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Moscow - The old Soviet hymn is unacceptable for today's Russia,
a prominent reformist leader and lawmaker has warned, deepening
the public controversy over Russia's future anthem.
"Russia is a very different state now, based on different
principles and traditions, and it's wrong to repeat
another regime's anthem, it will rip the society apart,"
Grigory Yavlinsky, head of the liberal party Yabloko,
said in a radio interview Saturday.
Yabloko's politicians want to press their case before
Russian President Vladimir Putin, in an attempt to
convince him not to present "such a divisive issue"
for a parliamentary
vote.
"In any case, our parliamentary faction will vote against
the anthem of the non-existing state," Yavlinsky pledged,
in reference to the Soviet Union which fell apart ten
years ago.
The current national symbols, including a provisional
hymn from a composition by 19th century musician Mikhail
Glinka, have been adopted by former Russian president
Boris Yeltsin's decree, but never ratified by the
parliament.
The previous Communist-dominated Duma -- lower house of
parliament -- voted in 1999 to reinstate the Soviet
anthem.
The controversial decision forced Putin's newly created
State Council to address the issue on its first meeting
last week.
Recent polls show that 46 percent of Russians favor
reinstituting "Gimn Sovetskogo Soyuza" or "Hymn
of the Soviet Union,"
as the anthem, despite opposition by
several prominent public figures and the Orthodox Church.
Yabloko has staunchly opposed the Soviet hymn as one of
"the symbols of the bloody crimes of Stalinism,"
proposing instead to keep the provisional Glinka anthem
or adopting a completely new melody.
Russia needs "the hymn of a new, different state, new
generation, different political system, because with all
respect due to history, we must keep our sights on the
future," Yavlinsky said. AFP
Sunday, December 3, 2000
See also:
 Grigory
Yavlinsky: approval of the music by Aleksandrov as the hymn for
Russia represents a step towards a split in society
Yabloko
and the SPS oppose restoration of the symbols of the Soviet Union
Yabloko
proposes the march “Farewell of a Slavic woman” as a new hymn
of Russia
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