“Carolers are coming!”: Ukrainian community reviving winter traditions through song

Rubryka joined the Slobidska Koliadka community, which sings carols to raise funds for drones for the Ukrainian soldiers. Here's a festive story to warm your heart in these not-so-festive times.

Carolers are coming!

First, the sound of a bell fills the street. Its chime calls everyone to gather, awakening the evening streets of Kyiv as they prepare for Christmas Eve.

"Koliada is coming! Carolers are coming!" voices grow louder and clearer through the fog. Kyiv didn't see snow this year, so the celebration of winter traditions unfolds in an "un-wintery winter" — wet and almost warm.

A wooden star glimmers, its lights spreading through the mist like a mirage. As the centerpiece of the festivities, the star enters first, followed by the carolers.

"Koliada is coming!" the singers declare, dressed in sheepskin coats, scarves, woolen hats, and traditional skirts.

All eyes turn to them. Those eating or drinking glance up — "What's so interesting you'll show us?"

There's plenty to see: koliadky and shchedrivky — Christmas and New Year carols — and even festive songs perfect for singing over a drink.

"Let's set the drums, let's hit the beat

Boom-boom-boom and the glass goes clink!"

Between songs, the carolers pause to remind everyone why they've gathered: the group is raising UAH 700,000 to buy drones for four military units. The hope is that Christmas will come soon for everyone — a peaceful and truly joyous Christmas.

"The little angels flew down,

Good evening, a joyful evening,

To kind people and good health.

We donned our robes and took to the wings,

Good evening, a joyful evening,

To kind people and good health."

Their voices blend into a harmonious unity, filling the space with the spirit of Christmas.

"We are Slobidska Koliadka, a community of neighbors who came together to revive winter traditions," a caroler proclaims.

"Finding a ray of light to fill the darkness"

In the fall of 2022, a dark pall seemed to envelop Ukraine, which felt endless. Hours-long blackouts, cold, and the inability to reach loved ones created a heavy, un-Christmas-like mood.

Amid this gloom, a message popped up in the neighbors' chat of Kyiv's Slobidka district: "I want to go caroling this year. Who's with me?" Despite the lack of internet and the darkness, the message reached its recipients.

"Many Ukrainians felt depressed and lost then, without solid ground or confidence," says Dmytro, a brand designer at an IT company. "When I saw that message, an inner voice told me: this is for you. It'll bring you fulfillment, calm, and inspiration."

From a young age, Dmytro loved collaborating with like-minded people to create something special — singing, painting, and dancing. But adult life, filled with responsibilities, often leaves little room for spontaneous creativity. So, Dmytro didn't hesitate — his heart was drawn to this.

"In these anxious, unpredictable times, we wanted to find a ray of light to fill the darkness," he recalls.

Upstairs from Dmytro lives Serhii, a programmer. Serhii had never sung before and described himself as "completely distant from it." Still, he was intrigued by the idea, as he loves music and folk traditions. The community needed a male voice, so Serhii took the plunge and began singing.

"I never sang before, and I was convinced it wasn't for me," Nadia, a dubbing producer and member of the caroling group, adds. "As a child, people would say, 'She'll never have anything to do with music.' But step by step, I improved. I still don't sing professionally, but if I showed my past self a video of me now, I'd think it was AI-generated."

One message brought together programmers, architects, communicators, and actors — neighbors who wanted to be part of something meaningful and valuable. Their diverse skills became the community's strength, as everyone contributed what they did best to improve the project.

And so began rehearsals, carol after carol, and the first hundreds of thousands of hryvnias raised. This is how Slobidska Koliadka was born.

"I want it to sound perfect, even when you're tired"

Behind closed doors, the group sings the same verse over and over again, honing the "purity" of the sound so that a dozen distinct voices blend seamlessly, complementing one another. Each person sings their part to bring the carol to life.

Their instructor, Tania, guides the carolers: this note needs to be higher, that moment should be louder, listen to your fellow singers, but "don't slip into their pitch." Tania, an enthusiast, has spent years exploring caroling as something far more profound than just singing. Her passion for folk music inspired her to form her own group, Shumia.

"For me, its authenticity is what matters most. I have this historical pull to the fact that you're singing songs that sounded exactly the same a hundred years ago. I don't feel the need to modernize them because I love them as they are," Tania shares.

Tania teaches the members of Slobidska Koliadka to sing in a traditional folk style, emphasizing what she calls the "open voice." This technique, she explains, was once used in villages to call out to one another. It allows singers to project their voices loudly and for extended periods without strain.

"They could carol or celebrate weddings for days — singing non-stop. And if you do it correctly, your body produces this sound naturally. It fills the space without tiring you out. Your throat doesn't get sore, and your voice doesn't give out," Tania explains.

With traditional singing, you also need to consider regional nuances: local dialects influence pronunciation, which in turn affects the sound. For example, songs from central Ukraine will differ from those in the northern part of the country. Folk singers often improvised during performances — as representatives of their culture, they sang as they felt.

"We weren't born into these traditions, so now we're studying them, digging into the details. But grandmothers in villages simply felt the music and improvised. One verse might go one way, and the next, a completely different direction. That's the pinnacle of traditional singing — being able to improvise while staying true to the tradition," Tania adds.

During rehearsals, group members learned more about caroling traditions, discovering shchedrivky (New Year's carols), table songs, and spring folk songs. Over time, caroling became an integral and highly anticipated part of their lives.

"I grew up in a family without any Christmas rituals, only New Year celebrations. But now, these two months of rehearsals feel like my true preparation for Christmas. This is how I celebrate it. I might not even have a tree up yet, but I know winter means caroling for me," says Lesia, a communications specialist and PR agency owner.

"For me, Christmas has always been a meaningful holiday. I'm so glad we do this: walking around the neighborhood, greeting neighbors, creating a festive mood, singing beautiful traditional Ukrainian songs, and collecting donations," says Maria, who works in the film industry.

Rehearsals can last up to four hours — perfecting the performance is key to feeling confident. Tania keeps the group focused, reminding them that while caroling feeds the soul, it's also a public performance.

"I want it to sound perfect, even when you're tired and coming in from the cold," Tania insists.

"If someone messes up, we'll just ring bells so no one notices," Serhii jokes. Everyone laughs, but the rehearsal continues. They'll be caroling in public for the first time this year in two weeks.

Candy for carolers, donations for drones

Over its three-year history, the Slobidska Koliadka group has performed in various locations. During blackouts, they visited wounded soldiers at a military hospital to lift their spirits. They walked through the corridors, singing from ward to ward and caroling for each individual soldier.

Some soldiers tried to thank them with money or chocolate. "We'd say, 'Stop it, really! We can't take money from you,'" Lesia recalls.

"But wait, this is tradition. You're blessing my year with good fortune, and I can't even give you a chocolate bar?" one soldier responded.

The group caroled between stalls of sauerkraut and salads at the Lukianivskyi market and in the subway station during an air raid alert.

"There were families with children sitting at the far end of the platform. We sang for them, and they danced around us, watching us in these strange fur coats and holding stars," Lesia recounts.

They sing to raise money for the military in Kyiv venues. Last year, they collected nearly half a million hryvnias, enough to buy two vehicles for the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

This year, the Slobidska Koliadka will continue performing until December 28 in favorite local spots and on Kyiv's streets.

May this story remind us of the importance of unity in challenging times. And may all the carolers' wishes come true, bringing us the happiness we all long for in the new year — victory.

And with that, we bid you good health. Rejoice! Oh, rejoice, O Earth. The Son of God is born!

Photo: Tetiana Riabchuk