The UNITED24 fundraising platform has released a video featuring nine Ukrainian soldiers singing famous Christmas songs, including“Happy Xmas (War Is Over),” “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” “Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!,” and “I'll Be Home for Christmas”. These cover versions feature modified lyrics designed to remind people about the ongoing war and the importance of global support for Ukraine.
Covers were performed on a bandura (a centuries-old traditional Ukrainian instrument), flute and guitar, with percussion and a synthesizer.
The video was shot in a dugout near Bakhmut, against the background of civilian buildings destroyed by russian invaders — a cultural center and railway station in front-line Lyman, schools, and a gas station in Kostiantynivka, a town 15 km away from the front line.
"We wanted to wish the world a Merry Christmas, while reminding everyone that the war in Ukraine continues. The songs we selected are true holiday symbols. Some words in the lyrics have been changed. For example, the phrase "war is over'' in John Lennon's Happy Xmas (War Is Over) was changed to the "war is not over." I'll Be Home for Christmas, a song written from a World War II soldier's perpective and sung by Frank Sinatra, features a line "I won't be home this Christmas." Sang by the Ukrainian military, these lines sound so sweet, so sincere. Ukraine needs support. Today, on Christmas, and New Year. We believe that the world will feel it again and will be there for us," says Yaroslava Gres, UNITED24 Coordinator.
The heroes of the video, created with the support of the Cultural Forces, are servicemen of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, a paramedic of the Ukrainian Volunteer Army, and combat medics:
guitar and vocals: Oleksandr Remez, a soldier of the 110th OBrTRO, who was wounded in the battles near Lysychansk, and Inna Korolenko, a combat medic of the fire support platoon of the 206th Battalion of the Territorial Defence of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
bandura and vocals: Dmytro Romanchuk, a serviceman of the 59th OMPBr, who participated in the defence of Kyiv
pipe: Mykhailo Adamchak, a paramedic of the Hospitaliers battalion of the Ukrainian Volunteer Army, musician and frontman of the CORALLY band
percussion: Artur Temchenko, a serviceman of 110 OBrTRO, actor and drummer
piano and vocals: Mykhailo Oliynyk, a serviceman of the 59th Military Infantry Brigade, composer and music producer
saxophone: Dmytro Dudko, a serviceman of the 59th OMPBr
vocals: Iryna Kosovska, a combat medic of the 3rd motorized infantry platoon of the 1st company of the 10th OGSHBR Edelweiss; Viktoriya Chudakovska, a servicewoman of the 59th OMPBr, and Svitlana Cherednychenko, a soloist of the National Exemplary Band of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
"It's been almost 2 years since my military service has started, and today, music is a rehabilitation tool both for me, and my brothers-in-arms, with whom we are currently serving near Bakhmut," says Inna Korolenko, a combat medic of the fire support platoon of the 206th Battalion of the Territorial Defence of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. "During the Christmas holidays, people naturally distance themselves from other people's problems. I would very much like this project to make the world understand that the war is not over and it is necessary to get involved as much as possible. The more supporters we have, the more help will come to us, and the faster we will move towards victory."
About UNITED24
UNITED24 was launched by the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy as the main platform for collecting charitable donations in support of Ukraine. $502 679 248 has been raised through donations from over 110 countries during 17 months of operation of the UNITED24 fundraising platform. UNITED24 ambassadors include singer and actress Barbra Streisand, actors Liev Schreiber, Mark Hamill, Katheryn Winnick, Ivanna Sakhno, Misha Collins, and Mark Strong, music band Imagine Dragon, Balenciaga art director Demna, film director Michel Hazanavicius, astronaut Scott Kelly, British adventurer Bear Grylls, historian Timothy Snyder, businessman Richard Branson, country singer Brad Paisley, philosopher and economist Francis Fukuyama, chef José Andrés, Nobel laureates Paul Nurse, Edvard Moser, and May-Britt Moser, as well as famous Ukrainian athletes, Andriy Shevchenko, Elina Svitolina, Oleksandr Usyk and Oleksandr Zinchenko.