"Niet Molotoff" ("No, Molotoff") is a Finnish propaganda song composed by, and written by .[1] Niet Molotoff was composed during the Winter War to boost morale and to mock the Soviet Union and the Red Army.
"Niet Molotoff" was first recorded in 1942 by Jurva and Kristalli-Tanssiorkesteri, the song was conducted by George de Godzinsky, and the orchestral accompaniment was arranged by .[2] The song was made well-known by in 1989.[3] [4]
"Niet Molotoff" is named after Vyacheslav Molotov, the Soviet Minister of Foreign Affairs. The song's chorus declares Molotov's justifications for the Winter War to be "worse" than the "lies" of Nikolay Bobrikov, who was a Governor-General of Finland notorious for his attempts to promote the Russification of Finland, later being assassinated for his actions. The song ridicules the Red Army's slow advance and their failed plans to quickly occupy Helsinki as they struggled to even breach the Mannerheim line, claiming Soviet officials lost their previous boastful attitude as the war went on. It also mocks Molotov having a countryside estate, where the Soviet political officials would retreat to. These would include "Stalin[,] other charlatans" and possibly Reds who had fled to Petrozavodsk after the Finnish Civil War.
Many Russian-language words are used in the song in place of Finnish-language alternatives.
The melody of the song is based on a Russian folk song called Ukhar-kupets (Ухарь-купец), from which the Yiddish song "Daloy Politsey" is also derived.
During the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, a Ukrainian parody of Niet Molotoff was created. The Ukrainian version of the song is titled "Njet Vladimir", in reference to Vladimir Putin.[5]