Paper short abstract:

A video of the Ukrainian singer Andriy Khlyvniuk announcing his leaving to the front featured the Ukrainian revolutionary song from the beginning of the 20th century. It resulted in the flash mob inspiring bands, including Pink Floyd, to record covers and impacted Ukrainian communities worldwide.

Paper long abstract:

On the example of the Ukrainian song "Oi u Luzi Chervona Kalyna," this presentation demonstrates the role of a song in Ukrainian resistance against Russia's war.

From the day when Russia invaded Ukraine and started its full-scale war on Feb 24, 2022, music has become one of the crucial tools of resistance for the Ukrainian people. A short video of the famous Ukrainian singer Andriy Khlyvniuk announcing his leaving to the front featured the Ukrainian revolutionary song from the beginning of the 20th century, "Oi u Luzi Chervona Kalyna." Based on the last verse of the cossack song from the 17th century, "Rozlylysia kruti berezhechky," the song was written by Stepan Charnets'kyi in 1914. Later it was extended by Ukrainian priest Grygorii Trukh and became the version that we know under "Oi u Luzi Chervona Kalyna." The small Tik-Tok video resulted in a significant flash mob inspiring bands worldwide, including Pink Floyd, to record its covers.

In 2022 Ukrainians in Ukraine and the refugee camps abroad started singing this song, recording it, and posting it on social media to manifest their patriotic mood and unity with other Ukrainians. On the example of the "Oi u Luzi Chervona Kalyna", this presentation shows how a song can be a powerful tool of support and have multiple deeper meanings for communities all over the world at the same time.