Anna German / Katyusha

A Love And War Song

Katyusha (Катюша) ; diminutive of Catherine.  İt obviously Russian Song You can understand without any explanation. But when we came ' A love and war song' part, yes, this is little bit complex. Before explain war and love song issue I should say that lots of people know Katyusha as anonymous russian folk song but it is not. İt  composed in 1938 by Matvei Blanter with lyrics from Mikhail Isakovsky. İt sounds like so traditional and old but obviosly not. Actually if we focus on the songs composed year, 1938, We can have some tips about the 'war song'  issue. As know that years Russia in World War II. İn that time the song gained fame during World War II as an inspiration to defend one's land from the enemy.

 The song of Katyusha combines elements of the heroic, upbeat battle song and of a peasant song depicting a girl longing for her absent love. Standing on a high riverbank, a young woman, Katyusha, sings of her beloved (compared to "a gray eagle of the steppes"), who is a soldier serving on the border far away. The theme of the song is that the soldier will protect the Motherland and its people while his girl will preserve their love. While the song is joyful and filled with the imagery of a fertile, blooming land, it also conveys the sense that the motherland is under threat. 

"Katyusha" was first sung by female students from a Russian industrial school in Moscow to bid farewell to Russian soldiers going on the battle front against Nazi Germany in July 1941. It quickly became popular throughout the USSR. Its first official performance was by Valentina Batishcheva in the Column Hall of Moscow's House of the Unions. Later it was performed by Lidiya Ruslanova, Georgi Vinogradov, Eduard Khil, Anna German, ( I prefered to share German one, because, in my opinion Anna German version is the best one ) Ivan Rebroff, Dmitri Hvorostovsky, Iosif Kobzon, countertenor Vitas, and other singers. "Katyusha" is part of the repertoire of the Alexandrov Ensemble.

When we came to ' Love song' part I think this song has to way about love. First one Katyuhsa's love for her country and second one is her love for her lover who is in the battle. Such interesting song which is I like so much and there is one last information and then I ll share song's lyric; Katyusha is a diminutive form of the female name Ekaterina (Katherine). The song is the probable source of the nickname of the BM-8, BM-13, and BM-31 "Katyusha" rocket launchers that were used by the Red Army in World War II.

Расцветали яблони и груши,	Apple and pear trees were a-blooming,
Rastsvetali iabloni i grushi,
Поплыли туманы над рекой.	Mist (was) creeping on the river.
Poplyli tumany nad rekoj.
Выходила на берег Катюша,	Katyusha set out on the banks,
Vykhodila na bereg Katyusha,
На высокий берег на крутой.	On the steep and lofty bank.
Na vysokij bereg na krutoj.
Выходила, песню заводила	She was walking, singing a song
Vykhodila, pesniu zavodila
Про степного, сизого орла,	About a grey steppe eagle,
Pro stepnogo, sizogo orla,
Про того, которого любила,	About her true love,
Pro togo, kotorogo liubila,
Про того, чьи письма берегла.	Whose letters she was keeping.
Pro togo, chi pisma beregla.
Ой ты, песня, песенка девичья,	Oh you song! Little song of a maiden,
Oj ty, pesnia, pesenka devichia,
Ты лети за ясным солнцем вслед.	Head for the bright sun.
Ty leti za iasnym solntsem vsled.
И бойцу на дальнем пограничье	And reach for the soldier on the far-away border
I bojtsu na dalnem pograniche
От Катюши передай привет.	Along with greetings from Katyusha.
Ot Katyushi peredaj privet.
Пусть он вспомнит девушку простую,	Let him remember an ordinary girl,
Pust on vspomnit devushku prostuiu,
Пусть услышит, как она поет,	And hear how she sings,
Pust uslyshit, kak ona poet,
Пусть он землю бережет родную,	Let him preserve the Motherland,
Pust on zemliu berezhet rodnuiu,
А любовь Катюша сбережет.	Same as Katyusha preserves their love.
A liubov Katyusha sberezhet.