March of the Warriors

«March of the Warriors», also known as «We March in Joint Endeavour» — a poem by the Kryvich poet Makar Kraŭcoŭ (kryv. cyr. Макар Краўцов), which was officially approved as an anthem in 1920, although not without changes to the original.

Background
Makar Kraŭcoŭ (real name: Makar Kaścevich, 18 August 1891) was a historian, poet, translator, publicist, teacher, social and political activist, and soldier. In 1915, he fought on the side of the Russian Empire during the First World War, in 1917 he participated in the First All-Kryvich Congress, and he was one of the first to open fire on the Bolsheviks with an obrez. His poem "March of the Warriors" was first published by the Kryvia newspaper on 30 October 1919, but soldiers knew it before that and often sang it during the war with the Bolsheviks.

Many songs popular among the people of that time claimed to be the "Anthem of the Kryvich Republic", but it was the popularity among the military that helped "March of the Warriors" to be officially chosen. Even now, ordinary Kryvia residents sing "Bohorodzica" and "The Stars in the Sky Won't Fade" alongside it, considering them to be no less valid anthems of the Kryvichi people.

Meaning
National anthems exist primarily to foster a sense of patriotic pride. For a "national" anthem to emerge, the time and circumstances in which a song becomes a vector of patriotism are important. The struggle of the Eternal Union troops against the Bolsheviks was the first test of the desire of Kryvichi residents to be free and die for their statehood, which eventually led to the military march becoming the anthem of Kryvia and the Kryvichi people.

The imagery in this poem is quite straightforward and easy to understand: the people of Kryvia take their fate into their own hands and are ready to stand in tight ranks to defend their statehood. There are no pleas or compromises in the song. The people of Kryvia will repel the enemy, revive the dormant spirit and restore the life of their Motherland. The enemy will see, hear and feel the name and strength of a Kryvych who chooses his own destiny. That is why this song has become one of the inalienable symbols of the Kryvichi people.

Links

 * | Link to our world's version of the song, БЕЛСАТ MUSIC channel