Author: Lydia Korsun

The invited servicemen, who are in New York for prosthetics under the care of the non-profit organization Kind Deeds – this is the defender of Mariupol Yuriy Saiko, who went to war as a volunteer at the age of 19, was in Azovstal and was a prisoner of war for a month and a half, this is the senior sergeant with three higher educations Mykhailo Kityk, were especially moved by the song “Thank you, soldier-friend”, which was prepared by sixth-graders under the guidance of their music teacher Yulia Kaitan. They both listened standing, applauding. One of them still has no prosthesis on one leg… Modest, young, thin…

Of course, the Spiritual Anthem of Ukraine “God, the Great and the Only One” and the National Anthem and “Red Kalina” were played at different moments….

Guests with a Ukrainian-centric repertoire were also invited for the second part of the festival. This is the “Moloda Dumka” choir with maestro Vasyl Grechinsky. This choir, its soloists and its quartet of children performed songs only on a given theme. “Moloda Dumka” sounded on the festival stage even more sensually, more accessible and stronger than at the Brooklyn Theater on May 4. “Glory to our Armed Forces of Ukraine” “There is no translation for the Cossack family” …. The invited choir of students “Pysanka” (Olha Dzenkiv) performed “Song about Mom”. After all, in this bloody war, along with sons and daughters-defenders, mothers suffer the most …

...Kateryna-Anna Berlin performed the song "Glory to the Armed Forces of Ukraine" very energetically.

And even more entertaining, but exclusively to the last note and talented presentation, the Ukrainian repertoire of soloist Lubomyr Zgursky (Kolomiya - Hartford) sounded in praise of the unique, best Ukrainian song in the world and nothing else.