Russian Hymn: The Story Behind “My Song” | Nicolai Ivanovich Melnikov

The background of the hymns and songs we sing can be quite fascinating.  We recently released a choral octavo based on a Russian hymn that we felt had a story worth telling.  May this piece remind us of the thousands of Christians who, in spite of great persecution, stood for the cause of Christ.

The arranger, Brent Karding, shared this with me and I am sharing it with you.

The Story Behind the Russian Hymn “My Song”

Nicolai Ivanovich Melnikov was born in 1941.  He was saved around the age of 20, and was completely transformed.  He said,

“The Holy Spirit Himself filled me, and I received the Lord as my personal Savior with joy. That day I became a new person. My joy had no boundaries. I wanted to share it with those around me. They did not always understand it, but this did not bother me. The fire ignited in my heart caused me to labor for the Lord. I loved the Bible, church meetings and especially visiting the sick and, of course, speaking with unbelievers about Christ. The devil tried many things to try to put out the fire of the Holy Spirit, but my motto was, in the words of the Apostle Paul, ‘For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.’”

Shortly after his conversion, he was forced to enter the army, where he was mocked for his faith.  In 1963 he was arrested for his activity in the unregistered church movement.  He wrote sermons, articles, and songs for the church, which was deemed “un-Soviet” by the KGB.  But, though imprisoned in Siberia, he continued to serve the Lord.  “With a month and 22 days left on his first sentence he was arrested again [for distributing Christian literature in villages]. His second term was much more difficult, [for] much of the first six months was spent in solitary confinement. The second term was also for three years.”

After a total of 10 years of persecution in the army and prison, he returned home.  Tragically, he discovered that he had cancer, and was given three months to live.  The Lord kept him alive for several months after, and he died in 1972.

It is not very clear whether he wrote the words only or also the music for the Russian hymn “My Song.”  The Russian title is О Тебе Пою Спаситель, translated: “About You I Sing, Savior.”  The hymn he wrote shows both the sorrow of his trials and the deep joy he had in the Lord – a joy that we need to experience each day.  As Isaiah said in 12:1 of his prophetic book, “The LORD JEHOVAH is my strength and song; he also is become my salvation.”

Scored for Solo with SATB choir and piano.

Take a moment to listen to this beautiful Russian hymn. The music reflects the suffering and pain of the writer’s imprisonment. But, greater joy awaits him when he meets the Lord in heaven. The arrangement is well within the grasp of the average church choir.

Purchase this octavo here.