Song for a deadly peacemaker and kitten

It is Day 436 of the Russian Criminal War of Genocide against the People of Ukraine.Volodymyr, with the call sign ‘Malysh,’ [“Baby,” according to Google Translate] is a sergeant in the 128th separate mountain assault Transcarpathian brigade. He signed his first contract at the age of 19. Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine began, Volodymyr’s unit has been at all the main frontline areas – Zaporizhzhia, Kherson, and Donetsk. Near Bakhmut, Volodymyr was injured. “Everything was working against us there – cannon and rocket artillery, mortars, tanks, grenade launchers, snipers… And no contact with the outside world,” says the brave warrior. Yet, despite all the extreme challenges and horrors of the war, Volodymyr and his brothers- and sisters-in-arms remain fully loyal to their heroic profession. “I do not regret joining the Armed Forces and will never regret it,” declares Volodymyr.  –Photo and text source: Ukrainian World Congress


Слава Україні. Героям слава.
Slava Ukraini. Heroyam slava.
Glory to Ukraine. Glory to the heroes.


For much more about the war, the people, the art, the history, and the music, see my comprehensive post of May 14, 2022, Oh, Red Viburnum in the Meadow – Ukraine’s Second Anthem

Oi u luzi chervona kalyna (Oh, in the meadow a red guelder rose / kalyna tree flower) is a Ukrainian folk song, the anthem of the Legion of Ukrainian Sich Riflemen of the early 20th Century. It is like a “second national anthem” and a deeply cherished patriotic song in Ukraine. It is also known as “Hey, Hey, Rise Up!” It heralds the indomitable spirit of the Ukrainian People.

Below: Military orchestra rendition performed by active duty Ukrainian Soldiers. Premiered April 16, 2022 (2 months after the Russian invasion started).

“Hey hey, rise up!” Full original text with English subtitles (YouTube link https://youtu.be/vZbONSSp2Ig)

English text also presented below the video.

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Do not bend low, Oh red kalyna, you have a white flower.
Do not worry, glorious Ukraine, you have a free people.
And we’ll take that red kalyna and will raise it up,
And we, our glorious Ukraine, shall, hey – hey, cheer up – and rejoice!
And we’ll take that red kalyna and will raise it up,
And we, our glorious Ukraine, shall, hey – hey, cheer up – and rejoice!

Marching forward, our fellow volunteers, into a bloody fray,
For to free, our brother-Ukrainians, from hostile chains.
And we, our brother-Ukrainians, we will then liberate,
And we, our glorious Ukraine, shall, hey – hey, cheer up – and rejoice!
And we, our brother-Ukrainians, we will then liberate,
And we, our glorious Ukraine, shall, hey – hey, cheer up – and rejoice!

Oh in the field of early spring wheat, there’s a golden furrow,
Then began the Ukrainian riflemen to engage the enemy,
And we’ll take that precious early wheat and will gather it,
And we, our glorious Ukraine, shall, hey – hey, cheer up – and rejoice!
And we’ll take that precious early wheat and will gather it,
And we, our glorious Ukraine, shall, hey – hey, cheer up – and rejoice!

When the stormy winds blow forth from the wide steppes,
They will glorify, throughout Ukraine, the Sich riflemen.
And we’ll take the glory of the riflemen preserving it,
And we, our glorious Ukraine, shall, hey – hey, cheer up – and rejoice!
And we’ll take the glory of the riflemen preserving it,
And we, our glorious Ukraine, shall, hey – hey, cheer up – and rejoice!


Visit the Ukrainian World Congress (UWC).  Subscribe to their newsletter to keep up on all matters pertaining to the war, locally and internationally.


#DefeatRussia          #StandWithUkraine          #BraveLikeUA


 

Oh, Red Viburnum in the Meadow – Ukraine’s Second Anthem

For the love of Ukraine.

Слава Україні. Героям слава.
Slava Ukraini. Heroyam slava.
Glory to Ukraine. Glory to the heroes.

Слава в калині.  Slava v kalyni.  Glory to the kalyna.

Viburnum opulus, red viburnum, Ukrainian: chervona kalyna

This is an “epic length” post, loaded with inspiring pictures and music videos, factual information, a lot of history, and a lot of love.  Take it as a “time-out for Ukraine” for an afternoon, or a little day to day.  Of course, you should always scroll down if you are bored.  There will be something less boring ahead.  I promise.

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Speaking at the 2022 Grammy Awards ceremony by video from a bunker, Ukraine President Volodomyr Zelenskyy said:

“The war. What is more opposite to music? The silence of ruined cities and killed people. Our children draw swooping rockets, not shooting stars. Over 400 children have been injured and 153 children died. And we’ll never see them drawing. Our parents are happy to wake up in the morning in bomb shelters. But alive. Our loved ones don’t know if we will be together again. The war doesn’t let us choose who survives and who stays in eternal silence.

“Our musicians wear body armor instead of tuxedos. They sing to the wounded in hospitals, even to those who can’t hear them. But the music will break through anyway. We defend our freedom to live, to love, to sound on our land. We are fighting Russia, which brings horrible silence with its bombs. The dead silence. Fill the silence with your music. Fill it today to tell our story.

Sunflower, national flower of Ukraine and major crop

“Tell the truth about the war on your social networks, on TV. Support us in any way you can. Any — but not silence. And then peace will come. To all our cities the war is destroying — Chernihiv, Kharkiv, Volnovakha, Mariupol and others — they are legends already. But I have a dream of them living and free. Free like you on the Grammy stage.”  — from NY Times April 3, 2022, Volodymyr Zelensky speaks to Grammys audience in a prerecorded video.

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