A Ukrainian violinist was joined by 94 other violinists from 29 countries in an online performance turned fundraiser for Ukraine.
Illia Bondarenko, along with nine other violinists, played a national folk song, “Verbovaya Doshchechka,” while sheltering in Ukraine. Violinist Kerenza Peacock organized the collaborative piece remotely from Los Angeles, California.
The song comes from a Ukrainian board game, sharing the same name as the song, and is meant to be sung while playing. It was popularized in the Ukrainian film Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors.
Bondarenko had to find time to play in between explosions because they became so loud he could not hear himself play, according to the video description.
PENTAGON TO MEET WITH MILITARY CONTRACTORS TO DISCUSS ONGOING AID TO UKRAINE
violinist Illia Bondarenko shares hope and endurance, with a traditional folk song joined in solidarity by a global community of violinists → https://t.co/xFNF13wgPB pic.twitter.com/cl8wXPfw9Z
— YouTube (@YouTube) April 12, 2022
“Never before have violinists gathered together from so many countries. Or collaborated across so many different styles of violin playing,” the description reads. “Violinists are a fellowship who all have rosin and broken E strings in common, but sadly some are currently having to think about how to arm themselves, and hiding in bomb shelters instead of playing Beethoven or bluegrass.”
“Some more Ukrainians wanted to take part, but now have guns in their hands instead of violins,” it continues. Among the “94 praying with [their] violins” was Daniel Hope, who had, by coincidence, coached Bondarenko once before.
The fundraiser raised over $24,000 toward the United Nations Refugee Agency as of this report.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
Approximately 10.5 million Ukrainians have been displaced as a result of the conflict. U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi predicted in early March that the conflict would produce 4 million refugees.
