The Hashichev family fled from Pokrovsk this summer. But they are determined not to forget the place they still call home. Anna’s mother, Yulia, says that she is glad to see that her daughters are engaged in “Schedrik”. “We will not forget the history of our city,” she says.
For Anna, this tune brings back memories. “When I played with her at home, she seemed happy. It reminded me of winter and Christmas,” she says. “It’s a sadder song for me now because it reminds me of home and I really want to go back.”
But for one Ukrainian military band, “Shchedrik” became a song for resistance. They play even in the trenches – with weapons as handy tools.
They may be musicians, but their commander reminds me that they are first and foremost soldiers. Everyone was on the front line. The head of the orchestra and its conductor, Colonel Bogdan Zadorozhny, says that the song lifts the spirits of the soldiers. “These rhythms and beats encourage the guys on the front line and inspire them to fight,” he says.
Roman, 22, uses a rocket-propelled grenade casing filled with rice to shake vigorously to the beat of the music. According to him, Shchedrik is the pride of our country, it is freedom, it is in our souls, this song gives me goosebumps.
Colonel Zadorozhny says that “Shchedrik” shows that Ukraine is a civilized nation that is now at war, fighting for its identity.
