The Song of the Volga Boatmen

[2] He did so at the behest of diplomat Ricardo Baeza, who was working with the League of Nations to provide financial relief for the more than two million Russian refugees who had been displaced and imprisoned during World War I.

A version of the song was recorded by Mily Balakirev (a Russian composer) from Nikolay Aleynikov in Nizhny Novgorod in 1860 or 1861.

[9] Czech composer Vítězslav Novák utilizes the main motif from Song of the Volga Boatmen in his Májová symfonie (May Symphony, Op.

The Boston Pops Orchestra conducted by Arthur Fiedler recorded the Glazunov arrangement of the tune in New York City on June 30, 1937.

[10] Glenn Miller released the song as an RCA Bluebird 78 single, B-11029-A, in 1941 in a swing jazz arrangement by Bill Finegan which reached no.

Billy Squier included the Volga Boatmen melody as counterpoint in his 1981 song "The Stroke" and may have sampled it from the 1965 Red Army Chorus recording.

[13] The memorable melody of "The Song of the Volga Boatmen" was used in various media, generally as background music; a notable example being found in the video game Perestroika and Punch-Out!!

[14][15] Some uses, particularly those portending doom or despair, employ only the iconic four-note beginning; others go so far as to add new, often wryly humorous, lyrics, such as the "Birthday Dirge".