ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The ongoing war in Ukraine has caused destruction and cost many lives, but it hasn’t broken the spirit of its people. On Monday, students at one Pinellas County high school got a special treat from a group of Ukrainian musicians.
Singing is exactly what Maryna Zinevych loves to do. The 24-year-old is part of the Kyiv Symphony Orchestra and Chorus.
“All the best moments of my life (are) about singing,” said Zinevych.
Yet thousands of miles away is a war at home, with lives lost, families displaced, and a fight for their country.
“It’s like a horror, I don’t know,” said Zinevych. “You always think maybe I’ll just wake up, and it doesn’t exist, but it is.”
About 30 musicians from the Kyiv Symphony Orchestra and Chorus performed with and for the Gibbs High School’s Women’s Chorus in the Pinellas County Center for the Arts on Monday. The group is touring the southeastern United States with St. Pete as one of their stops.
The musicians were also all women because Ukrainian men weren’t allowed to travel outside their country during wartime.
“We all need peace in our hearts, in our countries, in our families, and I wanted to talk about peace. I don’t want to talk about war, but I need to because you need to know what’s happened in my country, what happens to me, what happens to the Ukrainian nation. It’s important,” said Zinevych.
Aria Gilbert is part of the vocal program at Gibbs High. In today’s lesson, she learned so much more than new techniques.
“I’m inspired by what they’re doing. I’m proud of everything that they’re doing for their country, and I think it’s amazing,” said Gilbert.
