Ukrainian composer wows British audience, playing on instrument made from Russian rocket
Photo: Facebook / National Ensemble of Soloists "Kyiv Camerata”
In Great Britain's Blenheim Palace, Oxfordshire, Ukrainian composer and musician Roman Hryhoriv performed alongside the National Ensemble of Soloists "Kyivska Camerata." He played an instrument made from the hull of a Uragan surface-to-air missile launched by Russian invaders over Ukraine in 2022.
The Ministry of Culture and Strategic Communications of Ukraine reported that on Facebook.
It should be noted that maestro Roman Hryhoriv made his debut performance in Great Britain, accompanied by the "Kyiv Camerata" led by artistic director Bohdana Pivnenko and musical director Keri Lynn Wilson.
Photo: Facebook / National Ensemble of Soloists "Kyivska Camerata"
"The instrument, created from parts of a Russian rocket, became a bright central element of a concert that took place recently at Blenheim Palace," the message reads.
Photo: Facebook / National Ensemble of Soloists "Kyiv Camerata"
According to Hryhoriv, the cello rocket symbolizes the horror that the Ukrainian people experienced due to the war unleashed by Russia.
A fundraising dinner for Ukraine, hosted by the Oxbridge Foundation, drew attention to the full-scale war in Ukraine and the importance of supporting promising students in accessing education in both the UK and the United States to equip the next generation with the knowledge they need to rebuild the country.
Photo: Facebook / National Ensemble of Soloists "Kyivska Camerata"
It's worth mentioning that last year in Ivano-Frankivsk, Roman Hryhoriv, a recipient of the Taras Shevchenko National Award, performed his composition "Voice of Hell's Arrow" with a string orchestra for the first time.
The composition featured the sound of the "Uragan" MLRS missile.
"To me, this is a ritual, almost like a requiem. It's not a concert, but rather, my inner self… It's a used missile from an MLRS system. The sound is intense and sharp over there. It's crucial that this rocket has its cry, as it forces us to reconsider the concept of weapons. You're transforming this weapon into something else – it's not about destruction; it's about living. It's not music, but rather a way to emerge from my own personal crisis and communicate with someone else," Hryhoriv said at the time.
He assures that he did not pull any strings in the rocket. He played it for the first time when they recorded a video in St. Andrew's Church. These were musical works created with the capital orchestra "Kyivska Camerata."
Hryhoriv said the idea of playing a rocket came suddenly to him when he received it from a military volunteer.
"He [the volunteer, – ed.] had an apartment in Irpin and a rare piano. Unfortunately, an "Uragan" missile flew there, and the entire apartment, including the piano, was destroyed by fire…." the composer noted.
Hryhoriv stressed:
"If I could demonstrate and play this missile at NATO [headquarters – ed.] and convince them to give us the F-16, it would be a major achievement… This missile must be taken to the West because everyone has already forgotten there… Our mission in cultural diplomacy is to showcase our culture and prove that we exist as a nation with a rich cultural heritage."
He mentioned that the "Uragan" rocket had previously appeared in the opera GENESIS by composers Roman Hryhoriv and Illia Razumeika, which premiered last year at the Khanenko Museum.
