“These songs will touch your hearts.”, — write: www.unian.ua
These songs will touch your hearts.
“Cultural Airborne” supports the military / Instagram screenshotIn 2024, the association of servicemen of creative professions “Cultural Airborne” released 26 songs written by active soldiers of the Defense Forces or war veterans. It is quite difficult to do it “from scratch”, but the heroes were able to do it thanks to a mobile recording studio.“We decided to create a mobile recording studio to drive along the front lines and record these songs. Right where our artists will be most comfortable. Write interviews with them, record their stories, talk about their work. Help with the arrangement, production and releasing their songs to the general public. After all, these are not just cultural figures, about whom Goethe once said: “Only he who is worthy of life and will, who fights every day for them”, Kolya Serga, the founder of “Cultural Airborne”, told the media earlier.
“Cultural Airborne” continues to collect and promote songs about the heroic resistance of the Ukrainian people. During the past year, many music releases took place, songs and clips were regularly released, on which the entire project team worked. The authors and performers of most of the songs are active servicemen or war veterans.
For the project participants, it is extremely important to convey the creativity of military personnel to all Ukrainians. A total of 26 songs were recorded in professional studios, and here are 10 of them, released in 2024, with the most views on YouTube.
1. “Goodbye”
This song is permeated with bright sorrow for brothers who continue to live as long as we remember them. This is a song about the values of people whose actions became heroic.
“The armed forces are a big family, and therefore the loss of each comrade resonates in the soul, as if the loss of a close relative. It is difficult to live with it. It is difficult to find words that could lighten this burden. We are only silent. A moment of silence becomes the only way to honor the fallen. But even in this silence, the voices of the dead continue to ring in your head, their words do not go away, and their faces stand before your eyes forever. That’s how the song “Goodbye” was born – out of a need to find healing. For me, it became a way to accept losses,” says the author of the composition, Myroslav Kuvaldin.
The clip was created in cooperation with the “Memorial” memory platform, which provided photos of fallen soldiers.
2. “Without ZSU PZDC”
This track was written by Kolya Serga. The song is dedicated to Ukrainian soldiers: to everyone who made their choice in favor of protecting their native land; who risk their lives every day, destroying the enemy on the front lines.
“The dirtiest work is always for those who are not afraid of it and go straight for it,” Serga sings.
3. “Under the Bakhmut rain”
This is a story of courage and the will to win. Dedicated to the Airborne Assault Forces of Ukraine. This is the manifesto of a Ukrainian paratrooper, designed to motivate himself and his comrades. Despite the fatigue, these people continue to defend their country, relying on deep values - family and the memory of their fallen comrades. The authors of the text of the song are volunteer Mykhailo Shelepeten and the head of the “Cultural Landing”, captain of the ZSU Kolya Serga. The composition is a cover version of Darina Krasnovetska’s song “Under Vinnytsia Rain”, which gained popularity in 2023.
4. “Iran enriches uranium”
A sarcastic story about a world that is confidently moving towards nuclear war. The planet is already on the brink, but Sasha Bull proves: if everything is going to hell, why should we look at it with sad faces? Who says the end of the world can’t have a catchy soundtrack? The author and performer is Oleksandr Bulich, known under the stage name Sasha Boole. In civilian life, he is a composer, singer, and writer. With the beginning of the full-scale invasion, he joined the ranks of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, served in the 22nd separate rifle battalion, later began cooperation with the “Cultural Airborne” and traveled to the front lines with concerts.
5. “How are you there, Kharkiv?”
This is a story about those who remain true to themselves and their city in the most difficult moments. The song, dedicated to the resilience of Kharkiv residents, was created by military officer and musician Oleksandr Remez together with the team of “Cultural Landing”. In the frame are the faces of Kharkiv: Serhii Zhadan, Yulia “Kuba” Sidorova, Hamlet Zinkivskyi, Dmytro Kabanets and others.
6. “Christmas at the front”
This composition reminds: war does not know holidays, does not know pity, does not know rest. Despite the exhaustion, cold, pain and separation, we cannot forget that thanks to the daily work of the Defense Forces, millions of Ukrainians have the opportunity to celebrate holidays, live and nurture faith in a better tomorrow. Think of those who are now holding positions on the front lines. They give everything, fight for every peaceful day, for every moment of your peace and freedom. They are our support, our protection, our present. Music and lyrics were written by Sasha Chemerov, he performed this composition.
7. “Sergeant”
This is a cheerful greeting on the professional holiday of those who are part of the sergeant corps and defend our country with honor and weapons in their hands.
“You are leaders who inspire, mentors who guide and a reliable support for commanders. Your endurance and dedication are the backbone of our army. Thank you for bringing the day of our victory closer,” says author Myroslav Kuvaldin.
8. “Let’s talk”
“Let’s talk” is a song addressed by a military man to civilians who are tired of war. The presented animated video shows the contrast between the everyday life of people in the rear and the realities on the front.
The author of the song is Valentyn Ilchuk, nicknamed “Burzhui”, the commander of the crew of FPV-drone operators “Tora Group” in the Patrol Police of Ukraine. He is a veteran of the Russian-Ukrainian war since 2014. In 2022-2024, he took part in military operations in the Kherson, Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia areas.
9. “Ground Forces”
The composition “Ground Forces” is about a young man who goes through all the difficulties of serving in the infantry and becomes a real man. No matter how difficult it is, this important and extremely difficult work must also be done. The author of the song, Artur Labyak, seeks to convey the thoughts of an ordinary Ukrainian infantryman. By the way, in 2023, he joined the army, served in a mobile air defense group, later joined the “Cultural Airborne”.
10. “Birds”
“Birds” is a song about losing friends. The souls of heroes that are forever in line are like birds that fly away over the horizon. Our brothers are alive as long as we remember them.
In civilian life, Yuriy Ivaskevich is an opera singer of the Zaporizhia Regional Philharmonic, a professional vocalist. After the start of the full-scale invasion, he joined the Defense Forces of Ukraine, was a gunner and assistant grenade launcher in the 110th separate mechanized brigade named after Colonel-General Mark Bezruchka, lost his leg during the fighting; later joined the “Cultural Landing”.
“There was a period when I didn’t know what to sing, but I couldn’t get the sound out of me. It lasted for more than a year,” recalls Yuriy Ivaskevich, “and only after I thawed out a little did I want something to sing to the boys. And then I heard the song “Birds”. And I realized that I should sing it. I hope my boys will hear her.”
“No actor or singer without similar experience will be able to sing to their fallen brothers like someone who lived through it. It seems to me that this is exactly the case,” says Kolya Serga, head of “Cultural Landing”.
Help about “Cultural Landing”:
“Cultural Airborne” is an association of servicemen of creative and creative professions who are engaged in moral and psychological support of the soldiers of the Defense Forces. Each month, mobile groups, which include musicians, poets, actors and other artists, give up to 200 performances in various areas of the front, as well as in military hospitals, rehabilitation centers, etc.
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