Reporter
America AbroadFreelance multimedia journalist working in East Africa and Southeast Asia
Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of their country, parents in Ukraine are increasingly signing their children up for the patriotic education, outdoor activities and summer camps offered by the 112-year-old scouting organization Plast — similar to the Boy Scouts, but with a mission to preserve Ukrainian identity and language.
In 1922, a Ukrainian choir sang the song “Shchedryk” at New York’s Carnegie Hall. The tune became a Christmas sensation known as “Carol of the Bells.” This Sunday, a Ukrainian choir will once again perform the famous song at Carnegie Hall.
The Ukrainian Ministry of Defense granted special permission for the male musicians to leave the country, calculating that the world will be more motivated to protect Ukraine if it sees its culture as something precious and worth saving.