The “Cultural Forces” ensemble and soloist Inna Ishchenko, performing on the Day of Dignity and Freedom of Ukraine, left the audience breathless — so much so that people recorded every song on their phones. A notable detail: the Minister of Interior of the Republic of Cyprus, Mr. Constantinos Ioannou, remained until the very end of the concert.

The voices of the “Cultural Forces” sounded equally powerful under the vaults of the Church of Our Lady of Grace in Nicosia during the commemoration of the Holodomor. The songs “Ukraine” and “O God, the Great and the Only” will remain in the memory of all who were present for a long time.

The choir “Ukrainian Spivanky” released our deepest emotions with the song “Plyne Kacha,” and the sound of the violin in Oksana Sagalata’s solo performance of Skoryk’s “Melody” left no one unmoved.

Ukrainian music is a treasure and a phenomenon of our culture. Our songs were born at turning points of history, when every nation faces a choice — to create destruction or to create beauty. Ukrainians have always chosen the latter, and today it is one of our most powerful instruments of influence.