““Where are you now, executioners of my people?” Eight poems by Vasyl Symonenko, which became songs, for his 90th birthday January 8, 18:32 Share: Eight poems by Vasyl Symonenko, which became songs (Photo: @red-letter.com.ua) On Wednesday, January 8, the Ukrainian poet – 60-year-old Vasyl Simonenko could have turned 90 years old, but instead he will forever be 28 years old. NV offers to listen to the poet’s poems, which have become songs. Ukrainian poet, journalist, activist”, — write on: ua.news
Eight poems by Vasyl Simonenko that became songs (Photo: @red-letter.com.ua)
On Wednesday, January 8, the sixty-year-old Ukrainian poet Vasyl Symonenko could have turned 90 years old, but instead he will forever be 28 years old. NV offeris to listen to the poet’s poems, which have become songs.
Ukrainian poet, journalist, activist of the Ukrainian resistance, which was called the sixties, Vasyl Symonenko left behind a small but vivid body of work – numerous articles, theater and literary reviews, three fairy tales for children and adults, and a collection of poems Silence and Thunder. Another collection of poems Earthly Gravity and the book Swans of Motherhood were published posthumously in 1964 and 1981, respectively. And in 1995, he became a posthumous laureate of the Shevchenko Prize.
In the spring of 1963, he was brutally beaten by police officers at the railway station in the city of Smila, and in December of the same year, he died due to an exacerbation of his illness. However, his work continues to live on and inspire new generations of Ukrainians.
The work of the young poet Symonenko inspired the youth of the 1960s and decades later continues to inspire modern Ukrainians. Powerful and melodious lyrics did not leave Ukrainian musicians indifferent. Every year, the number of songs written on the works of Simonenko only increases.
So, back in the late 1980s, the American singer of Ukrainian origin Kvitka Tsysyk turned to Simonenko’s work – she recorded a song based on the poem “The Swan of Motherhood”. Songs based on the poems of the 60-year-old poet are in the work of such Ukrainian artists as Sestry Telniuk, Jamala, Piccardiyska Tertsiya, Artem Pyvovarov, Spiv Brativ.
And the KOZAK SYSTEM band supplemented Simonenko’s lyrics with the words of musician and lyricist Oleksandr Polozhynskyi, which turned out quite organically.
And in 2024, the NGO Music Battalion released a collection of songs based on Vasyl Symonenko’s poem Neskorenyi ProRock, which included songs performed by KOZAK SYSTEM, TELNYUK: Sestry, Vitaly Kyrychenko, ILLARIA, Ocheretyany kyt, Druzhe Muziko, Shopping Hour GRP and other artists, as well as Studio Caffeine, Tanya Sha and Andriy Makarenko. You can listen to the album at the link.
It is easy to recognize the works of Vasyl Simonenko in all the songs, but each of them sounds in a special way.
On Vasyl Simonenko’s birthday NV offers to listen to eight poems that have become popular and favorite songs.
Well, tell me, isn’t it fantastic…, September 1962KOZAK SYSTEM — Not mine
TESLENKO — Fantastic
Where are you now, executioners of my people?.., December 1962MUR — My people are (feat. broken windows theory)
Swans of motherhood, May 1962Kvitka Tsysyk – Swans of motherhood
White Tower – You will grow up, son
Jamal — Son
Take offense at me, January 1961Sisters Telniuk – Take offense at me as much as you want…
Teslenko – Take offense
Retrovay — Take offense at me all you want
She came in November 1956Ukiez
Rock-H / Rokash
In the wagon, August 1955Rock-H / Rokash – Don’t look
I look into your frightened eyes, December 1961TURN
You Know You Are Human, November 1962
Piccardian Tertiary
Artem Pivovarov
SPIV BRATIV
Oksana Mukha