National Anthem Comparison
Belarus vs Ukraine
1
Shared themes
✗
Different moods
92
92 years apart
✓
Same continent
Comparison Analysis
Belarus and Ukraine, both Europe nations, take distinct approaches to their national anthems. Belarus's "We, the Belarusians" was written in 1955, while Ukraine's "Ukraine Has Not Yet Perished" dates to 1863.
Both anthems share themes of Freedom. Belarus additionally explores Unity, Peace, Love of homeland and Flag, while Ukraine also touches on Battle / War, Identity and Ancestors / Heritage.
The emotional tones differ: Belarus's anthem is Proud, while Ukraine's is Defiant.
Ukraine's anthem predates Belarus's by 92 years, having been written in 1863 compared to 1955.
Belarus changed its national anthem in 2002, reflecting a shift in the nation's identity or political landscape.
Shared themes
Belarus
🤝 Unity ☮ Peace ❤ Love of homeland 🕊 Freedom 🚩 Flag
Ukraine
🕊 Freedom ⚔ Battle / War 🏛 Identity 🏺 Ancestors / Heritage
Shared themes:
🕊 Freedom
Metadata
| Belarus | Ukraine | |
|---|---|---|
| Written | 1955 | 1863 |
| Adopted | 2002 | 2003 |
| Lyricist | Mikhas Klimkovich / Uladzimir Karyzna | Pavlo Chubynsky |
| Composer | Niescier Sakalouski | Mykhailo Verbytsky |
| Language | be | uk |
| Region | Eastern Europe | Eastern Europe |
Lyrics Side by Side
Belarus
My, Belarusy
Original
Мы, беларусы — мірныя людзі,
Сэрцам адданыя роднай зямлі,
Шчыра сябруем, сілы гартуем
Мы ў працавітай, вольнай сям'і.
[Прыпеў]
Слаўся, зямлі нашай светлае імя,
Слаўся, народаў братэрскі саюз!
Наша любімая маці-Радзіма,
Вечна жыві і квітней, Беларусь!
Разам з братамі мужна вякамі
Мы баранілі родны парог,
У бітвах за волю, бітвах за долю
Свой здабывалі сцяг перамог!
[Прыпеў]
Слаўся, зямлі нашай светлае імя,
Слаўся, народаў братэрскі саюз!
Наша любімая маці-Радзіма,
Вечна жыві і квітней, Беларусь!
Дружба народаў — сіла народаў —
Наш запаветны, сонечны шлях.
Горда ж узвіся ў ясныя высі,
Сцяг пераможны — радасці сцяг!
[Прыпеў]
Слаўся, зямлі нашай светлае імя,
Слаўся, народаў братэрскі саюз!
Наша любімая маці-Радзіма,
Вечна жыві і квітней, Беларусь!
Translation
We, Belarusians, are peaceful people,
Wholeheartedly devoted to our native land,
We sincerely befriend, we temper our strength
In our hardworking, free family.
[Chorus]
Glory to the bright name of our land,
Glory to the brotherly union of peoples!
Our beloved mother-Motherland,
Live forever and flourish, Belarus!
[Chorus]
Glory to the bright name of our land,
Glory to the brotherly union of peoples!
Our beloved mother-Motherland,
Live forever and flourish, Belarus!
Together with our brothers, bravely for centuries
We defended our native threshold,
In battles for freedom, battles for destiny
We won our banner of victory!
[Chorus]
Glory to the bright name of our land,
Glory to the brotherly union of peoples!
Our beloved mother-Motherland,
Live forever and flourish, Belarus!
Friendship of peoples is the strength of peoples,
Our sacred, sunlit path.
Proudly soar into the bright heights,
Victorious banner, banner of joy!
[Chorus]
Glory to the bright name of our land,
Glory to the brotherly union of peoples!
Our beloved mother-Motherland,
Live forever and flourish, Belarus!
Ukraine
Ще не вмерла України
Original
Ще не вмерла України і слава, і воля,
Ще нам, браття молодії, усміхнеться доля.
Згинуть наші воріженьки, як роса на сонці,
Запануєм і ми, браття, у своїй сторонці.
Душу й тіло ми положим за нашу свободу,
І покажем, що ми, браття, козацького роду.
Станем, браття, в бій кривавий від Сяну до Дону,
В ріднім краю панувати не дамо нікому;
Чорне море ще всміхнеться, дід Дніпро зрадіє,
Ще у нашій Україні доленька наспіє.
Душу й тіло ми положим за нашу свободу,
І покажем, що ми, браття, козацького роду.
А завзяття, праця щира свого ще докаже,
Ще ся воля в Україні піснею огласить,
За Карпати відіб'ється, в степах заголосить,
України слава стане поміж народами.
Душу й тіло ми положим за нашу свободу,
І покажем, що ми, браття, козацького роду.
Translation
Ukraine's glory and freedom have not yet perished,
Fate shall smile on us, young brothers, once more.
Our enemies shall vanish, like dew in the morning sun,
And we too, brothers, shall rule in our own land.
We'll lay down our souls and bodies for our freedom,
And show that we, brothers, are of the Cossack nation.
We shall stand, brothers, in a bloody battle from the Sian to the Don,
We shall not let anyone rule in our native land;
The Black Sea will smile again, old Grandfather Dnipro will rejoice,
In our Ukraine fortune shall flourish once more.
We'll lay down our souls and bodies for our freedom,
And show that we, brothers, are of the Cossack nation.
Our zeal and honest toil shall yet prove its worth,
Freedom's song shall resound throughout Ukraine,
Echoing off the Carpathians, ringing out in the steppes,
Ukraine's glory shall rise among the nations.
We'll lay down our souls and bodies for our freedom,
And show that we, brothers, are of the Cossack nation.
Interesting facts
Belarus
- 1. The Belarusian opposition movement uses an alternative anthem, 'Mahutny Bozha' (Mighty God), which was briefly the official anthem from 1991 to 1995 before being replaced.
- 2. Composer Nestor Sakalowski originally wrote the melody for a 1944 Soviet propaganda film, and it was later adapted as the Belarusian SSR anthem.
- 3. Belarus held a national anthem competition in 2002 that received over 100 submissions, but the government ultimately chose to retain the Soviet-era melody with updated lyrics.
Ukraine
- 1. Opens with an assertion that the nation still lives, a motif shared with the Polish anthem and Israel's Hatikvah
- 2. Hatikvah was written in Lviv by Naftali Herz Imber, making it an anthem born in Ukraine for a country that didn't yet exist
- 3. The lyrics were changed in 2003: the original 'Ukraine has not yet died' was softened to 'has not yet perished'
Listen
Belarus
Ukraine
