Song of Restless Youth
The Song of Restless Youth is a Soviet song written in 1958 by composer Aleksandra Pakhmutova with lyrics by Lev Oshanin. It was composed for the film On the Other Side, directed by Fyodor Filippov and based on the novel of the same name by Viktor Kin. The film is set in the years following the Russian Civil War and depicts the experiences of young Komsomol members in the 1920s.
The song is performed in the film and reflects themes common to Soviet songs of the period, including commitment to collective ideals and endurance in difficult conditions. Its musical structure combines a lyrical vocal line with a steady, march-like rhythm, a style frequently used in Soviet patriotic and mass songs of the late 1950s.
For the film, Pakhmutova also wrote four additional songs with lyrics by Oshanin, along with orchestral music for the soundtrack. After the film’s release, Song of Restless Youth began to be performed independently in concerts and broadcasts. It entered the repertoire of professional singers and state ensembles and was recorded by performers such as Yuri Gulyayev.
From the late Soviet period onward, the song acquired an enduring symbolic association with service and duty in Russia. After Sergey Shoigu became head of the Ministry of Emergency Situations of Russia in 1994, it came to be regarded as the organization’s unofficial anthem and has since been regularly performed at official ceremonies, commemorative events, and concerts connected with emergency and rescue services.