What is today the Russian Federation has had several different anthems over the years. The earliest of these, called "Let the Thunder of Victory Rumble!" () was used in the late 18th to early 19th century. In 1816, the Russian Empire adopted "The Prayer of the Russians" (), whose melody was that of the British anthem God Save the King. This anthem was used until 1833, when a new composition called "God Save the Tsar!" () was chosen by Nicholas I, but did not became popular until 1837. Its melody became used in classical music such as Beethoven's Wellington's Victory and Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture.