Ukrainian Freedom Orchestra in Europe; Putin has 'Weaponized Culture'

The concerts of the Ukrainian Freedom Orchestra are being held for the second consecutive summer in Europe and Britain. This year's programs are also arranged to support Ukraine's resistance against Russia's military invasion of the country. According to the announced schedule, these concerts will take place in eight cities from August 20 to September 3. Keri Lynn Wilson, the Canadian-Ukrainian wife of Peter Gelb, the Metropolitan Opera director, will lead the orchestra. The concerts are produced by the Metropolitan Orchestra and the National Orchestra of Poland. Peter Gelb, on Friday, referring to Vladimir Putin, the President of Russia, said, 'Putin and the Russian propaganda machine have somehow weaponized culture, and it is very important for Ukraine to defend itself in the cultural sphere as well. The people of Ukraine have been hurt; they need to be strengthened, and their spirits lifted.' The orchestra members include musicians from the National Opera of Kyiv, the National Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine, the Lviv Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Kharkiv Opera. Most of the 74-member group, except for 10, participated in this project last year. The core of the orchestra lives in Ukraine, while four or five musicians are employed in other orchestras in Europe. Some family members of the musicians have been injured in the war, and one violinist has lost his brother. Peter Gelb stated that this tour will begin on August 20 in Warsaw, the capital of Poland, and will continue to the cities of Gdansk, Lucerne, Amsterdam, Berlin, Hamburg, Snep, and London. Last year's tour was longer and ended in New York and Washington, D.C. According to Peter Gelb, 'This concert tour is a wake-up call for the Western world. This is our musical message to continue the resistance against this war; we must stay together.' Since the Russian military invasion of Ukraine, various cultural and artistic programs have been held around the world to assist the people of Ukraine. Ghazal Safari, an Iranian singer residing in Britain, is one of these artists who participates in this humanitarian effort by holding monthly concerts. She told Voice of America, 'The funds raised are sent to cities that are in critical conditions, and we are trying to facilitate the transfer of citizens to safe areas; this is the least we can do for now.' Ms. Safari describes Ukrainians as 'aware, peace-loving, freedom-seeking, and resilient people' and adds that 'these are exactly the characteristics of the Iranian people.' According to this Iranian singer, 'These shared traits between the two nations have brought them closer together, and as we see, Iranians and Ukrainians support each other and stand firm.' Ghazal Safari concludes, 'I firmly say that the people of a land are separate from their governments.' This report is based on a Reuters article.