Throughout history, music has proven to be a way for soldiers and others effected by war to cope with the trauma and stress that come 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.
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 in stark contrast with the footage of her home in Bila Tserkva, south of Kyiv. Irina is a 48-year-old mother of two 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 hole in the ground.
4. The orchestra performs 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 musicians 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 March 9 as Russian forces continue to advance on the city.
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, a 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 uploaded the song to their YouTube channel, saying, “As promised, we agreed that all royalty earnings from this video will be donated to humanitarian aid for the Ukrainian armed forces.”
1. Young Ukrainian Girl Melts Hearts Singing “Let It Go” in Kyiv Bomb Shelter
A video of a young Ukrainian girl singing “Let It Go” from the Oscar-winning film Frozen has taken the internet by storm. Her name is Amelia, and she has dreams of singing on the big stage to large audiences.
Just two weeks after being filmed singing “Let It Go” whilst staying in a Ukrainian bomb shelter, Amelia Anisovych has realised her dreams of singing to a large audience. You’ll be happy to know that the seven-year-old whose heart-melting performance went viral after Marta Smekhova uploaded her singing in a bomb shelter, is safe in Poland.
Other Musical Moments That Have Caught People’s Attention on Social Media
Here is a soldier playing a flute while sitting in his bunker.