Saints Constantine and Helen Cathedral of Brooklyn welcomed Asia Mieleszko, the music director of the Ukrainian Village Voices, along with her colleagues Max Temnogorod and Natalie Oshukany, to present a workshop that highlighted songs from the regions of Ukraine most adversely affected by recent bombardment and military aggression.

 

As Ukraine suffers immeasurable losses, our community extended hospitality and fellowship while celebrating the songs of Ukraine’s vibrant villages, whose musical legacy and cultural heritage are threatened by the horrors of war. This event was not just a fundraiser but a way to lift the spirits of the approximately 50 multigenerational attendees. There was no fee for attendance, but donations were made in support of two organizations currently on the ground in Ukraine providing aid under extremely dangerous circumstances: Razom and the International Rescue Committee. The latter was founded by Albert Einstein in 1933 and currently provides aid in over 40 crisis- affected countries.

 

The most memorable song of the workshop, known in Ukrainian as The People’s Psalm, is translated as: “O my God, my dear God from the highest heavens, Hear out my prayer: Take up my soul into heaven, and my body into the raw earth. Pour out upon me a high burial mound–It will grow over with grass. Plant upon it a red kalyna. She will bloom there in the spring.” Our cathedral community stands in solidarity with the Ukrainian people as we continue to pray for peace.