Merry Christmas and the War Is Not Over: Ukrainian Military Sing Popular Christmas Songs
On the eve of Christmas, Ukrainian military performed globally recognized Christmas songs: Happy Xmas (War is over), Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas, Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!, and I'll Be Home for Christmas. In the cover versions of each of these songs by the military, there are several altered words, reminding of the war and the importance of world support for Ukraine.
The video was filmed and released by the international fundraising platform UNITED24. The cover versions of the songs are performed on the bandura – a Ukrainian folk instrument with a rich history, flute, guitar, percussion, and synthesizer.
The video was shot in a bunker on the Bakhmut direction, against the backdrop of civilian objects destroyed by Russian occupiers – a cultural centre and railway station in Lyman, schools, and a gas station in Kostiantynivka, 15 km from the front line.
The selected songs are true symbols of the holidays. In each of them, several words have been replaced. For example, in John Lennon's composition Happy Xmas, the words "war is over" have been changed to "war is not over" by adding just one "not." Or I'll Be Home for Christmas – a song written on behalf of a World War II soldier and sung by Frank Sinatra. "I will be home this Christmas" has changed to "I won't be home this Christmas."
"We wanted to greet the world with the upcoming Christmas and at the same time remind that the war in Ukraine continues. From the mouths of Ukrainian military, these lines sounded so poignant, so sincere. Ukraine needs support. Today, on Christmas, and on New Year. We believe that the world will feel it again and be by our side," says Yaroslava Hres, the coordinator of the fundraising platform UNITED24.
The video, created with the support of the "Cultural Desant," features servicemen of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, a paramedic from the Ukrainian Volunteer Army, and military medics.
Guitar and vocals are performed by military personnel of the 110th Separate Brigade of Tactical Aviation of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Oleksandr Remez, who was wounded in battles near Lysychansk, and the combat medic of the fire support unit of the 206th TRO battalion of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Inna Korolenko.
The bandura and vocals are performed by military personnel of the 59th Separate Motorized Infantry Brigade, Dmytro Romanchuk, who took part in the defence of Kyiv.
The flute part is played by a paramedic of the "Hospitaliers" battalion of the Ukrainian Volunteer Army, musician, and frontman of the band "KoraLLi" Mykhailo Adamchak.
On percussion, a serviceman of the 110th Separate Brigade of Tactical Aviation, actor, and drummer Arthur Temchenko played.
The piano and vocals are performed by military personnel of the 59th Separate Motorized Infantry Brigade, composer, and music producer Mykhailo Oliynyk.
The saxophone part is played by a serviceman of the 59th Separate Motorized Infantry Brigade, Dmytro Dudko.
The vocalists are combat medic of the 3rd Motorized Infantry Platoon of the 1st Company of the 10th OHSBr "Edelweiss" Iryna Kosovska, military servicewoman of the 59th Separate Motorized Infantry Brigade, Viktoriia Chudakovska, and soloist of the Honoured Academic Exemplary Military Orchestra of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Svitlana Cherednychenko.