A poem by Marina Tsvetajeva, part of the "Perekop" cycle about the events of the last few months of the Civil War in southern Russia. Not published during the author's lifetime because of censorship in Soviet literature. In the poem, General Wrangel, the last commander of the armed forces in southern Russia, appears to everyone as a superior hero and avenger of the shattered lives of Russian destiny, capable even of turning the tide of war and ending up in Moscow "before the first frosts", but the year of writing - 1928 - makes it clear that this is just an illusion in the poet's soul and lyrical feelings about the dissatisfied. The poem was set to music (with some sharp changes to the lyrics) and sung by Aleksandra Bakhchevan.
Wrangel died suddenly in 1928, and his family believes he was poisoned by a Soviet agent.
Wrangel was immortalized by the nickname "Black Baron" in a famous Red Army march entitled "The Red Army is the Strongest", this march created as a call for a final effort on the part of the Bolsheviks to end the civil war. This march became immensely popular throughout the Soviet state during the 1920s, gradually spreading across the world.
▪Lyrics:
Врангель! С простора
Синей, чем Троицын...
- Скок из мотора!
Всё спешно строятся.
В чёрной черкеске
Ловкой, в кубанке чёрной. —
Меч вам и крест вам:
На мир не пойдём позорный!
Драться — так драться!
Биться, орлы, — так биться! —
Рады стараться,
Ваше Высок’дитство!
— Раньше морозов Первых —
в Москве гудящей…
Сказы и грёзы
Явно превосходящий —
Вот он, застенков
Мститель, боёв ваятель —
В чёрной чеченке,
С рукою на рукояти
Врангель застенкам
Мститель, боёв ваятель —
В чёрной чеченке,
С рукою на рукояти
Белого дела,
Правого дела,
Сказы и грёзы
Превосходящий!
▪Transliterated:
Vrangel'! S prostora
Siney, chem Troitsyn...
- Skok iz motora!
Vso speshno stroyatsya.
V chornoy cherkeske Lovkoy,
v kubanke chornoy. —
Mech vam i krest vam:
Na mir ne poydom pozornyy!
Drat'sya — tak drat'sya!
Bit'sya, orly, — tak bit'sya! —
Rady starat'sya,
Vashe Vysok’ditstvo!
— Ran'she morozov Pervykh —
v Moskve gudyashchey…
Skazy i grozy
Yavno prevoskhodyashchiy —
Vot on, zastenkov
Mstitel', boyov vayatel' —
V chornoy chechenke,
S rukoyu na rukoyati
Vrangel' zastenkam
Mstitel', boyov vayatel' —
V chornoy chechenke,
S rukoyu na rukoyati
Belogo dela,
Pravogo dela,
Skazy i grozy
Prevoskhodyashchiy!
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