As new global events unfold and crises emerge, the world’s attention rapidly shifts. Yet the war in Ukraine – a conflict that has changed millions of lives and reshaped geopolitical landscapes – remains a pressing humanitarian and moral issue. It is crucial that we not only remember Ukraine but actively support its people and their fight for peace.

Since February 2022, when Russia launched its full-scale invasion, the people of Ukraine have endured relentless bombing, constant displacement, and severe loss. Up to a third of Ukraine’s population have been forced to flee their homes, creating one of the largest refugee crises in modern history. Communities have been torn apart, and families destroyed – Russia now occupies about 20% of Ukraine. However, the toll of this violence is not just physical but also emotional.

For those still in Ukraine, life remains dangerous. Cities like Mariupol, Bakhmut, and Kherson have become symbols of resilience as well as suffering. Basic necessities like electricity, water, and medical care are often in short supply. By keeping Ukraine in our minds and action we can make sure that Ukrainians  are not forgotten.

Helping Ukraine is not merely a political act, but a moral one. The images of destroyed homes, displaced families, and worn out soldiers are a stark reminder of the cost of indifference. To support Ukraine is to stand against injustice. Every contribution, no matter how small, reaffirms a shared commitment to justice.

On Wednesday 11 December, Jurji Fedynskyij and his Kobzar Armada Ensemble came to St Peter’s College Chapel. They introduced the audience to the rich musical traditions of Ukraine, which was historically a target of Soviet oppression. Jurji, Olha, and Tetiana gave us an insight into their culture through their music. As someone who is Ukrainian, and has family living in Ukraine, it gave me chills to listen to these “songs of genocide”. Jurji describes their music as “simply a sign of peace”. They don’t want Russian violence, all they want is to “speak our language, make our instruments, and play our music without being killed.” Each song told a story and reflected the constant struggle of Ukraine against Russian attacks. After the concert Jurji spoke to The Oxford Blue:

Isabel: Could you introduce yourself and what you do?

Jurji: My name is Jurij Fedynskyj. I was born in Indianapolis, Indiana, and grew up in North Carolina. At 23 years old I went back to my ancestral home: Ukraine. I studied instrument making and Kobzar tradition on a very serious level, but also other music projects. Now I travel with my students in the Kobzar Armada, everywhere in the Western World, Ukraine, and we do Kobzar tours on the war front.

Isabel: When and why was the Kobzar Armada Ensemble created?

Jurji: It was formed the day of the Blitzkrieg, so almost three years ago, and basically we got in the car to flee, well that was the idea, further away from the front because at the time we were in Eastern Ukraine. We packed up our car with our most valuable things, our instruments, sound gear. We tried to distance ourselves from the front but we were running out of gas so we decided to go south of Kyiv instead of through Kyiv. We didn’t know what was going on. We did find gas eventually but we were brought back to Kyiv to get it. I actually made an agreement with my friend to save him and his art collection, but once we got to him the next day he said “I’m not going anywhere, I’m going to join the army.” So I decided Kyiv is still standing and so we’re going to defend Kyiv too.

 So with my students we practiced the Kobzar tradition in bomb shelters, military camps, everywhere in Kyiv, wherever. We did this several times a day, several locations a day for those first two months. We [Jurji and his students] all eventually lived in Kyiv. It was a scary 2 months. But once the muscovites fled the North of Kyiv, we went to those territories, and then had a tour of the front, or as close as we could get to the front. We had a nationwide tour that third month of war. Then, when we couldn’t get any gas at all because it was all reserved for the military, I flew to America and had a tour there. We’ve toured Europe for 2 months, the UK and Ireland for 2 months, and the next tour will be the US and maybe Canada. So things are progressing and the group is getting better. We’re singing better. But we’re still training.

Isabel: Could you summarise the program for tonight’s concert?

Jurji: It was a program of mostly songs of defence, spiritual music. Different genres, such as Ukrainian middle age (like Gregorgian chant), some English Renaissance, some solo songs, and an epic song.

Isabel: What do you want this Ensemble to tell people?

Jurji: We want people to help Ukraine, to help their world, to do something to make the world freer. We want people to help stop the war with voluntarism, not with just money and guns. We’re volunteers, we have free concerts. It’s nice when we get donations so that we can pay for gas and take money home to feed our families, and to fundraise to actually go to the front. We provide an example of what you can do. I don’t have an Oxford diploma in Kobzaring but I found the most serious teachers of this tradition, and I was not distracted by careers that make money. Without any money we just get in the car and go around the world.

Isabel: What does this event in Oxford mean to you?

Jurji: Oxford University invited us out. For me Oxford was the most unique place to play. We’ve been to Harvard, been to Cambridge, and a lot of other universities in the world, but Oxford is number one.

A priest from the Bulgarian Orthodox Church said, “how do you say these things, what is the key to doing this?” And the key is having the right motivation. I’m not teaching because I’m paid to. I’m telling these things because it’s the stuff that needs to be known. It’s knowledge for knowledge’s sake. It’s music to make Ukraine free, it’s not just nice notes. There is a serious purpose to this.

After speaking to Jurji it’s clear that the war in Ukraine is a stark reminder that freedom, peace, and justice are neither free nor guaranteed for everyone. Now is not the time to look away. The people of Ukraine need the rest of the world to stand with them, not just in words, but in support. Their hope for peace is a hope that we too share.