Throughout history music has proven to be a way for soldiers, and others effected by war, to cope with the traumas and stress that comes with it. It is well documented that music was used throughout World War 1 and 2, but music has been used during wars and battles dating back thousands of years ago.
The war that started in February 2022 in Ukraine has produced some powerful musical moments from people showing solidarity with the people of Ukraine, to soldiers playing instruments and singing their national anthem. Below are some of the moments that caught the hearts and attention of millions around the world.
5. Ukrainian Pianist Plays Her Piano for the Final Time Before Fleeing Bomb Stricken Home
This is Irina Maniukina playing her grand piano for the final time before leaving her bomb stricken home near Kyiv. Before playing Chopin’s Étude Op. 25, No. 1, she dusts off the debris scattered over her Steinway & Sons Essex piano. The beauty of the music she performs is a stark contrast compared with the footage of her home in Bila Tserkva, south of Kyiv. Irina is a 48 year old mother of 2 who is now fleeing the conflict in Ukraine after a bomb landed just 30 feet away from her home. The blast blew all the windows out and left a huge creator in the ground.
4. Orchestra Perform in Kyiv Square Trying to Bring Peace to their City
A video uploaded to Twitter by @RichardEngel has been capturing people’s attention as a group of musician play for peace in the middle of a war zone. In an act of defiance in a Kyiv square where the Ukrainian people have, up until now, stopped Moscow’s ambitions in Ukraine, The Kyiv-Classic Symphony Orchestra assembled to perform in front of a small crowd on the 9th March as Russian forces continue to advance on the city.
Orchestra playing in Kyiv for peace, and to call for a no-fly-zone to protect Ukrainian cities and people. pic.twitter.com/iYZiD20Bo6
— Richard Engel (@RichardEngel) March 9, 2022
3. 94 Violinists Across The World Play To Support Young Ukrainian Trapped In A Bomb Shelter
Violinist Illia Bondarenko is currently living in a bomb shelter, subject to constant nearby explosions. His plight and that of other Ukrainian musicians touched the heart of Kerenza Peacock, a British violinist. She reached out to him and other violinists from famous orchestras around the world. Her intention was to create "an international violin choir of support" for all those living in shelters across Ukraine.
2. Andriy Khlyvnyuk Musician Goes to Fight in Ukraine
Andriy Khlyvnyuk is a Ukrainian musician who left his tour in the USA to return home and fight in Ukraine. He recorded a video singing a Ukrainian folk song called “й у лузі червона калина” which translates to “a red viburnum in the meadow”.
With Andriy’s permission, The Kiffness, a music producer and YouTube personality from South Africa, remixed his passionate performance and the results are magical. The Kiffness upload the song to their YouTube channel sating, “As promised, we agreed that all royalty earnings from this video will be donated to humanitarian aid for the Ukrainian armed forces.”