{{Short description|Phrase uttered by Joseph Stalin in 1935}} [[File:Stalin Speech Life Has Become Better.webm|thumb|Footage of the speech]] "'''Life has become better, life has become joyous'''"{{efn|{{Lang-rus|Жить стало лучше, жить стало веселей|r=Žitj stalo lučše, žitj stalo veselej|p=ʐɨtʲ ˈstalə ˈlutʂːɨ ʐɨtʲ ˈstalə vʲɪsʲɪˈlʲej}}}} is a widespread version of a phrase uttered by Soviet leader [[Joseph Stalin]] at the First All-Union Conference of [[Stakhanovites]] on 17 November 1935.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Hoffmann |first1=David L. |title=Stalinist Values: The Cultural Norms of Soviet Modernity, 1917–1941 |date=6 August 2018 |publisher=Cornell University Press |isbn=978-1-5017-2567-8 |page=126 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=CpJlDwAAQBAJ |language=en}}</ref> The full quote from Joseph Stalin was, when translated into English, is:
{{blockquote|Life has improved, comrades. Life has become more joyous. And when life is joyous, work goes well. Hence the high rates of output. Hence the heroes and heroines of labour. That, primarily, is the root of the Stakhanov movement. If there had been a crisis in our country, if there had been unemployment - that scourge of the working class - if people in our country lived badly, drably, joylessly, we should have had nothing like the Stakhanov movement.<ref name = "better-ru">{{cite book|date= 1997|title= И. Сталин Сочинения|chapter= Речь на Первом Всесоюзном совещании стахановцев 17 ноября 1935 года|volume= 14|chapter-url= https://www.marxists.org/russkij/stalin/t14/t14_29.htm}}</ref><ref name = "better-en">{{cite book|date= 1978|orig-date= 17 November 1935|title= J. Stalin Works|chapter= Speech at the First All-Union Conference of Stakhanovites|volume= 14|chapter-url= https://www.marxists.org/reference/archive/stalin/works/1935/11/17.htm}}</ref>}}
In modern Russian the phrase is used in an ironical sense.<ref name=bib>[http://bibliotekar.ru/encSlov/7/39.htm "Жить стало лучше, жить стало веселее"]</ref>
== Song == {{Infobox song|name=Life's Become Better|language=[[Russian language|Russian]]|written={{circa|1936}}|writer=[[Vasily Lebedev-Kumach]]|composer=[[Alexander Vasilyevich Alexandrov|Alexander Alexandrov]]}} In 1936, the words were used in the chorus of a song of the same name, with music by [[Alexander Vasilyevich Alexandrov|Alexander Alexandrov]] and words by [[Vasily Lebedev-Kumach]]. The opening bars of the song and some sequences share a notable resemblance to those of the [[State Anthem of the Soviet Union]], as the two songs had the same composer. Alexandrov apparently liked the opening bars of this piece. He used them again, with only minor alterations, just a few years later in the tune for the State Anthem (1944–1991).{{cn|date=January 2020}}
=== Song lyrics sample === {| class="wikitable ![[Russian language|Russian]] original<ref name = "novikov">{{cite book|year= 1938|title= Песни|chapter= Жить стало лучше|location= Москва|publisher= Музгиз|pages= 91–92|editor= А. Г. Новиков|chapter-url= https://books.google.com/books?id=6vApDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA92}}</ref><ref name= "brueggemann">{{cite web |last= Brüggemann|first= Karsten|authorlink=Karsten Brüggemann|date= 2003|title= Миф о "большой советской семье" в массовых песнях 1930х годов, или Советский Союз как поющий пионерский лагерь|url= http://old.historia.lv/publikacijas/konf/daugp/012/1dala/brigeman.htm|website= old.historia.lv|access-date=14 May 2025}}</ref> ![[Romanization of Russian]] ![[English language|English]] translation |- style="valign:top;white-space:nowrap;" |<poem>Звонки, как птицы, одна за другой, Песни летят над советской страной!
{{small|'''Припев:'''}} 𝄆 Весел напев городов и полей, Жить стало лучше, жить стало веселей! 𝄇
Дружно страна и растёт, и поёт, С песнею новое счастье куёт!<ref name= "brueggemann"/> (С песнями общее счастье куёт!<ref name = "novikov"/>)
{{small|'''Припев:'''}} 𝄆 Глянешь на солнце – и солнце светлей, Жить стало лучше, жить стало веселей! 𝄇 </poem> |<poem>Zvonki, kak ptitsy, odna za drugoy, Pesni letyat nad sovetskoy stranoy!
{{small|'''Pripev:'''}} 𝄆 Vesel napev gorodov i poley, Zhit' stalo luchshe, zhit' stalo veseley! 𝄇
Druzhno strana i rastyot, i poyot, S pesneyu novoye schastye kuyot! (S pesnyami obshcheye schastye kuyot!)
{{small|'''Pripev:'''}} 𝄆 Glyanesh' na solnce – i solnce svetley, Zhit' stalo luchshe, zhit' stalo veseley! 𝄇 </poem> |<poem>Jingly, like birds, one by one, Songs fly over the Soviet land!
{{small|'''Chorus:'''}} 𝄆 Happy is the song of cities and fields, Life's become better, life's become more joyous! 𝄇
Our friendly country grows and sings, And with their song forge a new happiness! (And with their songs forge a common happiness!)
{{small|'''Chorus:'''}} 𝄆 When you look at the sun, it's brighter, Life's become better, life's become more joyous! 𝄇 </poem> |}
[[File:Life Has Become Better.mp3|thumb|A 1936 song recording]]
== See also == *[[Anthem of the Bolshevik Party]] *[[National anthem of Russia]]
==Notes== {{notelist}}
==References== {{reflist}}
[[Category:Russian political phrases]] [[Category:Soviet phraseology]] [[Category:Propaganda in the Soviet Union]] [[Category:1935 in the Soviet Union]] [[Category:Stalinism]] [[Category:Soviet patriotic songs]] [[Category:Russian patriotic songs]] [[Category:1935 quotations]]