Ukraine’s iconic Okean Elzy released powerful song Answer to mark two years of Russia’s war on UA
Legendary Ukrainian rock band Okean Elzy (Elsa’s Ocean) released a new song Vidpovid (Answer), to mark the second anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
The release is the band's first song since 2022, when such powerful masterpieces as City of Mariya, dedicated to Mariupol, and Flowers of Mine Zones were released.
"Vidpovid is about pain and memory. Vidpovid is about lifelong gratitude. Vidpovid is about the difficult and long way to victory,” the band said.
“It is also about the question ‘how much more...’, and about the answer that everyone can definitely find in their heart."
Vidpovid is a special song, the band leader Svyatoslav Vakarchuk admits.
"I put into the words of this song the experience, all the emotions that I have felt during the last two years since the onset of the full-scale war of Russia against Ukraine,” he said.
“It seems to me that a large number of our compatriots feel the same, therefore, we allowed ourselves not only on behalf of myself, but on behalf of the many people I have met, whom I know, even those whom I do not know, but whose pain I feel now, we allowed ourselves to put these words into Vidpovid.”
It is vital to talk to each other, to communicate, because it is easier to go through difficult times together, Vakarchuk said.
"We will pass this difficult road with dignity and pride and will definitely win, because light always defeats darkness," he said with confidence.
The song and its black-and-white video were shot in Kyiv at the Ukrainian Radio Recording House. The Choir and Ukrainian Radio Orchestra took part in the recording. The video was directed by Max Smetana.
Okean Elzy will celebrate its 30th anniversary in 2024.
The band announced last October that work on a new album was ongoing, with a plan for its release during its 30th anniversary celebrations.
The military war may be swinging in our favor, but the information war continues.
Just as an army needs soldiers, so does a free society need its journalists to ensure that people have access to honest, trustworthy voices to understand the world around them.
For the past five years, The New Voice of Ukraine has been working tirelessly to push back against Russian narratives and defend democracy. But we cannot do it alone.
Please consider supporting us on Patreon for just $5 a month – your donation does directly to supporting journalists and ensuring that this front of the infowar says solid and defended.
Thank you.
Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Google News
