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.
The Balsamean 