"How Glorious Is Our Lord in Zion" is a

hymn A hymn is a type of song, and partially synonymous with devotional song, specifically written for the purpose of adoration or prayer, and typically addressed to a deity or deities, or to a prominent figure or personification. The word ''hymn'' d ...

written in the spring of 1794 by the composer

Dmitry Bortniansky Dmitry Stepanovich Bortniansky (28 October 1751 – ) was a Russian composer of Ukrainian Cossack origin. He was also a harpsichordist and conductor who served at the court of Catherine the Great. Bortniansky was critical to the musical hist ...

to the verses of the poet

Mikhail Kheraskov Mikhail Matveyevich Kheraskov (; – ) was a Russian poet and playwright. A leading figure of the Russian Enlightenment, Kheraskov was regarded as the most important Russian poet by Catherine the Great and her contemporaries. Kheraskov's father ...

. It was the unofficial

anthem An anthem is a musical composition of celebration, usually used as a symbol for a distinct group, particularly the national anthems of countries. Originally, and in music theory and religious contexts, it also refers more particularly to sho ...

of the

Russian Empire The Russian Empire was an empire that spanned most of northern Eurasia from its establishment in November 1721 until the proclamation of the Russian Republic in September 1917. At its height in the late 19th century, it covered about , roughl ...

between the late 18th and early 19th centuries. The first public performance took place on 29 November 1798 during the ceremony of laying on the Russian Emperor

Paul I Paul I may refer to: *Paul of Samosata (200–275), Bishop of Antioch *Paul I of Constantinople (died c. 350), Archbishop of Constantinople *Pope Paul I (700–767) *Paul I Šubić of Bribir (c. 1245–1312), Ban of Croatia and Lord of Bosnia *Paul ...

the crown and other regalia of the Grand Master of the Order of St. John in the

Winter Palace The Winter Palace is a palace in Saint Petersburg that served as the official residence of the House of Romanov, previous emperors, from 1732 to 1917. The palace and its precincts now house the Hermitage Museum. The floor area is 233,345 square ...

, and since 1801 the anthem actually supplanted the previously performed " Let the Thunder of Victory Rumble!". In 1816 it was replaced by the officially approved composition "

The Prayer of Russians "The Prayer of Russians" is a patriotic hymn that was used as the national anthem of Imperial Russia from 1816 to 1833. After defeating the First French Empire, Tsar Alexander I of Russia recommended a national anthem for Russia. The lyrics wer ...

". From 1856 to October 1917, the chimes of the

Spasskaya Tower The Spasskaya Tower (), also translated as the Saviour Tower, is the main tower on the eastern wall of the Moscow Kremlin which overlooks Red Square. History Early history The construction of the Spasskaya Tower was commissioned by Grand Prince ...

in the

Moscow Kremlin The Moscow Kremlin (also the Kremlin) is a fortified complex in Moscow, Russia. Located in the centre of the country's capital city, the Moscow Kremlin comprises five palaces, four cathedrals, and the enclosing Kremlin Wall along with the K ...

rang out the melody of the anthem. Also, before the

October Revolution The October Revolution, also known as the Great October Socialist Revolution (in Historiography in the Soviet Union, Soviet historiography), October coup, Bolshevik coup, or Bolshevik revolution, was the second of Russian Revolution, two r ...

, it was performed by the chimes of the Peter and Paul Cathedral, and in 2003 it was restored in honor of the celebration of the anniversary of

Saint Petersburg Saint Petersburg, formerly known as Petrograd and later Leningrad, is the List of cities and towns in Russia by population, second-largest city in Russia after Moscow. It is situated on the Neva, River Neva, at the head of the Gulf of Finland ...

. In 1918–1920, "If glorious" was the anthem of the

Russian State Russian(s) may refer to: *Russians (), an ethnic group of the East Slavic peoples, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries *A citizen of Russia *Russian language, the most widely spoken of the Slavic languages *''The Russians'', a b ...

, and later continued to be popular among the first wave of emigrants. During the

Great Patriotic War The Eastern Front, also known as the Great Patriotic War (term), Great Patriotic War in the Soviet Union and its successor states, and the German–Soviet War in modern Germany and Ukraine, was a Theater (warfare), theatre of World War II ...

, it was performed at the official meetings of the KONR, in fact it was the anthem of the ROA. In the modern

Russian Federation Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...

, it is performed in military ceremonies when honoring - at the opening of monuments, farewell to servicemen and at burial. The text of the hymn is based on the 48th Psalm and is replete with Christian symbolism, and its music is close to individual Voices of the Great

Znamenny Chant Znamenny Chant () is a singing tradition used by some in the Russian Eastern Orthodox Church. Znamenny Chant is a unison, melismatic liturgical singing that has its own specific notation, called the notation. The symbols used in the notation ...

. The melody of the anthem was used in a German song to the lyrics ' ("I pray to the power of love") by

Gerhard Tersteegen Gerhard Tersteegen (25 November 1697 – 3 April 1769) was a German Reformed religious writer and hymnist. Life Tersteegen was born in Moers, at that time the principal city of a county belonging to the House of Orange-Nassau that formed a Prote ...

. Also, the music of the anthem was used by the composer G. Beck when writing the anthem of the Jewish Socialist Party

Bund Bund, BUND, or the Bund may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * ''Der Bund'', a German-language newspaper published in Bern, Switzerland * Shanghai Bund (TV series), ''Shanghai Bund'' (TV series), a 2007 Chinese television remake of the 19 ...

" Di Shvue".

Lyrics

Notes

References

External links

How Glorious Is Our Lord in Zion
{{National Anthems of Asia Christian prayer Historical national anthems Russian anthems Royal anthems God in culture