History
The Anthem of the Soviet Union was played for the first time on the Soviet radio at midnight of the 1 January 1944. The 1944 lyrics had three different refrains following three different stanzas; in each refrain, the second line was consequently modified with references to friendship, then happiness and finally to glory. Later on, in 1977, these refrains were replaced by a uniform refrain following all stanzas. Joseph Stalin and the Soviet Union's war against Nazi Germany were originally invoked in the lyrics. After the process of de-Stalinization was inaugurated after Stalin's death, the lyrics referring to Stalin were considered unacceptable and the anthem was performed without lyrics until 1977, when revised lyrics without references to Stalin and the war were adopted.
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