“Young guard” against Ukraine’s cultural occupation

On Feb. 19 the International Cultural Center of the Arts, better known as October Palace, will host the Young Guard, a festival of Ukrainian heroic songs. This is the latest initiative of the charismatic musician Oleh Skrypka, who has already successfully launched the powerful rock— and ethno-festivals Rock Sich and Country of Dreams.

The press conference at Kyiv’s Museum of Historical and Cultural Heritage was attended by Maria Burmaka, Foma, Taras Chubai, Taras Kompanychenko, and, of course, Skrypka, the lead singer of Vopli Vidopliasova. “Ukrainian musicians have been singing our knightly songs,” Skrypka noted. “Remember Taras Chubai’s CD ‘Our Guerrillas.’ So in launching this show, which we hope will become an annual one, we decided to continue the tradition.” Asked why they chose such an unusual name, he said, “As you know, the Young Guard fought against the occupiers. The participants in this project are fighting against the present-day cultural occupation of Ukraine.

Burmaka noted: “Speaking Ukrainian in everyday life, preferring live music, singing Ukrainian-language songs, and raising questions of philosophy or patriotism in them are already certain acts of heroism.” So, obviously, the festival’s aim is to familiarize Ukrainians with another extremely interesting field of national song culture. You know, the song ‘Oh, on Makivka Hill,’ which I am going to introduce, has passed a serious test at concerts. For example, singing it in Kupiansk, Kharkiv oblast, 30 kilometers from the Russian border, looked like suicide pure and simple. But the audience sang right along with me.”

The concert will feature heroic (marching, lyrical, humorous) songs of the 17th-20th centuries, from the Middle Ages to the Romantic period, from the age of the UNR to the UPA, as well as original compositions, such as “Stay Awake, My Native Land” performed by Foma from the group Mandry. In addition to the above-mentioned musicians, the festival will also feature the groups Tartak and Tanok Na Maidani Congo, the choir Chorea Kozatska, as well as the singers-songwriters, lyre— and kobza-players Taras Sylenko, Sviatoslav Sylenko, Serhii Solony, and Eduard Drach, who were bearers of the heroic and knightly tradition long before the rockers.

According to the organizers, the performances will be accompanied by screenings of documentary films and wartime photographs dating to the early and mid-20th century. There will also be an exhibit of photographs and documents dedicated to the Ukrainian liberation movement of the 1920s- 1950s. There will also be a launch of the CD “Ukrainian Heroic Songs.” The last item on the festival agenda is a gala ball that will be attended by cadets from the Kyiv Ivan Bohun Military Lyceum.

When he was asked the loaded question whether the cadets are already singing heroic songs (they once took part in the launch of VV’s video “Kateryna,” which deals with events during the time of the Ukrainian National Republic, Skrypka said that it would be better to ask the cadets themselves what they are singing these days — Ukrainian heroic and knightly songs or the repertoire of the Russian pop group Liube.

Festival tickets are on sale at the booking offices of the October Palace and other places in Kyiv.