As Russia’s brutal and unprovoked invasion of Ukraine approaches its third week, one group of musicians took to the central square in the capital, Kyiv, to perform. 

 

 

Maidan Nezalezhnosti (“Independence Square”) has been a rallying point for politicians and protests since Ukraine’s independence movement in 1990, including the 2004 Orange Revolution and the 2013-14 Euromaiden. 

Under the direction of Dr. Herman Makarenko, the musicians of the Kyiv Classic Orchestra gathered in the central square to perform on Wednesday, March 9. 

The day marks the birth of the great Ukrainian poet, writer, artist and political figure Taras Shevchenko in 1814. He is revered as the founder of Ukrainian literature and language, and a champion of the country’s freedom. 

Performing selections from ballet, opera and folk repertoire, the concert also called for a no-fly zone over Ukraine. A call which, thus far, has been ruled out by NATO powers.