AssetID: 54926078
Headline: Ukrainian Soldiers Perform Moving Concert At Tower Of London
Caption: Ukrainian Soldiers Perform Moving Concert At Tower Of London. A group formed by active-duty military personnel and veterans of the Ukrainian Defence Forces, have performed outside the historic White Tower at the Tower of London. The Cultural Forces of Ukraine ensemble, which originally came together while recovering from battle injuries shared their personal stories and the therapeutic benefits of music with British soldiers, offering a glimpse into how the art has helped to lift spirits and provide moments of respite amid the horrors of war. The group is made up of Yurii Ivaskevych, Taras Stolyar, and Olha Rukavishnikova. Ivaskevych is a veteran of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and a soloist with the Zaporizhzhia Philharmonic. He enlisted with the 110th Brigade of the Zaporizhzhia Territorial Defence Forces in the early stages of the full-scale Russian invasion. During the 2023 counteroffensive operation, Ivaskevych sustained severe injuries and lost part of his leg. Stolyar, also a veteran of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, is a distinguished professional bandura player and soloist with Ukraine’s National Academic Folk Instruments Orchestra. Rukavishnikova is a Private First Class in the Armed Forces of Ukraine and a graduate of the National Academy of Music of Ukraine. A laureate of several international competitions in both violin and symphonic conducting, she fought in the 112th Brigade of the Territorial Defence Forces as a grenadier. During combat operations in the Luhansk and Donetsk regions, she was wounded several times and tragically lost an eye. The Cultural Forces Ukraine group’s visit to the UK highlights the profound bond between music and military service, offering both physical and psychological healing.
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