Duma Votes To Restore Soviet Anthem

The tsarist-era flag and coat of arms were also officially adopted in the same session. The resurrection of the Soviet anthem has caused an outburst of protest among Russia’s liberals. The lower house of the Russian parliament, the State Duma, backed President Vladimir Putin’s proposal to restore the anthem after its third and final reading by 381 votes to 51. The idea has provoked anger among liberals and revived memories of the country's bloody history. The tricolour flag was approved by 342 members of the 450-seat chamber while 343 members backed the double-headed eagle coat of arms. Both ensignia date from the tsarist era. The rousing anthem, for which Putin has commissioned new words, generated the most controversy. It was originally composed by Alexander Alexandrov in 1943 when much of European Russia was under Nazi occupation. It was personally approved by the Communist dictator Josef Stalin. Nine years after the collapse of communism, Russia has been living without an official crest, flag or hymn. Its current double-headed eagle, the red-white-and-blue tricolour and an arcane 19th-century tune have been no more than temporary stand-ins. Putin, keen to boost Russia's nationhood, has asked the State Duma lower house of parliament to resolve the issue quickly by backing his proposal to reinstate the old Soviet anthem along with the imperial emblem and the tricolour. Unbreakable Union" tune by Alexander Alexandrov, composed at the time of some of the bloodiest battles of World War Two. Putin defended the restoration of the anthem in a television address this week, saying his choice of symbols was meant to unite Russians by taking the best from their tumultuous history. He said he had the backing of Russians. Yeltsin stepped into the fray on Thursday to make a rare jab at his hand-picked successor. The former president quoted Anatoly Chubais, a longtime Kremlin adviser and now head of a giant power utility, in saying it was immaterial that opinion polls showed many Russians favoured the old anthem.