The "State Anthem of the Russian Federation" is the national anthem of Russia. It uses the same melody as the "State Anthem of the Soviet Union", composed by Alexander Alexandrov, and new lyrics by Sergey Mikhalkov, who had collaborated with Gabriel ElRegistan on the original anthem. From 1944, that earliest version replaced "The Internationale" as a new, more Sovietcentric and Russiacentric Soviet anthem. The same melody, but without any lyrics, was used after 1956. A second version of the lyrics was written by Mikhalkov in 1970 and adopted in 1977, placing less emphasis on World War II and more on the victory of communism, and without mentioning Joseph Stalin by name.

The Russian SFSR was the only constituent republic of the Soviet Union without its own regional anthem, instead using the National Anthem of the Soviet Union. The lyricfree "Patrioticheskaya Pesnya", composed by Mikhail Glinka, was officially adopted in 1990 by the Supreme Soviet of Russia, and confirmed in 1993, after the dissolution of the Soviet Union, by the President of the Russian Federation, Boris Yeltsin. This anthem proved to be unpopular with the Russian public and with many politicians and public figures, because of its tune and lack of lyrics, and consequently its inability to inspire Russian athletes during international competitions. The government sponsored contests to create lyrics for the unpopular anthem, but none of the entries were adopted.

Glinka's anthem was replaced soon after Yeltsin's successor, Vladimir Putin, first took office on 7 May 2000. The federal legislature established and approved the music of the National Anthem of the Soviet Union, with newly written lyrics, in December 2000, and it became the second anthem used by Russia after the dissolution of the Soviet Union. The government sponsored a contest to find lyrics, eventually settling upon a new composition by Mikhalkov; according to the government, the lyrics were selected to evoke and eulogize the history and traditions of Russia. Yeltsin criticized Putin for supporting the reintroduction of the Sovietera national anthem even though opinion polls showed that many Russians favored this decision.

Official Lyrics:
Россия — священная наша держава,
Россия — любимая наша страна.
Могучая воля, великая слава –
Твоё достоянье на все времена!

Славься, Отечество наше свободное,
Братских народов союз вековой,
Предками данная мудрость народная!
Славься, страна! Мы гордимся тобой!

От южных морей до полярного края
Раскинулись наши леса и поля.
Одна ты на свете! Одна ты такая –
Хранимая Богом родная земля!

Славься, Отечество наше свободное,
Братских народов союз вековой,
Предками данная мудрость народная!
Славься, страна! Мы гордимся тобой!

Широкий простор для мечты и для жизни
Грядущие нам открывают года.
Нам силу даёт наша верность Отчизне.
Так было, так есть и так будет всегда!

Славься, Отечество наше свободное,
Братских народов союз вековой,
Предками данная мудрость народная!
Славься, страна! Мы гордимся тобой!


Romanized Lyrics:
Rossiya — svyashchennaya nasha derzhava,
Rossiya — lyubimaya nasha strana.
Moguchaya volya, velikaya slava –
Tvoyo dostoyan'ye na vse vremena!

Slav'sya, Otechestvo nashe svobodnoye,
Bratskih narodov soyuz vekovoy,
Predkami dannaya mudrost' narodnaya!
Slav'sya, strana! My gordimsya toboy!

Ot yuzhnyh morey do polyarnogo kraya
Raskinulis' nashi lesa i polya.
Odna ty na svete! Odna ty takaya –
Hranimaya Bogom rodnaya zemlya!

Slav'sya, Otechestvo nashe svobodnoye,
Bratskih narodov soyuz vekovoy,
Predkami dannaya mudrost' narodnaya!
Slav'sya, strana! My gordimsya toboy!

Shirokiy prostor dlya mechty i dlya zhizni
Gryadushchiye nam otkryvayut goda.
Nam silu dayot nasha vernost' Otchizne.
Tak bylo, tak yest' i tak budet vsegda!

Slav'sya, Otechestvo nashe svobodnoye,
Bratskih narodov soyuz vekovoy,
Predkami dannaya mudrost' narodnaya!
Slav'sya, strana! My gordimsya toboy!


English Lyrics:
Russia is our sacred state,
Russia is our beloved country.
A mighty will, great glory –
Your dignity for all time!

Be glorified, our free Fatherland,
The ageold union of fraternal peoples,
Ancestorgiven wisdom of the people!
Be glorified, country! We are proud of you!

From the southern seas to the polar edge
Our forests and fields are spread out.
You are the only one in the world! You are the only one –
the native land so kept by God!

Be glorified, our free Fatherland,
The ageold union of fraternal peoples,
Ancestorgiven wisdom of the people!
Be glorified, country! We are proud of you!

A wide scope for dreams and for life
The coming years open to us.
We are given strength by our fidelity to the Fatherland.
So it was, so it is and it will always be so!

Be glorified, our free Fatherland,
The ageold union of fraternal peoples,
Ancestorgiven wisdom of the people!
Be glorified, country! We are proud of you!