The story of the Ukrainian music scene since the Russian invasion is one of resilience. Even if it has meant playing in the underground Metro, or in cold bomb shelters with no electricity, many musicians have found ways to continue their art.
Now, five classical musicians from Kharkiv, Ukraine, have been invited by Malmö Academy of Music to perform in Malmö.
In many ways, the sound of Ukraine lives on
Over three years have passed since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The city of Kharkiv, home to Ukraine's leading music and drama institution, is one of the areas most damaged by the war.
Life for Ukrainian artists has “undoubtedly changed”, according to Yuliia Nikolaievska, one of the five musicians visiting Malmö from Kharkiv. She has witnessed first-hand how music has remained both a form of self-expression as well as resistance in Ukraine.
“Many musicians have started to rediscover Ukrainian composers – by exploring their works more deeply and re-introducing them to audiences. We are rediscovering our own culture”. says Yuliia Nikolaievska.
Historically, Ukrainian music has often touched on themes like war, cultural oppression, and political repression. Today, many of these pieces have become profoundly contemporary to the Ukrainian population.
”In many ways, the sound of Ukraine lives on”, says Yuliia Nikolaievska.
The Malmö-Kharkiv connection
Iveri Kekenadze Gustafsson is the initiator of the partnership with Kharkiv National Kotlyarevsky University of Arts, and a PhD Researcher in European Studies as well as International Officer at Malmö Academy of Music.
His own experiences served as the catalyst for reaching out to Kharkiv, as he is originally from Georgia and experienced the Russian invasion of Georgia in 2008.
“I remember hiding in the cornfields of my village in western Georgia, as Russian warplanes flew overhead and missiles landed nearby. Music was my way out”, says Iveri Kekenadze Gustafsson.
He now coordinates the collaboration between Malmö Academy of Music and Kharkiv National Kotlyarevsky University of Arts.
Iveri Kekenadze Gustafsson points out how many music institutions have turned a blind eye to Russian aggression by continuing to feature Russian artists.
“At Malmö Academy of Music, we have made a different choice. We stand by the values we promote – collaborating with like-minded institutions, decolonising our approach to higher music education, and giving visibility to Ukrainian artists and music”, he concludes.