 1991.

## Lyrics

### Latvian version

Šai zemē visdārgā mēs brīvību guvām,
Te paaudžu paaudzēm laimīgam dzimt,
Te šalc mūsu jūra, te zied mūsu druvas,
Te skan mūsu pilsētas, Rīga te dimd.

**Piedziedājums:**
Padomju Latvija mūžos lai dzīvo,
Spoža lai Padomju vainagā mirdz!

Mēs cēlāmies, verdzības važas lai rautu,
Par gadsimtu cīņām ik vieta vēl teic.
Vien biedros ar diženās Krievzemes tautu
Mēs kļuvām par spēku, kas pretvaru veic.

***Piedziedājums***

Pa Ļeņina ceļu uz laimi un slavu
Ar Oktobra karogu iesim mūždien.
Mēs sargāsim Padomju Tēvzemi savu
Līdz pēdējai asiņu lāsei ikviens.

***Piedziedājums***

Шай земе висдарга мес бривибу гувам,
Те паауджу пааудзем лаймигам дзимт,
Те шалц мусу юра, те зиед мусу друвас,
Те скан мусу пилсетас, Рига те димд.

**Пиедзиедаюмс:**
Падомю Латвия мужос лай дзиво,
Спожа лай Падомю вайнага мирдз!

Мес целамиес, вердзибас важас лай рауту,
Пар гадсимту циням ик виета вел тейц.
Виен биедрос ар диженас Криевземес тауту
Мес клювам пар спеку, кас претвару вейц.

***Пиедзиедаюмс***

Па Ленина целю уз лайми ун славу
Ар Октобра карогу есим муждиен.
Мес саргасим Падомю Тевземи саву
Лыдз педеяй асиню ласей иквиенс.

***Пиедзиедаюмс***

[ʃaj ˈzɛ.mɛː ˈviz.daːr.gaː mɛːz‿ˈbriː.viː.bu ˈgu.vaːm ǀ]
[tɛ ˈpaːw.d͡ʒu ˈpaːw.d͡zɛːm ˈlaj.miː.gam d͡zimt ǀ]
[tɛ ʃalt͡s ˈmuː.su ˈjuː.ra tɛ zjæd ˈmuː.su ˈdru.vas ǀ]
[tɛ skan ˈmuː.su ˈpil.sæː.tas ˈriː.ga tɛ dimd ‖]

**[ˈpjɛ.d͡zjɛ.da.jums]**
[ˈpa.dʷɔ.mʲu ˈlat.vi.ja ǀ ˈmuː.ʒʷɔs laj ˈd͡ziː.vʷɔ ǀ]
[ˈspʷɔ.ʒa laj ˈpa.dʷɔ.mʲu ǀ ˈvaj.na.gaː mird͡z ‖]

[mɛːs ˈt͡sɛː.laː.mjɛs ǀ ˈvær.d͡ziː.bas ˈva.ʒas laj ˈraw.tu ǀ]
[par ˈga.d͡zim.tu ˈt͡siː.ɲaːm iɡ‿ˈvjæ.ta vɛːl tɛjt͡s ǁ]
[vjɛn ˈbjæ.drʷɔs ar ˈdi.ʒɛ.naːs ˈkrjæ.vzɛ.mɛs ˈtaw.tu]
[mɛːs ˈkʎu.vaːm par ˈspæː.ku kas ˈprɛ.dva.ru vɛjt͡s ǁ]

**[ˈpjɛ.d͡zjɛ.da.jums]**

[pa ˈʎɛ.ɲi.na ˈt͡sɛ.ʎu uz ˈlaj.mi un ˈsla.vu]
[ar ɔk.ˈtɔ.bra ˈka.rʷɔ.gu ˈjæ.sim ˈmuːʒ.djæn ‖]
[mɛːs ˈsar.gaː.sim ˈpa.dʷɔ.mʲu ˈtæːw.zɛ.mi ˈsa.vu]
[liːt͡s‿ˈpɛː.dɛː.jaj ˈa.si.ɲu ˈlaː.sɛj ˈi.gvjæns ‖]

**[ˈpjɛ.d͡zjɛ.da.jums]**

### Russian version

Свободен навеки народ наш счастливый,

Путь светлый для всех поколений открыт.

Шумит наше море, цветут наши нивы,

В семье городов наша Рига гремит.

**Припев:**

Славься, Советская Латвия наша,

Ярко в созвездии республик сияй!

Не раз мы за волю ходили походом,

Бесправия цепи пытались разбить,

Лишь в дружбе незыблемой с русским народом

Смогли мы неправду и зло победить.

***Припев***

Под знаменем Ленина к счастью и славе

Путем Октября мы победно идем.

Верны мы великой Советской державе

И кровь за нее, если надо, прольем!

***Припев***

### English translation

In this land most dear we gained our freedom,

Generation upon generation blessed to be born here,

Here our sea sighs, here our fields blossom,

Here our cities ring out, here Riga resounds.

**Chorus:**

*Let Soviet Latvia live forever,*

*Let it shine bright in the Soviet crown!*

We rose to break chains of slavery,

About centuries' long struggles it is told in every place.

Only in fraternity with the great Russian nation

We became a power to wage revolution.

***Chorus***

On Lenin's road to blessings and glory,

With the flag of October we will go on forever.

We will guard our Soviet Fatherland,

Everyone to the last drop of our blood.

***Chorus***

### Original version (1945–77)

The original version of the song is almost identical to the post-1977 version; in the second line of the third verse, it just mentions "Stalin" instead of "October".

## References

1. ↑ https://www.likumi.lv/doc.php?id=42090&mode=KDOC
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 https://www.marxists.org/history/ussr/sounds/lyrics/anthems/latvia.htm