RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — The Virginia War Memorial will be hosting a concert from Ukrainian musician-soldiers from the Cultural Forces later this week.
The event will feature musicians who are also veterans of the Ukrainian Army. The artist list is as follows:
- Mykolai Sierga — A popular presenter, musician and poet who joined the 59th Separate Mechanized Brigade at the onset of the Invasion of Ukraine. He founded Cultural Forces, an organization that provides morale to the Armed Forces through culture and arts. Ranked Captain, he was decorated for bravery.
- Taras Stoliar — A professional bandura player and soloist of Ukraine’s National Academic Folk Instruments Orchestra with over 40 years of experience. He was a recipient of the Honored Artist of Ukraine award in 2009. On Feb. 24, 2022, he joined the 112th Brigade, Territorial Defense Forces, as a drone reconnaissance operator and forward observer.
- Yurii Ivaskevych — Worked as a soloist at the Zaporizhzhya Philharmonic with his own concert program featuring iconic Ukrainian songs. He volunteered early in the war and joined the 110th Brigade, Territorial Defense Forces. He was wounded in a combat mission and partially lost his leg. After surgeries and rehabilitation, he returned to military duty.
- Olha Rukavishnikova — A violin and piano player who had her first performance at the National Philharmonic of Ukraine when she was 5 years old. She is a laureate of international violin competitions. After joining the Armed Forces on Feb. 24, 2022, she was later wounded on a combat mission and lost an eye. After recovering, she returned to military duty.
- Mykhailo Olinyk –A pianist, composer and Stanislav Lyudkevych Prize laureate. He has written music for various artists, movies and commercials in over 20 countries. In 2023, he joined the 59th Separate Mechanized Brigade. He has participated in over 600 cultural events at the frontline during his service.
- Oleksandr Bulich (Sasha Boole) — A musician, writer, journalist and author, Bulich is also a skilled guitar, banjo and harmonica player. Ranked Captain, he joined the 22nd Separate Infantry Battalion at the beginning of the full-scale invasion. He participated in the Kharkiv and Sumy military campaigns.
- Liubov Shipiliuk — A bandura player, singer and songwriter. She is a civilian member of the Cultural Forces who graduated from the R. Glier Kyiv Municipal Academy of Music in 2024. She spent her graduating year with the Cultural Forces on the frontline, finishing her academic studies over distance.
There will also be staffers at the event who have military experience from the invasion of Ukraine.
The concert will be free to the public and held outdoors at the Heilman Amphitheater at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 24…