March of the Soviet Tankmen

March of the Soviet Tankmen (Russian: Марш советских танкистов) is a military march composed in 1939 by the Pokrass brothers with lyrics by Boris Laskin (Борис Савельевич Ласкин). It was commonly used as a Soviet propaganda song in World War II. The origin of the song was the movie "Tractor Drivers" (1939).

"March of the Soviet Tankmen"
Single by Peter Kirichek
Composer(s)	Pokrass brothers
Lyricist(s)	Boris Laskin
Audio
"March of the Soviet Tankmen" on YouTube

Notable performers of the song include bass-baritone Pyotr Kirichek. In the movie, it was sung by Nikolai Kryuchkov and Boris Andreev.

Lyrics

Cyrillic/Russian[1]	Transliteration	English
1. Броня крепка, и танки наши быстры, и наши люди мужества полны! В строю стоят советские танкисты, своей великой Родины сыны! "Припев": Гремя огнём, сверкая блеском стали, пойдут машины в яростный поход! Когда нас в бой пошлёт товарищ Сталин, и первый маршал в бой нас поведёт! 2. Заводов труд, и труд колхозных пашен мы защитим, страну свою храня! Ударной силой орудийных башен и быстротой, и натиском огня! "Припев" 3. Пусть помнит враг, укрывшийся в засаде: мы начеку, мы за врагом следим! Чужой земли мы не хотим ни пяди, но и своей вершка не отдадим! "Припев" 4. А если к нам полезет враг матёрый, он будет бит повсюду и везде! Тогда нажмут водители стартёры, и по лесам, по сопкам, по воде! "Припев"	1. Bronya krepka, i tanki nashi bystry, i nashi lyudi muzhestva polny! V stroyu stoyat, Sovetskiye tankisty, svoyey velikoy Rodiny syny! "Pripev": Gremya ognyom, sverkaya bleskom stali, poydut mashiny v yarostniy pokhod! Kogda nas v boy poshlyot tovarishch Stalin, i perviy marshal v boy nas povedyot! 2. Zavodov trud, i trud kolkhoznykh pashen, my zachitim, stranu svoyu khranya! Udarnoy siloy, orudiynykh bashen, i bystrotoy, i natiskom ognya! "Pripev" 3. Pust' pomnit vrag, ukryvshiysya v zasade: my nacheku, my za vragom sledim! Chuzhoy zemli, my ne khotim ni pyadi, no i svoyey, vershka ne otdadim! "Pripev" 4. A yesli k nam, polezet vrag matyoriy, on budet bit, povsyudu i vezde! Togda nazhmut, voditeli startyory, i po lesam, po sopkam, po vode! "Pripev"	1. The armour is hard and our tanks are fast, And our men are full of courage! The Soviet tankmen are ready for action, Sons of their Great Motherland! "Refrain": Thundering with fire, glinting with steel, The tanks will begin a harsh campaign! When we're called to battle by Comrade Stalin, And the First Marshal will lead us in this battle! 2. In keeping our country, we guard, The work of factories and farms! By power of our gun turrets, By our fastness and pressure of fire! "Refrain" 3. Let's enemy, who hidden in ambush, remember: We watch for him, we are on guard! We want not a foot of foreign land, But we will not give up an inch of our own land! "Refrain" 4. But if the enemy attacks us, We will beat him everywhere! Tankdrivers will start engines, And drive by forests, mountains and even on water! "Refrain"

Changes

During the Nikita Khrushchev times, lines:

Когда нас в бой пошлёт товарищ Сталин,

и первый маршал в бой нас поведёт!

(English: When we're called to battle by Comrade Stalin, and the First Marshal will lead us in this battle!)

were changed to:

Когда суровый час войны настанет

И нас в атаку Родина пошлёт.

(English: When a hard war hour will come, and motherland send us for attack)

A subsequent change altered the two lines again:

Когда нас бой пошлёт страна родная,

И первый маршал в бой нас поведёт!

(English: When we're called to battle by our country, and the First Marshal will lead us in this battle!)

See also

• Soviet Tankmen's Song

References

1. Source (for the Russian lyrics): http://www.sovmusic.ru/text.php?fname=arm_moya