Together with several Ukrainian artists, Natalia Klitschko will sing at the solidarity concert #standwithukraine in the Hamburg State Opera on Saturday. NDR Kultur spoke to her in advance.
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The solidarity with Ukraine and the need to help are great. With a song recital, the Hamburg State Opera is now setting an example. Ukrainian folk songs and opera arias will be performed by the Ukrainian artists Natalia Klitschko, Andrei Bondarenko and Oleksiy Palchykov. The concert can be heard live on NDR Kultur on Saturday from 7 p.m.
Stand with Ukraine – the Hamburg State Opera is organizing a solidarity concert under this motto, which can be heard live on NDR Kultur on Saturday from 7 p.m. more
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Ms. Klitschko, your thoughts are probably in the Ukraine for 24 hours at the moment. At the same time, prepare yourself for this concert. Can you concentrate on your work – on notes and tones – these days?
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At a demonstration, Natalia Klitschko, wife of Kiev’s mayor and boxer Vitali Klitschko, spoke to Hamburg’s mayor Peter Tschentscher.
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Natalia Klitschko: I am a passionate singer, my soul sings. And that’s why I don’t have to do a lot of preparation because I’m always singing. Music helps me in these difficult times. This is my emotional balance. Our Ukrainian friends always sing. They sing when they’re having a good time – at parties. They sing when they fight. I think it’s kind of in the blood.
When you talk to the local people – your husband for example: What is the situation in Kyiv like?
Klitschko: Most of the time we write. I ask him briefly what the situation is and he answers briefly. But now he called for the first time in two weeks. He said it was too long to tell but it wasn’t funny. But Kyiv stands and they continue to fight. And prepare for the fight when Kyiv is now being put in the ring and the corridors are getting narrower and narrower. The people who want to stay there, stay there. The people who want to flee still have one last chance.
With all this, how big is the concern for their loved ones who are there?
Klitschko: This is not only concern for relatives and family, but also concern in general – for the country of Ukraine. I have an incredible number of friends there. And thank God my mother came yesterday with my sister and nephews. I am very happy. It took you four days to get here. But of course they are broken now and need rest. Vitali and Wladmir are still in Ukraine. But that’s clear, they would never leave town and country and would stay to the last – like real fighters. But I have other relatives, family and friends there. My heart beats for all of Ukraine, for all of the people.
What counts now, of course, is the life and limb of the people in Ukraine. Do you ever wonder what consequences this could have for the cultural landscape of Ukraine?
Klitschko: I think that will have consequences overall. But I think the culture will stay. If we look at history, Ukraine has always suffered. She was always occupied by someone or under pressure. But the culture, the cohesion and the desire to live their tradition was always there. The more pressure, the more Ukrainians want to stay true to their culture and roots. That’s why I believe: The culture, the music – that will always remain.
A piece of Ukrainian culture can be experienced in Hamburg. What are you singing on Saturday?
Klitschko: I sing a Ukrainian folk song. It’s a love story. A girl falls in love with the sounds of a violin. And she starts chasing the sound through the woods. She first falls in love with the sound, but then of course also with the violin player. In the end, however, the music is not played for the girl, but for someone else. So a tragedy, but still a love story.
Natalia Klitschko has been singing in Ukrainian and Russian since 2014 – and is currently hoping for an end to the war. 23 mins
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What do you wish for from the people here in Germany. What else can we do for Ukraine?
Klitschko: I am very grateful to the German people for being so willing to take in Ukrainians seeking protection. We’ve had so many great stories. You can’t imagine the number of calls I’ve received with offers for accommodation. People are so helpful. They fill up the fridges and help fill out papers. Anything from money to accommodation. But of course we still need a lot of support. Ukraine is a huge country: 44 million people. And in the first two weeks, over two million fled. Mostly these are women and children. Because of course the men stay there to fight for the country. We expect 150,000 people to come to Hamburg. 150,000 people in need of shelter, food, psychological help and childcare. They need a lot of translators who can accompany the people in the procedure with the authorities. So that they get their status here. We organized a staff. For anyone who wants to help, donate or provide shelter. The website is called hilfe-ua.de: This is a German-Ukrainian website – you can find any detailed information there. Every help is needed there.
