Chant Des Bateliers Du Volga Igor Strawinsky (Stravinsky) / Arr. Carl Simpson

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Song of the Volga Boatmen

The Song of the Volga Boatmen, after the refrain) is a well-known traditional Russian song collected by Mily Balakirev, and published in his book of folk songs in 1866. It was sung by burlaks, or barge-haulers, on the Volga River. Ilya Repin's famous painting Barge Haulers on the Volga depicts such burlaks in Tsarist Russia toiling along the Volga.

The song was popularized by Feodor Chaliapin, and has been a favourite concert piece of bass singers ever since. Glenn Miller's jazz arrangement took the song to #1 in the U.S. charts in 1941.