‘Concert between explosions’ provides respite in Kharkiv subway shelter
By Meryl Kornfield and Adela Suliman March 27, 2022 The Washington Post Musicians play for people staying in a subway station used as a bomb shelter in Kharkiv on March 26. (AFP/Getty Images) In a Ukrainian city hit hard by Russia’s invasion, five musicians brought their instruments underground — seeking to drown out the thunderous explosions with their […]
Newsletter-Winter 2022
BULLETS TO BOOKS Jok Talks in America Jok Abraham Thon and Gail Prensky standing in front of the Gift of Luxembourg. The Luxembourg government bought and donated it to the United Nations in 1988. The sculpture is a memorial for John Lennon and a symbol against violence and war. Jok and Bullets to Books Win Youth Peace […]
For a Ukrainian Poet, Putin’s War Is All Too Familiar
Ihor Kalynets, 83, spent a lifetime resisting Soviet domination. Now, he says, he’s not going anywhere. More than habit, or age, what keeps Ihor Kalynets, 83, in Lviv, Ukraine, is his entire life history, which has been one of resistance driven by a deeply rooted connection to his homeland.Credit...Ivor Prickett for The New York Times […]
Odessa’s beloved opera house plays starring role in wartime drama
By Isabelle Khurshudyan March 17, 2022 The Washington Post ODESSA, Ukraine — The barricades blocking the path to the Odessa Opera and Ballet begin three blocks away. Two more walls like that further protect the entrance. Antitank hedgehogs — metal rods welded together in a cluster — fill the spaces between the cordons. It’s a scene […]
Opinion: Volodymyr Zelensky, the modern warrior-artist
By Kathleen Parker, Columnist Yesterday at 6:12 p.m. ED The Washington Post A video of a duo singing “Endless Love,” the 1981 song by Lionel Richie and Diana Ross, identified the singers as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and his wife, Olena Zelenska. It immediately went viral.Sign up for a weekly roundup of thought-provoking ideas and debates If something seems […]
ARTISTS FOR A FREE UKRAINE
CALLING ALL ARTISTS Polish Artist Jerzy Janiszewski created the symbol, using the same original font he used to create the now-iconic symbol for Poland's Solidarity movement 40 years ago. American artist Lisa Freeman used his symbol to create a mixed media drawing that captures the heroic determination ofthe Ukrainian people to remain free of Putin […]
Canceling Russian artists plays into Putin’s hands
There are outspoken supporters of his regime, yes, but there are also artists who risk their livelihoods whether or not they denounce him. By Simon MorrisonSimon Morrison is a professor of music and Slavic languages at Princeton University. March 11, 2022 at 12:51 p.m. EST The Washington Post Russian President Vladimir Putin presents the People's Artist […]
Some orchestras begin to cancel Tchaikovsky concerts, or replace his music, in response to invasion
By Timothy Bella March 9, 2922, 11:40 a.m.The Washington Post Some orchestras from around the world have announced they are canceling or changing upcoming concerts featuring the music of legendary Russian composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky due to the ongoing invasion of Ukraine. The Chubu Philharmonic Orchestra in Japan said this week that it would be replacing […]
Badiucao: Speaking Out Through Art Against Censorship and Oppression
My hero is Sisyphus, since what I'm doing is always censored...But the action of an individual who keeps trying in the right direction has its own value. Written by Ruth Ben-Ghiat, February 9, 2022 I'm pleased to bring you this interview with Badiucao, who is one of the most popular and prolific political artists from […]