(Rome) Vera Lytovchenko has become an icon of resilience on the internet. Images of the Ukrainian concert violinist playing in a bomb shelter, located in the basement of a building in Kharkiv, are circulating on social media and moving audiences around the world.
Posted yesterday at 10:28
When heavy Russian shelling began in this city in northeastern Ukraine two weeks ago, Mme Lytovchenko, his professor father and neighbors sought refuge in the basement of their building.
“Bombs can drop anywhere in our city, so we decided to go down to the basement,” the 39-year-old musician told The Associated Press via Skype during a brief respite from bombings during a temporary ceasefire on Wednesday.
“We are about 12 people now. We have little boys. We have teenagers. We have older women, ”she lists.
A week after starting to meet in the basement, Mme Lytovchenko decided to try to cheer up his neighbors by organizing small concerts.
“All these people are my brothers and sisters now,” she said. I was trying to make them think about something and not about the war during the few minutes that I played. »
Later, she came up with the idea of posting her recitals on social media, featuring Vivaldi’s soothing sounds, as well as her rendition of a Russian folk song.
The reaction surprised her: more than 40,000 views on Facebook and thousands more on YouTube.
“I didn’t expect that because I was posting just to join my friends, my relatives. My aunt is near Kyiv and I fear for her,” she said.
“My friends are in different cities all over Ukraine and I try to keep in touch with them, I text them several times a day to see if they are alive,” said Mr.me Lytovchenko.
“A lot of people text me saying that my videos bring them support and hope. They can see that someone is staying here” in Kharkiv.
“Someone is alive, hopeful and optimistic”, continues the artist.
On Wednesday, during the temporary ceasefire in Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second city, Mme Lytovchenko was able to return to his apartment for a few hours.
She told the AP she was happy to see sunlight after spending two weeks in a dark basement, adding that she and her neighbors were lucky because they had heating in the basement. -soil and food.
Life before the war
Before the war, Mr.me Lytovchenko played for the Kharkiv Opera Orchestra and taught music.
“It was another life…a normal life,” she said. I am an orchestral musician and a college teacher. I have my students, I have friends, I go to concerts, I play operas and ballets. I play Italian operas in the theatre. »
She thinks back to pre-war Ukraine. “We had a cultural life in our country and our cities, despite the coronavirus. We were vaccinated. It was a normal life. But now we can’t figure out what’s going on. »
Mme Lytovchenko hopes his posts can help raise funds for Kharkiv’s music community.
“I dream of a small financial fund, because I have received messages from all over the world, from all countries. They texted me, they want to help,” she said.
Vera Lytovchenko wants to support musicians, the reconstruction of the city, the conservatory and music schools.
She wants to “support (the) musicians who have lost their homes and help them return to their own cities and not be refugees,” explained the violinist.
As terrifying as the situation may seem, playing in the basement to cheer others up encourages him again, Ms.me Lytovchenko.
“That’s why I make these videos, I try to help, to do everything I can,” she argues.