Lydia Tomkiw
‘These songs are about us’: As Ukrainians grieve wartime losses, mourning rituals see a resurgence
Yaroslav Simkiv has played the trumpet for over 50 years and is a recognizable figure in the western Ukrainian city of Lviv. Several times a day, he plays his instrument from the towering mayoral building in Lviv’s main square to announce the time of day. But these days, Simkiv has taken on a more serious role — bidding a musical farewell to Ukraine’s fallen soldiers.
Wounded Ukrainian soldiers start new journeys on prosthetics
Many Ukrainian soldiers and civilians have lost limbs and need to be fitted with prosthetics. A group of soldiers in New York City is receiving treatment, and they’re already thinking about what their lives will look like when they return home.
As war rages at home, Ukrainian choir heads to Carnegie Hall to celebrate 100 years of ‘Carol of the Bells’
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 Kyiv Symphony Orchestra fights on the war’s ‘cultural front’
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.
