The Role of Artists in War; How One Ukrainian Violinist Copes and Supports his Country

March 4, 2022, 7:00 PM · "I'm not good with a rifle, but I can play the violin," said
22-yr old Kostia Lukyniuk, who spoke with me from Ukraine on Thursday.

Violinist Kostia Lukyniuk.

Imagine being required to stay in a country during war when all you've ever worked at is being a musician. It was moving and eye opening for me to hear how he's come to understand his role during the war in Ukraine.

Listen via the audio podcast here or scroll down to watch the video version.

Kostia reached out to me for lessons when he was a freshman at Eastman. He became a skilled improviser while pursuing undergrad in classical performance.

A few days ago he left Kyiv amidst bombing to go to his family home in western Ukraine. While there, he's creating ways to use his skills, perspective, and network as an artist to contribute to his country. He shares a lot that moved me in this honest and poignant interview.

Click here for more powerful stories via our podcast made for violinists: Creative Strings Podcast

Kostia requested that we include this link to support Ukraine:
https://quip.com/SxBaALA94uQf/Ukraine-at-War

Replies

Ella Yu

March 5, 2022 at 06:02 PM · Thank you for sharing this heartfelt story. What the Ukrainians are going through is just brutal, and I'm glad to see someone who is standing strong and spreading their message through the healing power of music.

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