These are turbulent times in eastern Europe. In 2020, a popular uprising in Belarus was suppressed and the ensuing crackdown on dissenting artists remains ongoing. Meanwhile, Putin’s invasion of Ukraine in February continues to threaten the country’s national and cultural identity. Belarusian conductor Vitali Alekseenok and his colleagues in Kyiv and Minsk feel they have no choice but to take a political stand: "There was no time to cry, to reflect - we have to respond, we need to take action," says Alekseenok.
In June 2021 he became Artistic Director of the Kharkiv Music Fest, which has held concerts in bomb shelters, subways and hospitals in the city during the war. Now he’s brought together the Sophia Chamber Choir from Kyiv, the Free Choir from Minsk and the Gewandhaus Youth Choir from Leipzig for the ‘Campus Project: Eastern Europe’, initiated by the Beethovenfest and Deutsche Welle.
The Free Choir staged flash mobs during the protests in Belarus against dictator Alexander Lukashenko, which received worldwide attention. Members of the choir were subsequently imprisoned and tortured. They now wear masks when they perform in public to protect their safety. Founded in 2007, the Sophia Chamber Choir is now an integral part of Kyiv's cultural landscape. The war has transformed its perception of its role and identity. Today, the choir sees itself as a cultural ambassador for its country, and it hopes that its concerts can help boost morale there. One highlight of the Campus Concert at this year’s festival was the premiere of "The Sky of Mary", a work commissioned by Deutsche Welle. Belarusian composer Olga Podgaiskaya dedicated "The Sky of Mary" to her childhood friend Maria Kolesnikova, a prominent activist in Belarus and a fierce opponent of Lukashenko, who is currently in a penal colony. Arts.21 accompanied Vital Alekseenok and the musicians during rehearsals in Warsaw, and at the concert that took place in early September.
We also met Tatsiana Khomich, Kolesnikova’s sister, who told us how much music means to the jailed activist. Arts 21 asks: How does art and culture survive in times of war and oppression? What role can it play?