The State Anthem of the Soviet Union was adopted in 1944, with music by Alexander Alexandrov and original lyrics by Sergey Mikhalkov and Gabriel El-Registan celebrating Lenin and Stalin. After Stalin's death the words praising him were dropped, and a revised lyric version was issued in 1977. It remained the USSR's anthem until the union dissolved in 1991. Alexandrov's melody lived on: Russia adopted the same tune with new lyrics as its national anthem in 2000. Online, the short version circulates as a shorthand for Soviet power in memes and edits.