A century ago, a city in eastern Ukraine was sending a political message to the world through music. Today, the same message echoes through the ruins.
Pokrovsk, devastated by the Russians/PHOTO: Prifimedia
For Ukrainians, Pokrovsk — the eastern city of the country now torn apart by heavy fighting with the Russian army, right around Christmas — is not just a dot on the war map. It is the place linked to one of Ukraine's most enduring cultural heritages: the carol known throughout the world as the Carol of the Bells.
Western audiences recognize the hypnotic tune from movies like Home Alone or popular TV series, but for Ukrainians this winter, the song takes on a much deeper resonance. Pokrovsk is closely related to the life and training of the composer Mikola Leontovichi, the man who transformed an old Ukrainian folk song into a global cultural symbol, writes politico.eu.
Leontovich did not compose Carol of the Bells in Pokrovsk, as is often believed, but the city played a decisive role in his artistic and political development. Here, at the beginning of the 20th century, he taught at a music school, conducted a choir of railway workers and was inspired by the Ukrainian folk traditions that would form the basis of the Shchedrik carol. Pokrovsk is still called “Schedrik's hometown”.
“Leontovichi came to Pokrovsk with only one bag on his back, but here he was formed as an artist and as a man. It was also here that he came into the sights of the gendarmes, because he defended the rights of workers. He even sang Marseilleza with the choir he led,” says Larisa Semenko, author of the book Our Silent Genius, Leontovichi.
The political dimension of the carol is not new, Semenko points out. “It was never just a Christmas song. It was a Ukrainian cultural message to the world, a calling card of our spirituality and resilience. Exactly the threat we still face today.”
The song of an independent Ukraine
A century away, Leontovich is seen as a hero who defied Russia through music, just as today's Ukrainians defend their identity with guns.
After Shchedrik's version of it premiered in Kiev in 1916, the song caught the attention of the leaders of the Ukrainian National Republic—the brief attempt to break away from Moscow's rule after World War I. In 1919, the government sent a national choir on a European tour, using Leontovici's music as a tool of cultural diplomacy.
The Ukrainian state was not recognized, but Shchedrik won over the public. “In Paris, in Prague, everywhere in Europe, kings and princes were amazed to discover such an ancient and rich culture,” says Semenko.
After its European success, the chorus reached Canada and the United States, where in 1936 the American composer Peter J. Wilhousky wrote the lyrics in English, giving rise to the version known today as Carol of the Bells.
Leontovici did not get to see the worldwide success of his work. In January 1921, he was killed by agents of the Soviet secret police under the pretext of fighting “banditry”. The truth about his death came to light only after the opening of the Soviet archives in the 90s.
“Just like in the occupied territories today, the Russian authorities saw Ukrainian culture as a threat. It was the beginning of the great terror against Ukrainian intellectuals, teachers and artists. Leontovich was just one of them,” says Semenko.
History repeating itself
Almost 105 years after the composer's assassination, Russia is again trying to erase Ukrainian identity. Pokrovsk, the city that helped give birth to a famous carol, is today claimed by Moscow, although fighting continues.
The Ukrainian military claims it has regained control of parts of the city and accuses Russian troops of temporarily entering the ruins for propaganda photos. “Our operations continue, and in recent weeks we have recovered about 16 square kilometers in the north of the city,” said Ukrainian army commander Oleksandr Sîrski.
American historian Timothy Snyder sees in the carol story a metaphor for the continuity of Russian colonialism. “Ukrainian culture is deeply present in our world, but we rarely understand its origins. The assassination of Leontovich and the transformation of Shchedrik are just a small example of this colonial history, continued today by the invasion of Russia,” Snyder wrote.
As the Song of the Bells rings again in the world, for Ukraine it is not just a carol. It is a reminder, a warning and a promise of resistance.
