Music from Ukraine: Top 7 iconic Ukrainian songs you should know

1. Chervona Ruta (1970)

Chervona Ruta (translated from Ukrainian as "Red Rue") is one of the most iconic Ukrainian songs, known worldwide as Ukraine's unofficial national anthem. Author Volodymyr Ivasiuk, who's considered a father of Ukrainian pop music, wrote the song lyrics in the late 1960s, taking inspiration from a Ukrainian folklore legend about a rare, magical flower called "Chervona Ruta."

The myth says this flower blooms in the Carpathian Mountains only once a year on Ivan Kupala Night — a Ukrainian Midsummer celebration — and a girl who finds it is destined to find true love. In the song, the singer confesses his love for a woman, comparing her beauty to "pure water" and telling her not to search for the "Chervona Ruta" because she already captured his heart.

Chervona Ruta, a real Ukrainian classic, defined the canon for Ukraine's pop music scene. Since its release, it has been rerecorded by multiple artists. The most famous renditions are by the band Smerichka and its lead singers, Nazarii Yaremchuk and Vasyl Zinkevych, as well as well-known performer Sofia Rotaru. If Ukraine had its own "Great Ukrainian Songbook," Chervona Ruta would be number one on the list.

2. Vona (1995)

Vona (translated as "She") by the cult rock band Plach Yeremiyi is another iconic Ukrainian hit that everyone in Ukraine and the Ukrainian diaspora worldwide knows word for word and chord by chord. 

Written by poet Kostiantyn Moskalets, the lyrics portray a gathering of friends — students who came home from big cities to their hometown for a summer break. In the song, the singer expresses his unrequited love and longing for a sad girl. He sings that he loves "her hair" and "her delicate lips," but "she" remains sad, "drinking but not getting drunk from cheap wine." As the autumn comes and friends scatter back to "Russified cities," the singer's love endures despite separation and not being returned in kind.

Released in 1995, this melancholic rock ballad has become almost synonymous with heartfelt friend meetings in Ukraine. Singing this song by the campfire — accompanied by at least one person in a friend group who can play guitar — is a cherished Ukrainian tradition.

3. Vesna (1997)

Vesna (or "Spring" in English) by the renowned band Vopli Vidopliasova has remained one of the most iconic Ukrainian songs since its release in 1997. According to the band leader, Oleh Sprypka, the hit was born out of deep nostalgia for his homeland, Ukraine, when he and his bandmate Oleksandr Pipa lived in Paris. 

Despite living abroad for a few years, France never felt like home to Skrypka and Pipa, so their longing for Ukraine inspired the lyrics and images of Ukrainian nature and the coming of spring, characteristic of Ukrainian folklore: "I will go to the river to meet the stars." Srypka was also fascinated by the hypnotic and trance-like qualities of Ukrainian folk music, so he used it as an inspiration for the rhythm and catchy chorus, "Spring will come. Spring will calm me."

Decades later, this Ukrainian hit, with its universal theme of hope and joy at the coming of spring, is still popular and adored by Ukrainians, who always have a strong connection to their homeland and traditions, even if they are far away.

4. Schedryk/Carol of the Bells (1919)

Every year, this iconic Ukrainian song — probably the most famous one from Ukraine — gets people worldwide in the spirit of the winter holidays. Shchedryk, the original Ukrainian name of the global Christmas classic Carol of the Bells, is treasured in its home country as shchedrivka, a festive folk song traditionally performed not during Christmas but on New Year's Eve to bring good fortune for the following year. 

The title comes from the word "shchedryi," which means "bountiful" or "generous" in English, and the lyrics tell the story of a swallow flying into a household to announce to the family that they will have a bountiful year — a rich harvest, more livestock, and prosperity. 

