Showing solidarity with Ukraine through arts and culture

Slava Ukraini!

Last year, the invasion of Ukraine by Russian forces dominated the headlines. The war still rages on but it is no longer as reported like before especially in local news programs.

To mark the first anniversary of Russia's aggression against Ukraine, the Embassies of France and Germany presented a screening of On the Trail of War Crimes: Murder of Ukrainian Civilians a documentary by German war journalist Carsten Stormer investigating Russia's war crimes against Ukrainian civilians.

Carsten Stormer

The screening was followed by a testimony by Lidiia Koval, a Ukrainian volunteer of the We Save Ukraine Foundation. She gave a personal account of how her city was shelled by Russian forces and also detailed how the foundation helps refugees and soldiers on the frontline.

Both the documentary and Lidiia's story serve as a reminder that although the war may no longer dominate the headlines, it still goes on. That is not only the people of Ukraine who suffer, but the rest of the world as well. Ukraine is one of the Philippines' sources of grain and the war has only made the supply more scarce and prices higher.

Lidiia Koval (right) and Anna Adams (left)

The event was also an opportunity to get acquainted with the small Ukrainian community in the Philippines. Although far away from their homeland, they remain defiant and firmly believe that they will end up victorious in this war.

Since the war began, there has been a movement to make people aware that Ukraine and its people are separate and distinct from Russia. The drive to de-Russify Ukrainian art and culture has brought some surprising discoveries.

For example, music composers like Mikola (Nikolai) Kapustin and Reinhold Glière have been considered as Russians for decades. But now, they are starting to be referred to as Ukrainians with Kapustin now having the name Mikola instead of Nikolai. The same can be said about visual artists like Kazmir Malevich, Arkhyp Kuindzhi, and Ivan Aivazovsky as galleries worldwide have been referring to them as Ukrainians too.

Learning and appreciating Ukrainian arts and culture is a way of showing solidarity with its people. Recognizing Ukraine's culture and heritage means standing up against its aggressors. Slava Ukraini!

Special thanks to Arthur Tselishchev for the introductions to Ukrainian visual art and folk/world music. Not only is he a model, but he is also a painter. Check out his works at https://www.arthur-ts.com/.

Below are some videos and music showcasing Ukrainian culture.

First is a performance by the Youth Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine conducted by Oksana Lyniv during their performance at last year's Beethovenfest in Bonne, Germany. The concert also features Ukrainian pianist Dmiytro Choni. Performed at the concert are a couple of works by Ukrainian composers namely Victoria Poleva and Borys Lyatoshynsky.

DakhaBrakha is a Ukrainian quartet formed in 2004. Their discography cannot be easily categorized, think of it as world music with a unique Ukrainian folk music flavor. Below is their latest album Alambari.