Vstanem


Vstanem is a song by Russian singer Shaman, released on 23 February 2022. On 4 November the same year, an alternative version of the track was released, featuring, in addition to Shaman, several other Russian performers.

History

According to the artist, the idea for the song "Vstanem" came to him on 2 January 2022: "I composed it on 2 January 2022, completely unexpectedly for myself. I had never worked in this style before, but my entire being at that moment was shouting and dictating the lyrics of this song in a silent scream."
On 23 February 2022, on Defender of the Fatherland Day, Shaman released the single "Vstanem" and its music video, and on 11 March, the track was released on all digital platforms.
In March 2022, the song was played in the Federation Council, where Russian senators honored the memory of Russian soldiers who died during the Russian [invasion of Ukraine (2022)|Russian attack on Ukraine].
On 26 June 2022, the song was featured live on the program Vesti Nedeli, where the host Dmitry Kiselyov praised the composition, calling it a "cultural event," and presented the artist as effectively the voice of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
On 4 November 2022, on National Unity Day, a new video was released, featuring pro-government Russian pop stars supporting the Russian invasion of Ukraine: Grigory Leps, Oleg Gazmanov, Nikolay Rastorguev, Alexander Marshal, Stas Mikhaylov, Nikolay Baskov, Sergey Lazarev, from the group Gorod 312, Viktoria Dayneko, Zara, Nadezhda Babkina, Larisa Dolina, and Alexander F. Sklyar. The alternative version with these performers was released on digital platforms on 16 December the same year.
On 27 July 2023, during a gala concert in Pyongyang commemorating the 70th anniversary of the Korean people's victory in the Patriotic Liberation War, "Vstanem" was performed in Russian by a young Korean singer.

Content

Originally, the song is dedicated to the memory of the heroes of the Great Patriotic War. Later, when the alternative video was released, the description stated that it was dedicated to everyone who, at different times, saved their homeland from enemies. The alternative video emphasizes modernity; for example, it shows Russian military equipment with symbols of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Reaction

The song "Vstanem" was highly praised by TV hosts Dmitry Kiselyov and Aleksey Pimanov. Music critic Sergey Sosedov stated: "The composition 'Vstanem' is powerful and, by its quality, belongs to the lineage of patriotic Soviet songs sung by Iosif Kobzon, Sofia Rotaru, and others".
Journalist Lev Serebryannikov called the song "a hymn to the revival of Russia". In his interpretation: "Shaman's composition is not only a tribute to the past. Yaroslav Dronov addresses the future. The phrase 'WE will rise' conveys the energy of rethinking the old way of life, old laws. The author hit the mark; this is precisely the moment when transformation occurs, not only in the music scene but across the entire country".
At the same time, some music critics and media consider the song and video "propagandistic". For example, "Novaya Gazeta Europe" noted: "...the male population of the country is offered to go to slaughter together. Shaman's video 'Vstanem' proposed this to a million-strong audience as black glamour of death".
According to The Insider, the song "Vstanem" has become a symbol of the war in Ukraine. According to Meduza, it legitimizes "the current state narrative, equating the Russian-Ukrainian war with the Great Patriotic War." The publication states that the music video is "not a love letter to native aspens, but a clear, distilled apology for war: faces of the singers and performers on screen are replaced by tanks and airplanes carrying out combat missions in Ukraine".
Music journalist notes that "Vstanem" is a patriotic slow song about grandfathers who fought, in the style of State Duma deputy Denis Maydanov.
According to Novaya Gazeta reviewer Vyacheslav Polovinko, "in the songs 'I am Russian' and 'Vstanem,' pathos has been replaced by formless pomp, which, like paste, fills the entire space of the average person's skull".

Charts

At the beginning of November 2022, the music video for the song reached first place on the YouTube Music chart. Until the end of February 2023, the video maintained high positions on this chart for 52 weeks.

Awards and rankings

  • In April 2022, the song received the Music Box Gold award in the "Golden Hit" category.
  • In December 2022, Shaman became a laureate of the TV festival "Song of the Year" as the author of the song "Vstanem".
  • In June 2023, the musician received the "National Internet Content Award" in the "Best Music Track" category for the song "Vstanem".