HEAVENLY GIFT FOR CHILDREN FROM UKRAINE

Olena Tsarenko

22 липня 2022 304

Music heals children's hearts, or how to stop evil and russian aggression.

Lullabies for Ukraine is a charity concert of the famous singer Yoanna Kondrat accompanied by the Artis symphony orchestra and a children's choir from Ukraine that took place in Poland. 30,000 zlotys were collected for the needs of boys and girls who survived the war.

Music heals children's hearts, or how to stop evil and Russian aggression.

Joanna Kondrat begins to sing and kneels in front of the children, while the audience repeats the words of the song in Polish and Ukrainian: "I will be there, I will be with you!". These children who survived the war, bombings, saw death and the faces of the Russian occupiers.

Here in Poland, in the city of Ustron, they are comfortable and relaxed, and it is also an honor to sing at a concert with the famous Polish singer Yoanna Kondrat. "She looks like an Angel, just as kind and bright and has a beautiful voice" says seven-year-old Arthur who underwent a complex heart operation. On stage, the boy holds the hand of his sister Maria and diligently sings along - the children have a complex genetic disease. The most terrible memories of the war in Ukraine: "I woke up from the explosions, my heart was beating so hard! It was very scary, my knees were shaking." Music helps to forget pain and fear. "Those days that we don't know are important," Yoanna sings and the children happily repeat in Ukrainian and Polish. They managed to learn these important words during rehearsals with the singer, Ms. Yoanna taught the children music easily and casually.

Yoanna Kondrat says: "This concert arose out of love for music and children, and a sincere desire to help Ukrainian children. A good intention brings good results.On July 8, 2022, we started collecting funds for the purchase of shoes for the smallest victims of the war in Ukraine. Their stories impressed me. And then I learned about the extraordinary caricaturist from Ukraine Oleksiy Kustovskyi whose works will not leave anyone indifferent."
It is in these unique drawings that Oleksiy Kustovsky depicted children's toys that stop Russian missiles, and a little girl sits in the corner covering her face with her hands. Oleksiy Kustovskyi is a famous Ukrainian political cartoonists, artist of the parliamentary newspaper "Holos Ukrainy" and the winner of international competitions immediately agreed to use his works for charity. This is how the story of the "Blue Bag for Children" began.

These bags with an original drawing and the inscription "Stop the evil" were sold at the concert for a symbolic fee. "The charity event was inspired by his work. It all started with this beautiful art when I saw Oleksiy's works at an exhibition in the city of Olsztyn, on the other side of Poland, where everyone was delighted with the works of Oleksiy Kustovsky," the singer recalls.

"Hallelujah" was sung by the children in the hall. Some people cried, remembering their relatives who died, some remembered the victims of children who died during an airstrike in Vinnytsia, Ukraine. One of the spectators called her father, a soldier of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, with the words: "Look, your son is singing on stage!" Tears and pride for her son took the woman's breath away. "You saw this miracle - he sings and smiles.
"For 14-year-old Maria Chehonadska, participation in the concert is an extremely important mission.

"I thank the Poles and patrons for their kindness and shelter. It seems that they took a piece of their heart and gave it to us, Ukrainians. And the singer gave me white sneakers, I still can't believe it." Then an anonymous shoe manufacturer, having heard about the campaign, gave several dozen pairs of new shoes to children who, overcoming their fears, went on stage to sing.

Solidarity with Ukraine

Singer Joanna Kondrat says: " I adressed to the TEN CZAS Foundation to say how much I believe in this campaign and that we should do it together. Soon, the Polish company Cisowianka Perlage, which has supported charitable initiatives since the beginning of the war, doubled the collected budget. The companies Train to Good and Common Goal also joined the action not only financially, but also gave gifts to the children. Boys and girls received soccer balls and educational gifts on stage. How fun it was! The main thing was that the children were next to me!" told Yoanna.

PLN 30,000 will go to the Polish sanatorium Narcys Uzdrowisko Ustroń, where 120 children are staying. It was here that they, together with their families, found shelter from the war, free housing and food. Many of them are orphans and children with disabilities.

For many children, this concert was a real miracle, a heavenly gift from kind and sincere Poles.