Musicology Annotation << Back From «International» to the anthem of the USSR Aleksey A. Karabanov The article is an attempt to trace the main trends in the ideological struggle in the pre-war Soviet Union that had led to the birth and development of the national anthem as a genre. The political modifi cation of the proletarian internationalism ideology to the ideology of the state (soviet) patriotism followed by the ensuing state ideological order. The work comprises both archival material and contemporary works, as well as numerous publications on the Internet. On the basis of this research we conclude there had been a predetermined choice of the governmental commission and the circumstances accompanying it. Keywords: National anthem, song of praise, national identity, national symbols. Contacts: E-mail: karabanov@centralnavyband.com Pp. 13-16.