Donajowsky

Banner of the Preobrazhensky Regiment

Donajowsky (first name unknown) is a non-existent Russian composer listed in English language sources as author of The Preobrajensky March (Преображенский марш), the march of the Preobrazhensky Regiment (Russian Empire), which later became the official slow march of the Royal Marines.^[1]

March

The March of the Preobrazhensky Regiment is a very famous Russian march, written in the time of Peter the Great. It was also used as an unofficial national anthem in imperial times.^[2] It is used often in Russia, also in the annual victory day parade for the trooping of the colours (Flag of Russia and Banner of Victory).^[3] It is believed to have not been officially used in the Soviet Union, but it had been played by Soviet military orchestras.^[4]

Authorship

According to Russian sources^[5] the music was written in the early 18th century^[6] by anonymous composer. Some European scholars assumed Swedish authorship. In German sources the name of Ferdinand Haase (1788—1851) is mentioned. Haase indeed worked in Russia in the 19th century, but he wrote the second Marsch des Leib-Garde Preobraschenski Regiments, not the famous one.

The popular Russian lyrics "We are known to Turks and Swedes" («Знают турки нас и шведы») also are anonymous.

Surname

Possibly it is an incorrect spelling of "Dunajewsky" (Дунаевский, meaning "from Danube"). There are two famous Russian composers with this name, Isaak Dunayevsky (1900—1955) and his son Maksim Dunayevsky (b. 1945), but both are Soviet authors.

References