Watch BBC National Orchestra and Chorus of Wales perform The Internationale

The Internationale had been a popular left wing song ever since it was written in late 19th Century France.

Translated into Russian in 1902, it was adopted by the Bolsheviks after the Russian Revolution of 1917 as their new state’s anthem. It was one of Lenin’s favourites, and singing was encouraged by the revolutionary leaders, who believed that it could bring a much-needed sense of political unity.