While singing a soft and melodious Ukrainian lullaby, Valeria Vovk looks defiantly at the camera. Although she sometimes sings centuries-old melodies, the 2022 Berklee College of Music graduate’s videos on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube garner millions of views from people around the world. doing.
“Today I dedicate the song ‘Plyve Kacha'” [the duckling swims]’ to [Ukrainian] Soldiers and their mothers,” Vobuk wrote in the description of a TikTok video posted to her page on February 13, in which she sang a Ukrainian folk song warning of the dangers of war. “And I hope that soon it will finally lose its relevance and become simply a historical pearl of Ukrainian creativity.”
As Russia’s invasion of Ukraine enters its third year, Vovk’s hopes are shared by other members of Boston’s Ukrainian community. Despite not being physically in their homeland, Ukrainians, some of whom have fled since the outbreak of full-scale war in recent years, and others who emigrated decades ago, are deeply influenced by the culture of the Eastern European country. They argue that continuing to protect the country is as important as defending one’s own country. land.
“Ukraine is in a very difficult situation right now, and the last two years have been very difficult mentally,” said Vovk, who immigrated to the United States to attend university and whose family is still in Odesa. Vovk started her social media page years ago, but in recent months she has started posting her songs more frequently to get people talking about Ukraine.
“[I want] “To remind people that this is what we’re fighting for and that’s why we have to be strong,” she said.
Full-scale war in Ukraine began on February 24, 2022, but the region’s struggle for independence continues for decades after the region known as the “breadbasket of Europe” declared sovereignty in 1991. in the process of. It will be celebrating its 10th anniversary in February. After Russia invaded and annexed Crimea.
“The war didn’t even start two years ago. The war started 10 years ago,” Vobuk said.
An unexpected counterattack with a much larger Russian force in 2022 garnered the country international support and recognition, but as the war escalates, it has become harder to draw public attention to the conflict. A Ukrainian living locally said that there were.
“It’s a constant struggle [media] We need to be careful because there are many conflicts going on. [in the world]” Vovk said.
“Saving” Ukrainian culture
Ukrainian culture has been targeted by Russian military operations throughout the invasion, with Russian President Vladimir Putin stating that Ukrainians and Russians are “one people” and that Ukraine lacks an independent tradition. justified the invasion.
Andrii Boyko, who immigrated to the United States from Ukraine with his family in 2018, said, “The main purpose of Putin’s invasion two years ago was to “denazify Ukraine.” For them, denazification meant making Ukraine a state. “It means to exclude them as such,” he said. completely. “
Experts say Russia targets numerous cultural institutions, including museums, schools, libraries and places of worship, in an effort to deny the country’s sense of independence.
“The demonization and denigration of Ukrainian culture and identity, promoted by the Russian authorities, is widespread, along with calls for ideological repression and strict censorship in the political, cultural and educational fields,” several special editions said. the reporter stated in a February 2023 press release. by the United Nations.
Boyko is co-founder of the Ukrainian Cultural Center of New England (UCCN). Founded in 2022, the nonprofit organization is focused on promoting Ukrainian culture and hosts events throughout the year, ranging from cultural events to political rallies and demonstrations.
“We decided that we needed to run a new organization dedicated to preserving Ukrainian culture, promoting it here and helping share Ukrainian culture. [our] It’s a tradition with Americans and other peoples,” Boyko said.
The local efforts of Ukrainians who have left their homeland (including some 400,000 refugees who have fled to North America since the start of the war) have touched the hearts of people around the world and of those still in Ukraine. continues to move.
“Sometimes I scroll through the comments and I see comments from Ukrainians saying things like, ‘There were sirens, there was a missile attack.’ And I’m listening to your song and I’m like, ‘What happened? “I was distracted by the culture,” Vobuk said, adding that she receives comments and messages in different languages from people who want to know more about the culture.
“[My singing] It’s drawing attention to my country, [people] “I don’t see much about Ukraine now in the news, I don’t see it very often,” she said.
Local Ukrainians ask for more military aid
On Saturday, UCCN organized a rally on Boston Common to commemorate the second anniversary of the war, attended by several hundred people, many carrying Ukrainian flags and placards with slogans such as “I miss home.” Ta. According to a recent United Nations report, attendees heard speeches from Ukrainian church leaders, sang folk songs and participated in candlelight vigils in memory of war victims. That includes 30,000 civilians.
“We have had great emotions for over two years and want to take our message to all Americans who support us in the fight against evil. Ukraine is ready to fight. But we need more ammunition and more support,” said rally participant Lyubov Andorukiv, who immigrated to the United States from Ukraine more than 30 years ago.
A major part of the community’s efforts is to continue transmitting traditions and cultural knowledge to younger generations who may not grow up in Ukraine. To keep the culture alive, Andurkiv said his family speaks Ukrainian at home, and his U.S.-born grandchildren are part of the community by attending cultural events and Ukrainian church.
Just one week before the anniversary, the Ukrainian city of Avdiivka fell into the hands of Russian forces because it was “outgunned”. new york times report. After disagreements in Congress in late January over a bill to provide financial aid to U.S. allies, including Ukraine, the Senate passed a package on February 13 to provide $60 billion to Ukraine.
Boyko stressed that part of the UCCN’s efforts to maintain focus on Ukraine is to maintain strong international support, including from the military.
“Ukrainians are fighting for democracy and freedom in Europe and the world,” he said. “I think the cost of inaction is higher than the cost of action at this point.”
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