New Documentary “Soldiers of Song” Highlights Ukraine’s Musical Resistance to Russia.
A new film, “Soldiers of Song”, shows how Ukrainian music stars used their art to fight against Russian aggression. The movie tells the story of Ptashka, a young paramedic who sang in the basement where wounded soldiers were lying during the siege of Mariupol.
In 2022, a video of Ptashka singing in the darkness of the Azovstal plant went viral. She was surrounded by Russian shelling and joined by soldiers who harmonized their voices with hers. This moment became a symbol of Ukraine’s resilience.
The documentary follows famous Ukrainian musicians like Slava Vasarchuk and Okean Elzy, who performed on top of bombed buildings to raise awareness. Andriy Klyvniuk from Boombox joined the armed forces and used concerts to raise money for humanitarian causes.
The film weaves together the stories of these musicians, who asked how they could serve their homeland during the war. Their answer was music – not just to comfort themselves but also as a tool to raise money, motivate soldiers, and preserve culture in the face of Russian attempts at erasing Ukrainian identity.
One musician, Vasyl Kriachok, shared a chilling testimony about seeing the Russian bombing of the Drama Theater where hundreds of civilians sought refuge. The documentary is a masterful compilation of footage from intimate interviews to inspiring performances and devastating scenes of Russian war crimes.
The film shows how beauty and suffering coexist in wartime. Music is everywhere for Ukrainians – from motivational concerts to soldiers, mournful burials, and international stages that echo the life before war.
The director, Ryan Smith, has a sensitive touch when capturing the human spirit under extreme circumstances. His previous film was about Ukrainian footballers who volunteered to defend their homeland when Russia invaded. “Soldiers of Song” highlights the Cultural Forces Initiative, which brings music to soldiers directly at the front and becomes a vital resource of motivation and spiritual power.
The initiative’s founder explains that beauty urges us to align ourselves in order to experience the triumph over our bodies and souls. The film premiered at the 2024 Tribeca Film Festival and was nominated for Best Documentary Feature by the Warsaw International Film Festival.