Sergey Mikhalkov

Sergey Vladimirovich Mikhalkov (Russian: Сергей Владимирович Михалков; 13 March [O.S. 28 February] 1913 – 27 August 2009) was a Russian author of children's books and satirical fables. He wrote the lyrics for the Soviet and Russian national anthems.

Sergey was born in Moscow, into the noble Mikhalkov family, as the son of Vladimir Aleksandrovich Mikhalkov and Olga Mikhailovna (née Glebova). Since the 1930s, he has rivaled Korney Chukovsky, Samuil Marshak and Agniya Barto as the most popular poet writing for Russophone children. His poems about enormously tall "Uncle Styopa" ("Дядя Стёпа") enjoyed particular popularity. Uncle Styopa is a friendly policeman always ready to rescue cats stuck up trees, and to perform other helpful deeds. In English, his name translates as Uncle Steeple.

As a 29-year-old in 1942, Mikhalkov's work drew the attention of the Soviet Union's leader Joseph Stalin, who commissioned him to write lyrics for a new national anthem. At the time, the country was deeply embroiled in World War II and Stalin wanted a more patriotic theme for the national anthem, to replace The Internationale.

Mikhalkov penned words with writer El-Registan (1899–1945) to accompany a musical score by the composer Alexander Alexandrov (1883–1946) that became known as State Anthem of the Soviet Union. The new anthem was presented to Stalin in the summer of 1943 and was introduced as the country's new anthem on 1 January 1944.

Upon the death of Stalin in 1953, the lyrics, which mentioned him by name, were discarded during the process of de-Stalinization and the anthem continued to be used without words. Mikhalkov wrote new lyrics in 1970, but they were not submitted to the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet until 27 May 1977. The new lyrics, which removed any reference to Stalin, were approved on 1 September and were made official with the printing of the new Soviet Constitution in October 1977.

During the Soviet era, Mikhalkov and his wife, Natalia Konchalovskaya, sometimes worked for the KGB, for example by presenting undercover KGB staff officers to foreign diplomats, as in the case of French ambassador Maurice Dejean, who was compromised by the KGB in the 1950s. His younger brother Mikhail Mikhalkov was also a notable writer as well as a KGB agent.

In 1936, Mikhalkov married Natalia Petrovna Konchalovskaya (1903–1988), granddaughter of Vasily Surikov. They remained married for 53 years until her death. In 1997, Mikhalkov married physics professor Yulia Valeryevna Subbotina.

Order of St. Andrew (13 March 2008) – the highest Russian honour; for outstanding contributions to the development of national literature and for many years of creativity and social activities.

Order "For Merit to the Fatherland", 2nd Class (13 March 2003) – for outstanding contributions to the development of national culture.

Order of Honour (13 March 1998) – for great personal contributions to the development of domestic multi-national culture.

Order of Friendship (20 February 1993) – for great personal contributions to the development of arts and literature, and the strengthening of inter-ethnic cultural relations and productive social activities.

Jubilee Medal "50 Years of Victory in the Great Patriotic War 1941–1945"

Order of the Red Banner (28 February 1945) – for exemplary performance in command assignments at the front in the struggle against the Nazi invaders, and for displaying courage and heroism.

Order of the Patriotic War, 1st class (1985)

Order of the Red Banner of Labour (1967, 1988)

Order of the Red Star (7 March 1943) – for exemplary performance in command assignments at the front in the struggle against the Nazi invaders, and for displaying courage and heroism.

Medal "For the Victory over Germany in the Great Patriotic War 1941–1945"

Lenin Prize (1970) – for poetry of recent years for primary-school children

USSR State Prize (1978) – for the Russian satirical newsreel "Wick" (latest edition)

Stalin Prize second degree (1941) – for poetry for schoolchildren

Stalin Prize second degree (1942) – for the film script "Front-Girlfriend"

Stalin Prize second degree (1950) – for the plays "Ilya Golovin" and "I want to go home"

Order of Saints Cyril and Methodius, 1st class (Bulgaria)

Order of The People's Republic of Bulgaria, 1st class (Bulgaria)

Star of Peoples' Friendship, Gold star (East Germany, 1983)

Medal "50 Years of the Mongolian People's Revolution" (Mongolia)

Decoration of Honor Meritorious for Polish Culture (Poland)

Order of the Blessed Prince Dmitri of the Russian Orthodox Church "For mercy" (1998)

Order of St. Sergius, 2nd Class (1993), Russian Orthodox Church (1993)