Niet Molotoff
"Niet Molotoff", also spelled as Njet Molotoff and Nyet Molotoff is a Finnish propaganda song composed by Matti Jurva , and written by Tatu Pekkarinen .[1] Niet Molotoff was composed during the Winter War to boost morale and to mock the Soviet Union and the Red Army.
Niet Molotoff was first recorded in 1942 by Jurva and Kristalli-Tanssiorkesteri, the song was conducted by George de Godzinsky, and the orchestral accompaniment was arranged by Robert von Essen .[2] The song was made well-known by Solistiyhtye Suomi in 1989.[3][4]
Contents[edit]
Niet Molotoff makes references to the leadership of the Soviet Union and their war-aims, referencing Vyacheslav Molotov, the Soviet Minister of Foreign Affairs, and comparing him to Nikolay Bobrikov, who was a Governor-General of Finland notorious for his attempts to promote the Russification of Finland, later being assassinated for his actions. Niet Molotoff further references Molotov by mocking the Red Army and their ineptitude to occupy Helsinki or even cross the Mannerheim line, the song also states that many Soviet officials stopped being boastful or sure of their victory following the inability to cross the Mannerheim line. The song also mocks Molotov having a countryside estate, where the Soviet political officials would retreat to. The song also refers to people in Petrozavodsk that are loyal to Stalin as crooks, this is a reference to Red Finns who fled Finland following the Finnish Civil War, as most Red Finns fled to Soviet Karelia.
The melody of the song is based on a Russian folk song called Ukhar-kupets (Ухарь-купец).[5]
Parodies[edit]
During the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, a Ukrainian parody of Niet Molotoff was created. The Ukrainian version of the song is titled "Njet Vladimir", in reference to Vladimir Putin.[6][3]
Lyrics[edit]
Original Finnish lyrics[7] | English translation |
---|---|
Finlandia, Finlandia, |
Finlandia, Finlandia, |
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^ Marjo Kaartinen, Hannu Salmi & Marja Tuominen (2016). Maamme: itsenäisen Suomen kulttuurihistoria. Veli-Pekka Lehtola: Kuoleman ja elämän rintamat. Helsinki: Suomalaisen Kirjallisuuden Seura. p. 201. ISBN 978-952-222-686-0.
- ^ "Molotohvin koktaili" (PDF). Artie Music (in Finnish). Retrieved March 13, 2020.
- ^ a b "Kun Molotoffista tuli Vladimir". Sotaveteraanit.fi (in Finnish). Retrieved 2024-05-18.
- ^ "Niet molotoff". Archived from the original on 2019-01-10.
- ^ Аркадий Северный - Ухарь-купец (И.С.Никитин), retrieved 2022-10-22
- ^ Halonen, Antti (16 July 2022). "Ukraina teki oman versionsa suomalaisesta tunnetusta sotalaulusta – kertosäkeessä tylyt terveiset Putinille". Iltalehti (in Finnish).
- ^ "Njet Molotoff". heninen.net. Retrieved 2024-05-18.