Soldiers of Song

Presumably, Putin and his trolls would say Ukraine’s music would be no match for Russia’s advanced weaponry. Yet, here we are, going into 1,107^th day of Putin’s 2-day war. We have also seen Ukrainian farmers carting off the wreckage of Russian tanks on their tractors. Meanwhile, Russia cannot shut up Ukraine’s defiant musicians. Ryan Smith documents the role Ukrainian musicians play both within the military and on the homefront in Soldiers of Song, a documentary supported by the Governor George Pataki Leadership Center, which releases today on VOD.

Think of it as “soft power” that turned hard as a diamond. When Putin launched his illegal invasion, Ukraine’s musicians were just as shocked as the rest of the world, but they found their talent could bolster spirits in bomb-shelter and on the streets (when not under artillery barrages). Soon, the Ukrainian military formed special musician’s units to maintain morale. Do not even consider accusing them of wokeism. The American military has many special active duty bands, many of which have histories dating back decades or even centuries. Remember the Spirit of ’76 is literally a fife and drum trio.

The Ukrainian musical morale-boosters take on many different roles. Some are enlisted, while others, like Svitlana Tarabarova perform in USO-like battlefield tours. The music also varies considerably. Tarabarova is sort of a Ukrainian Taylor Swift, who used to perform relationship-themed singer-songwriter-style pop. However, her music has recently taken a more serious turn (for obvious reasons). In contrast, Slava Vakarchuk and the band Okean Elzy rock hard, but can also go acoustic (they no longer tour Russia, where they built a substantial fanbase, again for obvious reasons).

Tragically, the war came to Vasyl Kryachok, artistic director of the Mariupol Chamber Philharmonic, when Russia dropped a bomb on the Mariupol Theater, while 1,200 fellow musicians, staff members, artists, and their families were sheltering in its basement. He is currently in-residence with the Kyiv Chamber Orchestra, yet again, for obvious reasons.

Perhaps the most personal and dramatic story is that of Sergiy Ivanchuk, an opera singer in training, happened to be evacuating a clinic when he was sprayed with five bullets, one of which was perilously near his spine. Fortunately, one of the doctors patched him up enough to save his lung. Nevertheless, his recovery, including a return to performances, is almost miraculous.

Indeed, after watching Soldiers of Song, it should be clear to misguided MAGA “Republicans” that Ukrainians are more devoutly Christian than Russians and they also more greatly value the cultural heritage of Western Civilization. If you doubt it, listen to Ivanchuk nail Nessun Dorma.

Obviously, my last decent governor knows better. It is gratifying to see his organization promoting support and awareness for Ukraine. As a nice bonus, Smith captures some terrific performances. Not so ironically, some of the most striking were the efforts of professional (but far from famous) classical musicians performing spontaneously in public spaces or amongst their fellow deployed soldiers. It vividly shows viewers why the Ukrainians have fought so hard and will continue to fight, regardless of the whims of other nations. Highly recommended, Soldiers of Song releases today (3/8) on VOD.