Karelia
"Kraj Rodnoj Karelija" (My Native Country, Karelia)

Words by: Armas Mishin
Music by: Alexandr Beloborodov
Adopted: 1992

Once a Soviet Socialist Republic, Karelia was re-absorbed into the Russian SFSR as an autonomous republic in 1956. When Russia became independent in 1991, Karelia became an autonomous republic in the Russian Federation. During its days as an SSR, Karelia had a high concentration of Finnish-speaking people, but now the population is majority Russian.

Parts of the Karelian anthem (the second and fourth stanzas of the enclosed lyrics) closely resemble a Finnish Karelian folk melody "Karjalan kunnailla" (On the Karelian hills).

Special thanks to: Pavel Zinovatny for the MIDI and sheet music.

See also: Karelia (1950s-1956), Russia.