Kyiv, Ukraine | In Kyiv you can learn the domra, a traditional Ukrainian stringed instrument Children a golden bracket far from the bombs and the war. Thanks to the music, they are more alive than ever.
You may remember Yulia, that Ukrainian music teacher who teaches the secrets of the domra, an instrument that, despite the bombing, looks like a mandolin typical of Eastern European countries. 24 hours dedicated a portrait to him in April 2022.
We used our presence in the Ukrainian capital to visit him briefly.
The meeting will take place at 4 p.m. at the Shostakovich Public Music School in the Pechersk district in central Kyiv.
Surrounded by a dozen students, Professor Ioulia Yanovytska greets us in the darkness of her classroom, which calls for energy saving.
There are Uliana, Sofia, Ksiusha, Sasha, Polina, Kirill, Margaryta, Sofia (another), Mariia and Andrii. All these little people have their thirty-six on. Sofiia carefully ironed her jacket to make it look good, and Ksiusha pulled out her best T-shirt, which features a Ukrainian soldier pointing the middle finger at a Russian warship.
With their domra in hand, they prepare to play a piece of their repertoire. The emotion is very palpable, as is the pride of these children.
Because here, in Yulia’s class, we come for much more than music. We come to play to share emotions and to feel alive.
music to get better
“I have to admit that when I get notifications on my phone that there will be an airstrike on Kyiv, I take my domra and play the Ukrainian anthem very loudly. That gives me strength and security,” says 13-year-old Uliana.
Sofiia, also 13, tells us that as soon as she enters the classroom for her music lesson, all the misfortunes of the war are behind the door.
“Thanks to the music, I forget all that,” she sums up.
Photo Mathieu Carbasse
Yulia, Ukrainian music teacher who teaches domra
For Julia, it is the emotional state of all Ukrainians that has changed over the past year. She now measures the importance of music and making music.
For them, the melodies we play have become as necessary as the air we breathe.
“We don’t just make music here, we communicate with each other. Children can let go of their emotions.”
The students are also more motivated than ever to play their instruments, says the 52-year-old teacher.
“They want to practice as much as possible because when victory comes, they want to be able to play for three straight days.”
From the best people
As the young musicians finish playing “Ievan Polkka,” a familiar tune since it went viral a few years ago, Yulia’s phone rings.
At the other end Veronika, 9 years old. She invites herself to meet us. She is in Dnipro and lives a few hundred meters from the building that was destroyed by a Russian missile that went around the world.
She will play a small composition for us from afar. Emotions guaranteed.
Because if emotions are an essential part of music, this is even more true since the beginning of the war.
“The war made my students better people,” Yulia explains to us with moving eyes. They learned compassion, they learned to care for each other. They learned to feel even stronger emotions than they knew before. They also learned to feel invincible and stronger.”
“Whatever the intentions of the Russians, they unite us more than ever!”
head full of dreams
If all these budding musicians want to see the end of the war and the triumph of Ukraine above all else, they keep their childhood dream that music helps keep alive.
Uliana wanted to be an actress, but war broke out. Now she is thinking about turning to tourism professions, maybe opening a restaurant or a hotel.
Photo Mathieu Carbasse
Sofia, she wants to see the fall of Russia… and a new instrument. Polina would like to return to the sea, to Crimea, a territory occupied by the Russians since 2014.
Kirill wants victory for Ukraine, of course, but also victory at the World Cup if those dreams of becoming a professional footballer come true.
Margaryta dreams of learning French, Spanish, Japanese and English. only that!
And Julia, the teacher, what does she dream about at night?
“I hope that these children will not miss their childhood. You still have many years to be happy. I am grateful to have them by my side because it makes me happy.”
This report was produced with the financial support of the Fonds québécois en journalisme international.