"Sharovarschina is not what we should showcase in Europe."
One hundred years ago, conductor Oleksandr Koshyts and his choir introduced Europe and America to "Shchedryk". This was the mission of the Ukrainian People's Republic authorities – to show the world what Ukraine is and how rich its culture is, at a time when it was already being occupied by the Bolsheviks. Now, Ukraine is under attack from the same northern enemy, and once again, cultural representatives are urging the world to pay attention to Ukraine. This time, the mission is being carried out by the Lviv choir "Dudaryk". Ukrainian Uliana Derkach from Cologne has been organizing events featuring Ukrainian artists in Germany for many years. She shared with ZAXID.NET the victories and defeats of Ukrainian cultural diplomacy abroad.
Concerts are planned a year in advance, "Dudaryk" performed on the day of arrival
Uliana Derkach, a lawyer by education and profession, has been living in Germany for 15 years. Ten years ago, she founded and still leads the public organization Association of Ukrainian Students and PhD Candidates at the University of Cologne. It was established during the annexation of Crimea to promote Ukraine. While maintaining her primary job, she also engages in cultural diplomacy on a volunteer basis.
In December, concerts by the Lviv choir "Dudaryk" took place in German cities with great resonance and success. Everything was spontaneous, but the organization succeeded, and the Lviv choir held six concerts in Cologne, followed by one each in Frankfurt am Main and Euskirchen.
3 Christmas concerts in Germany are planned a year in advance. Tickets are distributed and invitations sent out nearly six months beforehand. Usually, the invited guests enjoy attending, says Uliana Derkach, as it provides not only aesthetic pleasure and cultural enrichment but also an expansion of social circles. Such concerts take place in the city hall, university, and Cologne Cathedral. "Dudaryk" was included in the programs of all key locations at the last moment.
At the largest annual Christmas concert in the cathedral, two children's German choirs – a male and a female choir – performed. "Dudaryk" was allocated a third of the time, performing for 25 minutes. It was a concert venue of the highest level: there were about 3000 listeners in the cathedral – not a single free seat.
As soon as the full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in 2022, these two German choirs held a concert in solidarity with Ukraine. The girls' choir performed "Shchedryk" by Leontovych in Ukrainian, while the boys' choir sang his arrangement of "Our Father". "This was a sign of unprecedented support when German politicians were still talking about some fraternal conflict," recalls Uliana Derkach.
This time, the male choir of Cologne Cathedral sang together with "Dudaryk" the Ukrainian " Prayer for Ukraine" by Valentyn Sylvestrov. "There was no translation of the text into German, and the audience was not informed about what the choirs were singing. But people understood that it was a prayer. The text is minimal, but it is very important. They sang 'God, protect Ukraine,' but it sounded like 'God, protect Europe and the world,'" shares the concert co-organizer.
Most of the audience at all concerts was German. It was important to convey that they were listening to Ukrainian works by Ukrainian composers.
"When I first said that 'Shchedryk' is a Ukrainian Christmas song, I was told it was a Coca-Cola advertisement."
"We agreed that 'Shchedryk' should be everywhere. So that the Ukrainian-language 'Shchedryk' does not disappear, and that the author is credited not as Leontovych, but as Leontovych, not Nikolai, but Mykola. And this needs to be repeated a thousand and one times to engrain that this is a Ukrainian composer and a Ukrainian Christmas song," emphasizes Uliana Derkach.
The original Ukrainian text is far richer than the English version of Carol of the Bells. "The conductor of the Cologne choir read the translation of 'Shchedryk' and said that the meaning of the work is fantastic, incredibly deep. It is not just about the 'ringing of bells,' but it calls for prosperity. Rich in linguistic turns, allegories," recalls the Ukrainian.
Ukrainian composers create European music
After the Germans become acquainted with quality Ukrainian culture, their horizons expand. They understand that Ukraine has long been a part of Europe – not just geographically, but also culturally. The singers of "Dudaryk" made great efforts to convey this to the audience. "It sounded like a gift, as if they brought gifts from Lviv and want to share these gifts," says Uliana.
The choir's director, Dmytro Katsal, successfully selected the program for the performance. It featured works from both contemporary composers – Valentyn Sylvestrov and Hanna Havrylets – and those stigmatized by the Russian authorities – Kyrylo Stetsenko, Vasyl Barvinsky, Nestor Nyzhankivskyi.
"Usually, 'Dudaryk' is successful abroad because choral singing is mentally close to the European audience. Many people sing in various choirs there. However, only two choral groups can perform such high-level works in Germany. We felt a very warm reception," shared the choir's leader Dmytro Katsal.
"Dudaryk's" performance in Cologne Cathedral for 28 minutes (video DomRadio)
The performance of "Dudaryk" was met with thunderous applause. "Christmas has long passed, everyone is preparing for spring, yet people are still talking about Dudaryk to this day. Friends say: every time we enter the cathedral, we think of 'Dudaryk' and hear their singing," says Uliana Derkach.
The German journalist from "DomRadio", who was present at the concert, wrote that it is hard to look at these children who sing so beautifully: "At home, sirens are howling, electricity is being turned off, and rockets are being fired. This is the reality for the singers who performed at the traditional Advent concert of choirs in Cologne Cathedral and evoked many emotions."
The Ukrainian melodies enchant the Germans. They are unfamiliar to them, yet they do not fall short of European music.
When Europeans hear the works of Ukrainian composer Maksym Berezovsky, they compare him to Mozart.
"Yes, it's the time of Mozart, but there are light ethnic motifs, Ukrainian, folk elements. And this is European music, while in Ukraine, attempts were made to erase it. Works were destroyed, but they were rediscovered in European archives. In the Bologna Philharmonic Academy, the portrait of Berezovsky hangs, along with preserved manuscripts and examination papers. He studied better than Mozart," shares the Ukrainian cultural diplomat.
Finding 15,000 euros in just half a month
The organizational aspects of the German concerts by "Dudaryk" are a separate feat. The question of money and support is a primary issue in Germany, notes Uliana Derkach: "Because there are many Ukrainians, many initiatives, everyone wants to do something. Cologne is very multicultural, and everyone wants to have a place in the sun. Of course, the authorities and the public try to support everything, but by the end of the year, there is no money for anything; budgets are already planned."
However, the city authorities, civic organizations, and the university supported the initiative of the Ukrainian woman, covering the five-day accommodation and meals for the choir – which consists of 54 people. The total cost amounted to 15,000 euros. Part of the expenses was covered by Kölner Dommusik, which provides all the musical accompaniment in the cathedral.
"Dudaryk" performed at the city hall, university, cathedral, for the cardinal, in a museum, and at a Christmas market in the city of Euskirchen. In Cologne, where 37,000 Ukrainians reside, there were not enough seats in the cathedral for everyone – an additional concert had to be planned primarily for them. The concert in Frankfurt am Main was organized by the Ukrainian Coordination Center.