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Legendary Russian war song Katyusha may become International Army Games anthem

The 2017 International Army Games are being held at 22 test ranges in Russia, Belarus, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and China from July 29 to August 12

© Sergey Bobylyov/TASS

KORLA TEST COMPLEX /China/, July 31. /TASS/. The universally known Russian song Katyusha, which has been performed by several generations of Russian military ensembles, may now become the anthem of the Chinese stage of the International Army Games.

"During the opening ceremony of the Games, which took place at the Korla Missile Test Complex in China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, the Russian Aerospace Force’s song and dance ensemble performed the song in Russian," the press service of Russia’s Defense Ministry said in a statement. "The song was welcomed with a round of applause as about 5,000 people jumped to their feet and started singing along," the statement reads.

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Defense minister opens international Army Games-2017

The Chinese audience knows the renowned Katyusha song well, which is the reason why the Russian team taking part in the Gunsmith Master competition learned to perform it in Chinese. At the final concert, the song will not only become the anthem of the Army Games, but also a symbol of international military cooperation.

This year, the Chinese People's Liberation Army’s Korla Missile Test Complex is hosting four competitions of the International Army Games, including the Safe Environment, Clear Sky, Gunsmith Master and the Suvorov Attack contests. A total of six competitions are taking place in China.

The 2017 International Army Games are being held at 22 test ranges in Russia, Belarus, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and China from July 29 to August 12.

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