‘I’m not a fighter’: How ‘Rocky Top’ is helping a UT violinist support embattled Ukraine
“Rocky Top” could be heard so frequently through the cheers at Neyland Stadium this fall that Marki Lukyniuk couldn’t help but pick up the tune, note by note.
He’d only been in the United States for a few weeks, but after the Vols beat Alabama on Oct. 15 Marki quickly learned to play the ubiquitous unofficial University of Tennessee anthem on his violin.
Now he dazzles audiences on campus and around Knoxville with energetic violin performances of the UT standard and other pop and classical tunes to raise money for his home country, Ukraine.
Marki, 22, arrived at the University of Tennessee in September to continue his studies in violin performance while Ukraine continued to battle a war sparked by Russia’s February invasion.
“I'm not a fighter; I don't even know how to clean a rifle,” Marki told Knox News. “I love my country and I want to help my country. I couldn't have helped my country more with the rifle than I do with my violin.”
His music and message are resonating with the Knoxville community. Marki has performed multiple benefit concerts since coming to Knoxville, quickly gaining fans, and has already raised thousands of dollars through donations and with the help of organizations such as the Civitan Club.
“I think (people) love it because I'm trying to convey the message that Ukraine is not just bombed cities and a bunch of soldiers and poor people. I'm trying to show people that we are a beautiful nation with talented people, with good music and beautiful nature and cities,” he said.
Even when some suggested he hold off on benefit concerts at UT until next year to get more people involved in his String Players Visionary Club, he persisted.
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“I (wanted) to do it this year because I saw bombings in October. They bombed one of my favorite parks in Kyiv where I spent a lot of time with my friends. It broke my heart and I wanted to donate money out of my own pocket,” he said.
Marki first began performing benefit concerts in his Ukrainian hometown with his brother Kostia – also a violinist – shortly after the war broke out. They raised money for pregnant women forced to leave their Kyiv pregnancy center after it was bombed and other refugees.
The brothers performed more than 20 benefit concerts across Europe and America. Kostia is now studying violin performance at the University of Miami. Marki hopes to reunite with his brother this summer to play at a Ukrainian festival in Philadelphia.
One week of war
Marki was a student at the prestigious Kyiv Conservatory when Russia invaded and bombed Ukraine’s capital city.
“I kind of woke up to this, just one day I kind of woke up and here it is, the war itself,” he recalled.
“I saw a lot of Russian military machinery and a couple of Russian soldiers. I saw military helicopters and explosions. And I saw damaged houses and damaged goods. It's not a pleasant experience.”
With no water and intensifying conflict, Marki knew it was too dangerous to stay. “It was scary to just to go to sleep,” he said.
After one week, he and his brother – who was also living in Kyiv – fled to their hometown, Chernivtsi. The city has become a haven for refugees because it’s in Western Ukraine and a safer distance away from Russia’s border.
Marki’s family is away from the fighting but still suffers the effects of the war such as enduring multiple blackouts throughout the day. He talks to his parents when he can, and they are proud of him for doing what he can to support their country all the way from Knoxville.
His grandmother is the proudest of him. In fact, he feels a little bit of home every time he hosts a benefit concert because he wears traditional Ukrainian shirts handcrafted by his grandmother, he said. She endures the delicate hours-long process of embroidering each shirt, which reminds him of family and is also another way for him to introduce Knoxvillians to Ukrainian culture.
A taste of home in Knoxville
Marki knew he wanted to continue his education after being forced to leave the Kyiv Conservatory. He began looking into institutions abroad, and became interested in UT when a hometown friend and former Vols student suggested it.
Marki reached out to UT violin professor Miroslav Hristov, told him his story and the complex process of getting Marki transferred started.
He had never been to America before. But Knoxville has welcomed him with open arms. UT staff helped him become acclimated and UT students have been intrigued by his experience and supportive of his efforts to help Ukraine.
He celebrated Thanksgiving for the first time and loved it. “We don't have mac and cheese in Ukraine. We don't have sweet potatoes in Ukraine. And I love that stuff,” he said.
“I’m glad I experienced (Thanksgiving) here in Knoxville. I love this community of UT people. They’re like a huge family. I see how they love their work, and they love UT and they all want to help everyone that need help.”
He misses some parts of home, like hanging out with friends at his favorite park, walking around the city and enjoying the food. But he’s found a spot to help on that last point. Marki has become a regular at Potchke, a deli on Gay Street that serves Eastern European dishes. He goes for the borscht, a beet soup that originated in Ukraine.
“To be honest with you, it felt like home when I took the first bite of it. It was really good. They do it pretty much like traditional borscht should be.”
Supporting Ukrainian freedom
Beyond food, Marki is very appreciative of the kindness and support America has shown Ukraine during this time of war.
The Biden administration has committed more than $19 billion in aid since February, and around 82,000 Ukrainians have come to the U.S. through Uniting for Ukraine, a federal program that fasttracks a pathway for Ukrainians fleeing the war to live in the U.S.
Nearly eight million people have fled Ukraine for other countries, and an estimated 40,000 Ukrainian civilians have been wounded or killed since Russia began its attacks more than nine months ago.
Marki personally knows Americans who have hosted Ukrainian refugees and donated money, clothes, food and medications.
“I appreciate what people do for me and for my country,” he said. “I'm glad that now the world is concentrated on Ukraine, they are acknowledging our culture. They’re acknowledging our freedom and our rights as a free nation.”
The Biden administration recently stated there’s no indication the fighting will end in the coming months. So Marki will continue supporting his country with hope and a violin.
Devarrick Turner is a trending news reporter for Knox News. He can be reached by email at devarrick.turner@knoxnews.com. Follow Devarrick on Twitter @dturner1208. Enjoy exclusive content and premium perks while supporting strong local journalism by subscribing at knoxnews.com/subscribe.
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: UT student from Ukraine holds benefit concerts to support country