Shchedryk became famous in the choral arrangement of Ukrainian composer Mykola Leontovych, who researched the song and worked on the music piece for years. The song was first performed in Kyiv in 1916 and later gained worldwide fame when the Ukrainian National Chorus, led by Oleksandr Koshets (Alexander Koshetz), performed it touring around Europe and North America as part of a cultural diplomacy mission of the Ukrainian People's Republic, newly formed in 1918.

The chorus's memorable performance of Shchedryk at Carnegie Hall in New York in 1922 inspired American conductor Peter J. Wilhousky to write the English lyrics for this Ukrainian hit. In 1936, his version became internationally known as Carol of the Bells.

5. Spy Sobi Sama (2003)

The legendary Ukrainian band Skriabin has several iconic songs under its belt, but this particular soulful hit might be the Ukrainian people's favorite. Spy Sobi Sama (translated as "Sleep Alone") was released in 2003 as part of the Natura album and instantly became one of Skriabin's most popular tracks.

Written and composed by Andrii Pidluzhnyi, this iconic Ukrainian song delves into themes of loneliness, unfulfilled desires, and the complexity of relationships. The opening lines, "Sometimes it happens that you want to hear the things you'd better never have known," paint a picture of a person stuck in an unhappy relationship where they feel lonely. They want to hear truths that are painful or, better, left unknown but are afraid of confronting them. 

The lyrics are made even more touching and relatable by the simple and warm vocals of the band leader, Andrii Kuzmenko, or, as the public knows him, Kuzma Skriabin. Unfortunately, the band's frontman tragically died in a car crash in 2015. Since then, this song has been inherently linked to his good-hearted persona.

6. Bez Boyu (2005)

A list of iconic Ukrainian songs would not be complete without Okean Elzy, one of Ukraine's most successful and popular rock bands. Since the band was founded in the 1990s, it has released more than one legendary track and influenced generations of Ukrainian listeners. Its musicians graced the public with hits like Druh, Kvitka, Sosny, 911, and more, but one song, Bez Boyu (Without a Fight), might be the one that resonated with fans of all ages. 

Released in 2005, this powerful song tells the story of love, passion, and perseverance against all odds. The band leader, Sviatoslav Vakarchuk, sings to a mythical woman he's in love with. He's seemingly exhausted and heartbroken but says, "Whoever you might be, I won't give up without a fight." 

This iconic refrain has inspired many Ukrainians to be more resilient and determined, as Bez Boyu has evolved over the years into more than a romantic song. The Ukrainian hit became an anthem of personal strength for Okean Elzy's fans, either in their love lives or even now, amid the war, when Ukraine fights to preserve its independence.

7. Oi U Luzi Chervona Kalyna (1914)

Oi U Luzi Chervona Kalyna, which translates from Ukrainian as "Oh, the Red Viburnum in the Meadow," is one of the most iconic Ukrainian songs forever associated with free Ukraine. This marching song, a call to unity and resilience, was first published in 1875 and later updated by Stepan Charnetskyi in 1914 to honor the Ukrainian Sich Riflemen. 

At the heart of the lyrics is the red viburnum (Chervona Kalyna), Ukraine's national symbol, described as "bent down low." It represents Ukraine — the nation "in sorrow." The singers, all Ukrainians united, vow to lift the viburnum — and with it, the nation's hopes: "And we'll take that red kalyna, and we will raise it up, and, hey-hey, we shall cheer up our glorious Ukraine!"

This march was sung by soldiers of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army fighting for Ukraine's independence during World War II. It was sung by Ukrainian MPs bringing the blue and yellow flag to the parliament session hall after Ukraine declared independence in 1991. Since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, this patriotic song has been sung again — by Ukrainians as a defiant protest against the aggressor.

After a video of Andrii Khlyvniuk, the leader of the Ukrainian band BoomBox, performing the cappella version of the song in Kyiv three days after the start of the full-scale invasion went viral, people worldwide also started to perform this song as a sign of solidarity with Ukraine. As the music piece has inspired generations of Ukrainians to fight for their freedom, it also helped to garner more support for Ukraine globally.