Every year, when September 2 turns into September 3, something odd happens in Russia: singer Mikhail Shufutinsky appears in an endless stream of memes, jokes, and pictures. All refer to one and the same song: Shufutinsky’s «Третье сентября» (September 3rd). A cult classic carrying three goodbyes.
Goodbye to Summer
A famous Russian saying claims that лето – это маленькая жизнь, summer is a little life. (It is also a famous song, by Олег Митяев / Oleg Mityaev.) And what goes for the big life applies to the little one too. It isn’t endless, the adventures do not last forever. What better month to be reminded of this cold reality than September? It is the month when Summer shifts into Autumn. Schools reopen on the 1st, and it’s that awful day again before you know it.
Я календарь переверну, и снова третье сентября.
I’ll turn the calendar over, and it’s September third again.
(Song lyrics on Genius.com, plus below with stress marks)
Goodbye to Love
Frédéric Beigbeder once wrote that Love Lasts Three Years. This timeframe is debatable, but it’s certain that love is not forever. It’s mostly chemicals that make us feel otherwise. For a while.
And yet, the день прощанья (farewell day) often comes as a surprise – or worse – for at least one of the two parties involved. For Михаил Шуфутинский (Mikhail Shufutinsky), in this song and story, the axe fell on September 3rd. All seemed peaches and cream in the spring – был апрель, и в любви мы клялись: it was April, and we swore our love – and even on второго сентября (September 2nd), было всё у нас всерьёз – everything was serious with us. Тhere wasn’t a cloud in the sky. At least not one that Mikhail spotted.
Consequently, he is left with pressing questions. Questions he may never find or hear an answer to.
Но почему, но почему – but why, but why
Расстаться всё же нам пришлось? – did we have to part after all?
Goodbye to Seriousness
No one is really sure what exactly happened after that. Or when it started happening. Or why. And perhaps no one really cares anymore. What we do know is that at some point, Mikhail Shufutinsky’s sincere song about heartbreak and separation started a life on its own. It inspired so many memes that the song itself practically became a meme – and September 3 is now an unofficial Russian Meme Day.
It was the internet’s way of saying that indeed, “For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven” (Ecclesiastes 3:1) and that it was now time to end the crying and the wallowing in why’s, and have a laugh instead. Because after all, why so serious?
Three Versions of 3-е сентября
The original song appeared in 1994, but «3 сентября» has long since taken on a life of its own. Here are three versions: the original recording by Mikhail Shufutinsky, a duet between Shufutinsky and Егор Крид (Egor Kreed), and a cover by Черниковская Хата (Chernikovskaya Hata). More cover versions by Nansi & Sidorov (2025), Alex Terrible (2021) and Radio Tapok (2020).
Mikhail Shufutinsky’s Original (1994)
Duet with Egon Kreed (2022)
Cover by Chernikovskaya Hata (2017)
Shufutinsky’s favorite 3 September memes
Mikhail Shufutinsky is well aware of the peculiar afterlife his song has acquired online. In this video, he looks at various 3 September memes – and picks his favorites.
Михаил Шуфутинский – «Третье сентября»
Song lyrics with stress marks
Всё не то, всё не так:
Ты мой друг – я твой враг
Как же так всё у нас с тобо́ю?
Был апре́ль, и в любви́
Мы кля́лись, но, увы́
Пролете́л жёлтый лист
По бульва́рам Москвы́
[Pre-chorus]
Тре́тье сентября́ – день проща́нья
День, когда́ горя́т костры́ ряби́н
Как костры́, горя́т обеща́нья
В день, когда́ я совсе́м оди́н
[Chorus]
Я календа́рь переверну́
И сно́ва тре́тье сентября́
На фо́то я твоё взгляну́
И сно́ва тре́тье сентября́
Но почему́, но почему́
Расста́ться всё же нам пришло́сь?
Ведь бы́ло всё у нас всерьёз
Второ́го сентября́
Но почему́, но почему́
Расста́ться всё же нам пришло́сь?
Ведь бы́ло всё у нас всерьёз
Второ́го сентября́
Журавле́й бе́лый клин
Твоя́ дочь и мой сын –
Все хотя́т теплоты́ и ла́ски
Мы в любо́вь, как в игру́
На холо́дном ветру́
Поигра́ли с тобо́й
Но пришёл сам собо́й
(Pre-chorus)
(Chorus) 2x
A selection of the songs covered here can also be found in this YouTube playlist, and in Music in Russian songs on Spotify.
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© Music in Russian, 2026
