Alexander Alexandrov

Alexander Alexandrov (1883-1946) was a Russian composer who created the musical score to the national anthem of both the Soviet Union and, when it was restored with new lyrics in 2001, the Russian Federation.

Alexandrov also spent many years as the director of the Red Army band, in which role he first gained favor with Joseph Stalin, the country's ruler during the last two decades of Alexandrov's life. In 1942, Stalin commissioned he and lyricst Sergey Mikhalkov to create a new Soviet national anthem, which was officially adopted on January 1, 1944.