The notes of the national anthem of Ukraine resounded on Saturday, in front of the Consulate of Russia. A piece interpreted with emotion by the Ukrainian pianist Serhiy Salov, who said he was shaken “by the horror of war”.
Posted at 2:11 p.m.
Serhiy Salov was accompanied on the trumpet by his compatriot Paul Merkelo, both installed in the trunk of a van. At the sound of the first notes, the approximately 200 people present put their hands on their hearts. Tears streamed down the cheeks of several protesters dressed in blue and yellow, as others hugged each other as they listened to the Ukrainian national anthem.
Near the Consulate General of Russia, Serhiy Salov asked “that this section of the street be renamed ‘Place de l’Ukraine’”, to the applause of the crowd. The pianist is from Donetsk in the Donbass region, in the east of the country.
PHOTO DOMINICK GRAVEL, THE PRESS
Ukrainian pianist Serhiy Salov
Before the national anthem rang out, some demonstrators made speeches in the middle of the crowd, surrounded by Ukrainian and Quebec flags. “Please do your job and stop the slaughter of innocent people,” one woman pleaded, pointing to the Russian Consulate, whose fence was covered in red paint.