To say Thank You to the United States for its military and economic support, Ukraine has sent musical ambassadors to Cleveland and Northeast Ohio as part of a 40-day Cultural Forces tour. Five musicians of Cultural Forces, the cultural arm of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, will present renditions of a wide variety of music, from Ukrainian and world classical pieces to covers of popular hits. Begun in Washington DC, last week, the tour will stop in 10 different states and about 15 U.S. cities running to run until 28 June. Northeast Ohio is home to about 45,000 immigrants from Ukraine, including approximately 3,000 refugees who have settled here since the beginning of the full-scale war in late February 2022.
In Cleveland, concerts are currently planned for 5-8 June in Slavic Full Gospel Church in Broadview Heights on Friday, June 7 at 6:30 p.m. and for Holy Trinity Ukrainian Orthodox Church in North Royalton on Saturday, June 8 at 6:30 p.m.
Performing artists include:
Mykolai Sierga (Sr. Lieutenant, 59th Separate Mechanized Brigade), popular Ukrainian presenter, musician and producer.
Taras Stoliar (PFC, Reconnaissance Operative, 112th Separate Brigade, Territorial Defense Forces), People’s Artist of Ukraine, soloist of the NAONI Orchestra.
Olha Rukavishnikova (PFC, Reconnaissance Operative, Grenade Launcher Operator, 112th Separate Brigade, Territorial Defense Forces), violin player, conductor and symphonist, laureate of international music competitions.
Yurii Ivaskevych (Sergeant, Infantryman, Grenade Launcher Operator Ast., 110th Separate Brigade, Territorial Defense Forces), vocalist and soloist of the Zaporozhtsi Song and Danse Ensemble at Zaporizhzhia Philharmonic Orchestra.
Mykhailo Oliinyk (PVT, 59th Separate Mechanized Brigade), composer and pianist, Stanislav Lyudkevych Prize Laureate, graduate of Glier Kyiv Municipal Music Academy and Lyssenko Lviv National Music Academy.
Cultural Forces will produce a documentary to reflect on Ukraine’s support in U.S. through reactions and feedback of the American public to artist’s performance.
For further information, please contact:
Valéry Shyrokov, Cpl, Press Attaché, +38 097 501 4177 (UA),
+1 732 486 5787 (US), v.shyrokov@culturalforces.org