A rewritten anthem for a redefined identity
”Blessed is the one who dies for the freedom of his nation.” These solemn words conclude the Armenian anthem ”Mer Hayrenik” (Our Fatherland): it was first adopted as a national anthem in 1918 when the nation first declared its independence before the Red Soviet Army invaded Armenia in 1920. Now, 106 years later, the anthem is set to undergo its first-ever change, reflecting the government's vision for a redefined Armenia.
For years, parts of the Armenian society and government have criticised the anthem for its ”gloomy” tone and idealisation of sacrifice. Since Armenia's independence from the USSR in 1991, many public debates revolved around revising the national anthem. Recently, the Armenian government, led by prime minister Nikol Pashinyan, officially decided to rearrange the order of the third and final verses. This decision follows Armenia's heavy losses after the Second Nagorno-Karabakh War of 2020, which have prompted Armenia's ruling party and PM in particular — to call for a reassessment of national symbols, memory, and history.
The government has proposed a new direction for Armenia, prioritising socioeconomic progress and peaceful coexistence over the pursuit of historical justice and the glorification of sacrifice.
While changes to national anthems are rare in modern European history, Armenia is far from the only country to revise its hymn. Since German reunification in 1991, Germany's national anthem, the Deutschlandlied, has consisted solely of the third verse of the original three. This change was made to emphasise themes of unity and peace while distancing the anthem from the first verse, which had become closely associated with Nazi propaganda.
Similarly, after the dissolution of the Soviet Union, Russia adopted a new anthem that retained the melody of the Soviet hymn, but introduced entirely new lyrics to align with the country's post-Soviet political identity. More recently, in 2012, Austria updated its anthem to promote inclusivity by replacing references to ”sons” with ”sons and daughters” and revising other gender-specific language.