Ukrainian “Cultural Forces” start tour of southern states of US
One of the first concerts on the tour program took place on Tuesday in the American capital, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.
“We are starting the second part of our tour of America with a concert at the Ukrainian House in Washington, DC. In the first part, we covered the northern states, now our tour is planned mainly in the southern United States,” Mykola Serha, founder and leader of the Cultural Forces, told Ukrinform.
He emphasized that the main message of the music tour is to express gratitude to Americans, representatives of the Ukrainian diaspora, for supporting our country.
Serha noted that it is especially important to keep the focus on what the Ukrainian nation is fighting for, as the American information field is saturated with elections, and the issue of Ukraine often becomes a politicized object in the election campaign.
“The more talk there is around this, the less action is taken. But for us, deeds and real support are important, because a large number of people die in Ukraine every day, and this is our crucial capital, which is the backbone of Ukraine's future,” said the organizer of the cultural project.
He also emphasized that it is important to deny any doubts about further assistance to Ukraine, so the participants of the “Cultural Forces” share real stories from their own experience at war.
Ambassador of Ukraine to the United States Oksana Markarova, for her part, emphasized that the Cultural Troopers team gives the audience a part of what our nation is fighting for every day at the front, namely self-identity and Ukrainian culture. She emphasized the importance of the tour in the southern states of the United States, which are part of the so-called “Bible Belt,” because people in these states share faith and devotion to Christ with Ukrainians.
“The Russians in Ukraine are at war against all of us. For 937 days, and in fact for more than ten very difficult years, everything in Ukraine has been under attack. And it is not only our soldiers and civilians, it is not only our schools and energy system, but also hundreds of Ukrainian churches that have been completely destroyed or severely damaged by the Russians,” the ambassador said.
She emphasized that the war in Ukraine is an existential challenge both for our country, which is literally fighting for its existence, and for nations that believe in the values of freedom and dignity.
“That is why we must win together,” Markarova said.
As reported, the “Cultural Forces” is a creative unit of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, which includes world-class artists who were professional musicians before the war and are now in military service. Most of them took part in the fiercest battles in Ukraine, and several were wounded and returned to service after recovery. The repertoire of the artists includes music ranging from Ukrainian and world classics to covers of popular hits and folk tunes using, among other things, the Ukrainian bandura.
The first tour of the Cultural Forces in the United States took place in the spring of this year. Ukrainian artists successfully performed in various cities, in the US Congress, and at festivals in America, including Burning Man 2024. The second tour of the Ukrainian military will take place over two months in the states of the Southeast, South, and West Coast of the United States.
As Ukrinform reported earlier, an art exhibition about the diaspora's ties to Ukraine has opened in Australia.
Photo: Yaroslav Dovgopol, Ukrinform
