Photographer: Yuri Lev
“Yes, I will laugh despite my tears,
I’ll sing out songs amidst my misfortunes;
I’ll have hope despite all odds,
I will live! Away, you thoughts of gloom!”
— From “Contra spem spero” by Lesia Ukrainka, written May 1890
“Even in the monastery cave,
the hermits, turned their faces up
towards an iron grille, and raised
their voices, sighing, pulsing
surging away from damp walls”
— From “Singing Underground” by Sheila Bonenberger, written April 2022
“Oh you king, king! Our heavenly creator-shepherd!
Grant years of good fortune to the master of this household.”
— From “Nova radist stala”, traditional Ukrainian carol