“Oi u luzi chervona kalyna” Has Become an Anthem of Resistance in Ukraine, Says Professor Maria Sonevystky on The World
Kyiv, Ukraine. Photo by Алесь Усцінаў
After the liberation of Kherson in November 2022, residents could be heard in the streets singing the Ukrainian national anthem. Alongside it, however, another song was being sung. “‘Oi u luzi chervona kalyna,’ or ‘Oh, the Red Viburnum in the Meadow,’ has become a symbol of resistance against Russian aggression,” writes Daniel Ofman for The World. Maria Sonevystky, associate professor of anthropology and music, told Ofman the song “is closely identified with Ukrainian poetry and music,” and that Ukrainian folk songs often employ naturalistic imagery. “Oi u luzi chervona kalyna” is no different, using the “red viburnum” from which the song takes its name as a grounding metaphor for liberation. “From that kind of opening image, you unspool a kind of metaphor, or a story about politics, or the complexity of life, and that’s the case here, too,” said Sonevystky.
Post Date: 12-06-2022
Post Date: 12-06-2022