I started writing this song when the russian invasion of Ukraine began. This song encompasses the emotions and heartbreak every Ukrainian has been feeling.
February 24th. I woke up to a phone call from my best friend Anhelina. She said they were bombing Ukraine.
At first I couldn’t believe it. And then as the day went along, I couldn’t stop the tears. It seemed unreal, like everything was still moving forward, yet I couldn’t.
These past 3 months have been the most absolute hell for Ukrainians in Ukraine, as well as the diaspora around the world. We have done everything we could possibly think of to thwart this fascist from killing more innocent people.
At this point, what’s getting me through the days is my cultural and artistic connection to Ukraina. And this is mostly thanks to Anhelina. Anhelina showed me the hope for life and prosperity through
Ukrainian culture. She is a local dance teacher in Ottawa for the Svitanok Ukrainian Dance ensemble. She works with younger kids, Today is Anhelina’s 23rd birthday. I know it will be hard to celebrate in a time where at any moment a loved one could die, but we must stay strong. We must keep going and share our beautiful Ukrainian culture with the world. Nothing can ever destroy our culture and heritage.
I would like to dedicate this song to Anhelina, because she inspires me every day, and helps me connects to my native land.
One day, when this is all over, so many more people will know about Ukraine, and will celebrate it, dancing around with traditional songs, singing folk music, and reciting poetry.