God Save the Tsar! / Бо́же, Царя́ храни́! (extended) - National Anthem of the Russian Empire

“God Save the Tsar!“ (/Бо́же, Царя́ храни́!) was the national anthem of the Russian Empire. The song was chosen from a competition held in 1833 and was first performed on 18 December 1833. It was composed by violinist Alexei Lvov, with lyrics written by the court poet Vasily Zhukovsky. It was the anthem until the February Revolution of 1917, after which “Worker’s Marseillaise“ was adopted as the new national anthem until the overthrow of the Russian Provisional Government by the Bolsheviks in the October Revolution of the same year. - LYRICS (Cyrillic characters): Боже, Царя храни Сильный, державный, Царствуй на славу нам, Царствуй на страх врагам, Царь православный. Боже, Царя храни! Боже, Царя храни! Славному долги дни Дай на земли! Гордых смирителю: Слабых хранителю, Всех утешителю - Всё ниспошли! Перводержавную Русь Православную Боже, храни! Царство ей стройное, В силе спо