The Power of Democracy: College of Wooster student plans concert benefit for Ukraine

WOOSTER − For 19-year-old Ukraine native Mariia Tkach, the ongoing war with Russia is another chapter in her nation's centuries-long battle for independence.

While military victories along the Southern and Eastern fronts of the conflict are vital, she said two other battles are just as important: The fight for Ukraine's democracy and for its cultural identity.

More:Russia-Ukraine war is central theme for College of Wooster's Great Decisions series this year

Supporting Ukraine:Orrville mission supports Ukrainians amid ongoing war, looming bitter winter

To bring awareness to Ukraine, Tkach and the College of Wooster will host a three-part fundraising music concert, The Power of Democracy.

It aims to bring awareness to the conflict and celebrate the nation's cultural and political triumphs while supporting children and families in Ukraine.

"It's showing the importance of music and to show how music transcends politics to unite people," said Tkach, a third-year economics student.

The free event is at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 30 at Gault Recital Hall on the college campus.

Concert with a cause

While there is no cost to attend, Tkach encourages everyone to donate any amount of money to the Mriya Family Center to help children and parents affected by the war.

Created in early 2023 with the help of partners from the United Kingdom, the nonprofit aims to fill a gap the war has widened, according to the Mriya Instagram page.

A family flees:Escape from Ukraine: How one family found a safe home in Holmes County

Meaning "dream" in Ukrainian and named after what was once the largest cargo carrier plane in the world, Mriya provides foreign language lessons, mental health and other services for families.

"It can act as a daycare for parents who cannot take care of their kids during the day because of their job or other reasons, too," Tkach said.

Anyone can donate via a QR code provided at the event or at http://bit.ly/3JMann3.

Rattled and worried by war in Ukraine

In the weeks leading up to Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Tkach only heard whispered rumors of the impending war.

"We didn't know what to believe because we had been hearing about a war for so long," she said.

From Ohio to Ukraine:Christian Aid Ministries, Mennonite Central Committee help Ukraine, surrounding countries

Then her sister messaged her saying Russian troops were moving south from Belarus toward the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv.

Tkach has lived in the U.S. since high school and was not in Ukraine when foreign tanks rolled through her hometown of Horodnia, north of Kyiv in the Chernihiv region.

For two months, her parents and sister lived under Russian military occupation until the army withdrew to Belarus in April.

"They're okay now and are safe," she said.

But the invasion rattled Tkach who wanted to do more but didn't know how.

That's when she met Michael Bociurkiw, an international journalist who has appeared on networks like CNN, BBC, Bloomberg, CBC and Al Jazeera.

He spoke at the College of Wooster in January about his reporting in Ukraine. After the event, Tkach approached him.

"He told me about Mriya. and we talked about how important music and democracy are to the soul of Ukraine," she said. "These are values at the heart of Ukraine."

One of 10 Global Democracy Ambassador scholarship recipients

Tkach is one of 10 Ukrainian students to be awarded the Global Ambassador Scholarship, which allows her to pursue her degree in economics in the states.

The scholarship covers her up to $25,000 in education expenses and provides a $5,000 living stipend, according to the scholarship website.

The goal of the program is to build strong international ties between individuals in support of democracy, something Tkach believes is more important now than ever.

It's about promoting support for Ukrainian democracy and her nation's traditions and history.

Fighting fire with music

For centuries the region that is now Ukraine was split among a variety of states ranging from the Ottoman empire to Russia, Poland and Austria.

Under Russian and later Soviet control, Ukrainian identity was suppressed in favor of the Russian language and arts, Tkach said.

During this time, she said, Ukrainian artists composed music, wrote books and poetry and painted art as forms of nonviolent protest and everyday expression.

President of Russia, Vladimir Putin, echoed this history when he invaded Ukraine, claiming Ukraine does not exist as an independent nation, culture or language, she said.

"I want to show how music and democracy have shaped Ukraine," Tkach said. "They are very important values."

Performing for democracy

Two performances will be held at the concert following Tkach's presentation about her home country.

The first performance is Ukrainian pianist Tom Lugoloobi, who will perform traditional music played throughout Ukrainian history, she said.

"This music is about love and independence," Tkach said.

The second is an Ohio-based nonprofit band called the Shawshank Big Band, which will play a number of hits from the swing era of jazz.

"Jazz is American, but it shows many characteristics of democracy by how each player listens, considers and plays off of each other," she said. "It is very collaborative, just as democracy should be."

Tkach hopes the dichotomy of piano and jazz will help listeners draw parallels between U.S. and Ukrainian cultural history, with the ultimate goal of reinforcing that Ukraine is an independent nation under attack.

"Part of that culture is democracy," Tkach said. "I believe that the U.S. can help."

This article originally appeared on The Daily Record: College of Wooster student plans concert to support Ukrainian families