Tachanka (Tачанка) Animation - From the film ’Songs of the Fire Years’

Tachanka is a Soviet revolutionary song from the late interwar period, composed by Konstantin Listov and written by Mikhail Ruderman in 1937. It describes an unnamed battle in the Russian Civil War and the Tachankas, or machine-gun carts, that were used by the Red Army at the time. Today, it features in the repertoire of the songs of the Red Army Choir. This version of the song, along with the accompanying animation, comes from the Soviet film ’Song of the Fire Years’ (Песни огненных лет). The film includes many variations on themes of popular songs from the Russian Civil War. The songs are played against a background of hand-drawn animations, showing events from the struggle of the Bolsheviks and the Russian people against the White Guard movement. Lyrics (Russian): Ты лети с дороги, птица, Зверь, с дороги уходи! Видишь, облако клубится, Кони мчатся впереди! И с налета, с поворота, По цепи врагов густой Застрочит из пулемета Пулеметчик молодой. Припев: Эх, тачанка-ростовчанка, Наша гордость и краса, Конармейская тачанка, Все четыре колеса! Эх, за Волгой и за Доном Мчался степью золотой Загорелый, запыленный Пулеметчик молодой. И неслась неудержимо С гривой рыжего коня Грива ветра, грива дыма, Грива бури и огня. Припев: Эх, тачанка-киевлянка, Наша гордость и краса, Комсомольская тачанка, Все четыре колеса! По земле грохочут танки, Самолеты петли вьют, О буденновской тачанке В небе летчики поют. И врагу поныне снится Дождь свинцовый и густой Боевая колесница, Пулеметчик молодой. Припев: Эх, тачанка-полтавчанка, Наша гордость и краса, Пулеметная тачанка, Все четыре колеса! Lyrics (English): Fly off the road, bird, Beast, get out of the way! You see a [dust] cloud is swirling, Horses are rushing ahead! And with a charge, with a turn, Over chains of enemies thick Stutters from the machine-gun The machine-gunner is young. Chorus: Oh, Tachanka from Rostov, Our pride and beauty, Red Cavalry Tachanka, All four wheels! Oh, over the Volga and over the Don [rivers] The golden steppes rushed [past] Bronzed, dusty The machine-gunner is young. And rushing unrestrained With the horses’ ginger manes Manes of wind, manes of smoke Manes of storm and fire. Chorus: Oh, Tachanka of Kiev, Our pride and beauty, Tachanka of the Komsomol* All four wheels! On the ground the tanks rumble, Airplanes loop and weave About the Tachanka of Budennovsk In the sky, the pilots sing. And the enemy still is dreaming The rain is leaden and heavy Battle chariot, The machine-gunner is young. Chorus: Oh, Tachanka of Poltava, Our pride and beauty, Machine-Gun [bearing] Tachanka All four wheels!