The State Anthem of the Estonian Soviet Socialist Republic was the anthem of the Estonian SSR from 1945 to 1990 during Soviet occupation.
The anthem was presented to the central government of the USSR in May 1944, three months after the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR had issued a decree on 3 February 1944, on the Anthems of the Soviet Republics.
The melody of the anthem was composed by Gustav Ernesaks, and the lyrics written by Johannes Semper. The anthems of the Estonian SSR, the Karelo-Finnish SSR, and the Georgian SSR were the only Soviet regional anthems which did not mention either Russia (country) or the Russians (people) anywhere in the lyrics. After the Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin died in 1953, during the following period of de-Stalinization in the USSR, on 21 July 1956, the third stanza of the anthem of the Estonian SSR was officially changed to remove all mentions of Stalin.
During the Soviet occupation of Estonia, performing or reciting the melody or lyrics of "Mu isamaa, mu õnn ja rõõm" was forbidden by law, and considered a punishable criminal offence by the Soviet regime. While another song with Ernesaks' melody "Mu isamaa on minu arm", served as means of expressing national feelings, and was widely regarded by Estonians as their "unofficial anthem". On 8 May 1990, "Mu isamaa, mu õnn ja rõõm" was restored as the state anthem, together with the blue-black-white Estonian flag and state official name Republic of Estonia.
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