Mer Hayrenik, meaning Our Fatherland, became the national anthem of the First Republic of Armenia in 1918, with lyrics by Mikael Nalbandian and music by Barsegh Kanachyan. It was replaced during the Soviet period, then restored on 1 July 1991 shortly before Armenia regained independence. The anthem is performed at state ceremonies, military events, schools and international sports competitions where Armenian athletes represent the country. Online, short recordings circulate for history projects, travel edits and patriotic posts, where the melody alone immediately identifies Armenia without needing any spoken introduction.