A Sound of Transcendent Beauty and Defiance from the Bomb Shelters of Ukraine
jonathanturley
The world has watched in utter disgust at the wanton destruction of Ukraine by Russia. However, in the very midst of the ruins left in the wake of this invasion, the indomitable spirit and beauty of humanity has broken through in the actions of brave Ukrainians. The video below is one of the most beautiful and inspiring moments that I have seen. It is overwhelming and I wanted to share it with anyone who has not seen it. It shows 94 violinists in 29 countries joining young Ukrainian violinist Illia Bondarenko as he plays in a bunker with the Russian onslaught attacking Kyiv above him.
There are nine other young violinists in bomb shelters in the video and they are joined by some of the greatest violinists in the world from the London Symphony Orchestra, Tokyo Philharmonic, Oslo Philharmonic, the Hollywood Studios, and other cities. They are playing the Ukrainian folk song Verbovaya Doschechka.
It shows how beauty and humanity can rise even above the bombs and savagery of war.
There is also this beautiful scene of a woman in a bomb shelter playing for her fellow Ukrainians:
