" 
 : Well, I happen to know the Russian version given here is the one used when it was the national anthem. The original version had ""Это будет последний"" (this will be the last ...) in the refrain instead of ""Èto yest' nash"" (switch from future to past, and introducing ""our"", very normal things to do with a national anthem). What version are they using now? I suppose they did not change it into ""Èto byl nash"" (""this was our"" )? Er, that was a joke, of course, but I think we should carefully note which version is sung now after the fall of the Soviet Union, since the original may agin get into fashion.    "