Who composed the melody of Ukraine’s national anthem, “Shche ne vmerla Ukrainy”?

Mykhailo Verbytskyi composed the melody of Ukraine’s national anthem, “Shche ne vmerla Ukrainy.” The lyrics were written by Pavlo Chubynsky in 1862, and Verbytskyi, a priest and composer, set them to music soon afterward. Ukraine officially adopted the song in 1992, following the restoration of Ukrainian independence.

The title means “Ukraine’s Glory Has Not Yet Perished,” although English translations vary slightly. The anthem’s opening expresses national endurance and hope rather than describing a particular historical victory. Its words were edited for the official version, especially to fit modern constitutional and political usage.

A frequent mistake is assigning the melody to Mykola Lysenko, one of Ukraine’s best-known classical composers. Lysenko was influential in Ukrainian music but did not compose this anthem’s melody. Verbytskyi’s setting became especially important during periods when Ukrainian national identity was politically restricted.