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By Anna Rakova
The cultural war goes hand in hand with the diplomatic war: the positions of influential people who affect the course of events, perhaps slowly but deeply. Musicians, writers, and actors are on the side of Ukraine. Mostly, they give their intellectual resources to us, and by expressing solidarity with Ukraine, they create such a behavioural model for their followers.
If people have been listening to them for half a century in matters of love and self-identification, they will now listen to them in matters of intercultural identification and choosing a side in the war of ideas. The war between Ukraine and Russia is also a war of ideas: defending against attacking, truth against lies, unity in the constructive against unity in the destructive, and finally love for Human against contempt toward Human.
Currently, many writers, musicians, and actors are defending the rights of Ukrainian freedom. World leaders of ideas are on the side of Ukraine. Patti Smith, The Who (tab 9 at the bottom of the article – ed.), Paul McCartney (tab 5), Mick Jagger (tab 4), David Gilmore (tab 3), and many more, as well as artists from local communities and the general public stand with us. They compose stories, share their thoughts on Facebook and Twitter, make videos, sing Ukrainian songs, and publicly discuss the Ukrainian issue.
This is not our salvation, it will not stop the passage of time where people are now dying from Russian missile strikes; it will not harm Russian oligarchs who want to feed on Ukraine’s resources. The Russian occupiers who openly kill our civilians won’t hear those ideas. Culture does not exist in their circle of existence, so the current pop-culture love for Ukraine is an empty business for them.
However, we understand that the opinions of such cultural icons should influence, firstly, politicians, and secondly, the masses. Politicians have to take into account the positions of artists, because mostly it is synchronized with people’s mood. Moreover, these artists can also guide people’s thoughts. Artists can create a new narrative of support, unity, and collaboration. Art is always a conversation about the search for truth and cultural figures are in a sense an indicator of truth.
Let’s talk about the artists who support Ukraine in this confrontation and what they think. After being moved by watching a video of a Ukrainian woman singing the Ukrainian National Anthem while cleaning broken glass and debris from her bombed apartment, Patti Smith (tab 6), the legendary folk singer known as the «punk poet laureate,» decided to do her English version of the Ukrainian National Anthem at the Lenny Kaye Birthday Bash at the Bowery in New York City.
«We stand by the people of Ukraine at this particularly harrowing time as we will stand for all whose freedoms are violated,» – said Roger Daltrey and Pete Townshend (tab 9), members of The Who.
Paul McCartney also remembers Ukraine and has his own attitude to it. «Remembering playing for our friends in Ukraine in Independence Square in 2008 and thinking of them in these difficult times. We send our love and support,» he wrote on his Facebook page.
Mick Jagger also thinks about the current situation and shares with his readers on Facebook various ways to help Ukraine at this time. David Gilmore of Pink Floyd, updated his photo on Facebook and adds the Ukrainian flag there. He also distributes very informative messages calling for a change in the direction of Russian behaviour. «Russian soldiers, stop killing your brothers,» he wrote. «There will be no winners in this war. My daughter-in-law is Ukrainian and my granddaughters want to visit and know their beautiful country. Stop this before it is all destroyed. Putin must go.»
Andy Serkis, the actor who played Smeagol (or Gollum) in the Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit trilogy, parodies Putin.
«We are with the people of Ukraine,» – wrote Jack Nicholson.
Stephen King (tab 7) also made a post on Twitter in support of Ukraine.
The host of the popular TV show «Mythbusters» Jamie Heinemann, addressed the Russians and the infamous Russian ship that fired upon the Ukrainian Snake Island defender:
«I’m Jamie Heinemann. Many of you have seen me on TV. I need to tell you something. Russian warship – fuck you!»
The Nobel laureate Svitlana Aleksievich also shares her thoughts on the war in Ukraine: «Russia’s war against Ukraine is worse than World War II.»
The legendary Sting (tab 8) revived an old song of his to stand in solidarity with the Ukrainian people.
Writer Neil Gaiman is cancelling his contract with Russia.
«It is impossible to hide the identity in art,» – writes contemporary Ukrainian philosopher Serhii Datsyuk. At this moment, the world is beginning to see who is who.
By Anna Rakova
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Lviv Now is an English-language website for Lviv, Ukraine’s «tech-friendly cultural hub.» It is produced by Tvoe Misto («Your City») media-hub, which also hosts regular problem-solving public forums to benefit the city and its people.