How the Ukrainian People Have Found Strength in Music
The Ukrainian people fighting for their country, and their will to never give up.
March 11, 2022
Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine on February 24, Ukrainian men have been forced to leave their families to fight against the Russian military, locals have had to make Molotov Cocktails to protect their streets from Russian tanks, and protests are spurring everywhere you look. The Ukrainian people are determined to fight for their country, but Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has forced families to flee, destroying homes and cities, and has caused havoc across Europe. Over just the past few days, The Ukrainian people have been forced to cope with so much in such little time, and “the way they’ve used music to encourage strength and unity among their people is a beautiful thing” (Avery Omens 10).
Just one day prior to the invasion, Ukrainian citizens all gathered in the town center and sang their national anthem as a way to signal to Putin that he will never break their pride nor their culture. A famous Ukrainian opera singer, Yuriy Yurchuk, sang a Ukrainian Hymn amidst a protest in London, “for peace”, he says. Alongside him, other musicians such as David Martello have taken to the keys by playing the piano at the Polish border as the tons of buses filled with Ukrainian refugees arrive, still in shock by what Russia has committed against them. Martello is also “playing for peace,” as he also brought medical supplies for the incoming refugees. Martello has also played for other causes and people in need. He’s played for wounded Afghan soldiers, and performed for 14 hours straight at the Gezi Park protests in Istanbul. Furthermore, Ukraine’s national anthem rings loud and clear again, but by trumpet this time. A man in the Obolon train station near Kiev seems to have chosen a very special item to take with him, his trumpet. As scared Ukrainian families are forced to evacuate their homes, the only relatively safe place away from the air strikes are the underground train stations, and this man restored just a little bit of faith back into the people staying there when he played their national anthem.
These underground hideouts have given the Ukranians the small bit of hope they need to keep pushing through. Whether it be a group of women huddled together in a bomb shelter with nothing but a strong will and the clothes on their back, singing hymns and playing the guitar. Or the head of a daycare building playing the piano and singing the national anthem with kids as small as five years old, not sure if their fathers are going to make it back home, (https ://www.classicfm.com/music-news/russia- invades-ukraine-musicians-play- or-peace/ ). The way music has helped bring these people hope and unite everyone in the solidarity of Ukraine is a beautiful thing that will never be forgotten.
