KATYUSHA(КАТЮША) FAMOUS SONG OF RED ARMY (RUSSIA) DURING WW11

"Katyusha" is a Russian wartime song composed in 1938 by Matvei Blanter with lyrics from Mikhail Isakovsky during the Second World War. The song depicts a girl longing for her beloved husband who is off on military service. It was first performed by Valentina Batishcheva in the Column Hall of Moscow's House of the Unions. Later it was performed by Lidiya Ruslanova and other singers. It is part of the repertoire of the Alexandrov Ensemble. In 2010, Russian countertenor Vitas covered a version of this song.Katyusha is a tender diminutive from the female name Ekaterina (Katherine): Katya is the nickname and Katyusha, a tender diminutive.The Russian song also gave name to the BM-8, BM-13, and BM-31 "Katyusha" rocket launchers that were built and fielded by the Red Army in World War II.

The song was first sung by female students from a Russian industrial school in Moscow to bid farewell to Russian soldiers going on the battle front against Nazi Germany in July 1941, who were deeply touched by the song. The song quickly became popular throughout the USSR, inspiring the soldiers across the nation who were leaving for the front.