Dunaevsky, I. Jolly Fellows. March (Vesyolye rebyata. Marsh), 1935. In Russian

Дунаевский И. О. Весёлые ребята. Марш. / Слова В. И. Лебедева-Кумача.
Ленинград : Тритон, 1935.
3 с. Иллюстрированная издательская обложка, обычный формат (22,5 × 15 см).
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Dunaevsky, I. O. Jolly Fellows. March (Vesyolye rebyata. Marsh). / Lyrics by V. I. Lebedev-Kumach.
Leningrad : Triton, 1935.
3 pp. Illustrated publisher’s cover, standard format (22.5 × 15 cm).

This 1935 sheet music edition represents a cultural phenomenon that redefined the Soviet musical landscape. The "March of the Jolly Fellows" (also known as "The Song of the Heart") was the centerpiece of the first Soviet musical film comedy, Jolly Fellows (1934), directed by Grigory Aleksandrov. Composed by Isaac Dunaevsky with lyrics by Vasily Lebedev-Kumach, the song became an unofficial anthem of the optimism and energy of the mid-1930s.
Published by the Leningrad cooperative "Triton", this edition was released at the height of the film’s massive popularity. Dunaevsky’s score merged American jazz influences with the Russian march tradition, creating a rhythmically infectious melody that was accessible to the masses. The song’s opening lines—"To live and to love, the heart is helping us"—became a catchphrase of the era, epitomizing the "Great Retreat" toward more lighthearted, melodic, and joyful cultural expressions.
The illustrated cover reflects the aesthetic of the Leningrad school of graphic arts in the 1930s, capturing the vibrant spirit of the movie’s protagonist, Kostya Potekhin (played by Leonid Utyosov). This publication served not only professional performers but also the millions of amateur musicians across the USSR who sought to recreate the film’s atmosphere in their own homes and clubs.
Given its ephemeral nature as a 3-page sheet music publication, surviving copies of this 1935 "Triton" printing are exceptionally rare. It is a quintessential artifact for collectors of Soviet cinema history, musical memorabilia, and the collaborative work of the legendary Dunaevsky-Lebedev-Kumach duo.