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Since Russia invaded Ukraine, the soaring melody of Ukraines national anthem has been heard worldwide, from antiwar protests in Moscow to the stages of major concert halls, from N.B.A. basketball arenas to TikTok posts.

Known by its opening line, Ukraines glory has not perished, the anthem is being heard daily in Ukraine too, played by military bands in the middle of bomb-damaged cities, sung tearfully by women sweeping up debris in their homes and, on Saturday, in a vital open-air performance by an opera company in the port city of Odessa, despite fears of an imminent Russian bombing campaign.

And on Monday night, the anthem shook the Metropolitan Opera House in New York, whose white travertine exterior was draped in an enormous Ukrainian flag and bathed in blue and yellow lights for its Concert for Ukraine.

Alyona Alyona, one of Ukraines biggest rappers, said in a Skype interview from her home in Baryshivka, a town east of Kyiv, that she was hearing the anthem about 20 times a day on Ukrainian TV, where it was being used to rally the country. She had contributed to a compilation of the countrys music stars singing it, she added. This song has a very big meaning, she said.

Even in Russia, Ukraines anthem has been heard, with some antiwar protesters in Moscow having been filmed defiantly singing it while being arrested.

Paul Kubicek, a political scientist at Oakland University who has written extensively about Ukraine, said the anthem was penned in the 1860s when much of what is today Ukraine was part of the Russian Empire. It was a time of cultural awakening, Kubicek said, with elites looking to revive and celebrate a Ukrainian heritage that was at risk of being lost to a process of Russification.

Those elites included Pavlo Chubynsky, an ethnologist and poet, who in 1862 wrote the lyrics after being inspired by patriotic songs from Serbia and Poland. The following year, a composer and priest, Mykhailo Verbytsky, set Chubynskys words to music.

Rory Finnin, a professor of Ukrainian studies at Cambridge University, said Chubynskys song was one of a host of texts that worried the Russian authorities around that time. In 1863, they began censoring almost all Ukrainian publications, Finnin said. Soon, Chubynsky was expelled from the country for disturbing the minds of the public, Finnin added.

The Russian Empires efforts to quash Ukrainian identity didnt meet with much success. After World War I, Chubynskys song was briefly made Ukraines anthem (in 1918, The New York Times published its lyrics) until the country was absorbed into the Soviet Union. The Soviet authorities later gave Ukraine a new anthem, claiming the country had found happiness in the Soviet Union.

It was only after the Soviet Union collapsed that Chubynsky and Verbytskys work returned as the national anthem., and it has been a vital part of Ukrainian life ever since. In 2013 and 2014, it was sung hourly in Kyivs Maidan Square at protests against President Viktor F. Yanukovychs push to make the country closer to Russia. Finnin said he was present at some of those protests and the anthem was almost used for counting time.

Now, the anthems being used to inspire once more, both within the country and abroad. Below are some of the more notable international performances from the past two weeks:

To open a recent performance at the Kennedy Center in Washington, the Greek violinist Leonidas Kavakos said he wanted to play Ukraines anthem as a sign of respect and solidarity with the country. What starts as a gentle, almost brittle, rendition, soon brings out the melodys power.

Paavo Jrvi. The Estonian American conductor was in Moscow, leading rehearsals for an engagement with a Russian youth orchestra, when Russia began its attack on Ukraine. When he decided to stay there not to disappoint the players, many criticized his choice.

Anna Netrebko. The superstar Russian sopranowill no longer appear at the Metropolitan Operathis season or the next after failing to comply with the companys demand that she distance herself from President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia in the aftermath of the invasion of Ukraine.

Vladimir Potanin. The Guggenheim Museum said that the Russian businessman and close associate of Mr. Putin would step down as one of its trustees, a position he took on in 2002. While noreason was given for the decision, the museums statement referenced the war in Ukraine.

Alexei Ratmansky. The choreographer, who grew up in Kyiv, was preparing a new ballet at the Bolshoi Theater in Moscow when the invasion began, and immediately decided to leave Moscow. The ballet, whose premiere was set for March 30, was postponed indefinitely.

Grard Depardieu. The French actor, who became a Russian citizen in 2013 and is one of the closest Western celebrities to Mr. Putin, tooka surprising stance when he denounced the war during an interview.

The Orchestre de Paris, conducted by Marin Alsop

Marin Alsop appeared intense as she conducted the Orchestra de Paris in the anthem earlier this month, and with players standing to perform, she gave the anthem verve and power.

As well as the above standout performances, the anthem has filled concert halls in the Netherlands, Britain, Poland, France, Germany and other nations across Europe, as this video compilation shows.

Originally posted here:
Ukraines National Anthem Reverberates Around the World - The New York Times