Three rifles rose when the safety guard fired into the air over the coated cemetery. The troopers lifted a Ukrainian flag from an ark and handed it to members of the family. Then a tube, accompanied by a drum, says goodbye to the fallen soldier.
After enjoying a Ukrainian model of cranesThe 2 musicians from the navy group moved slowly, leaving the mourners to grieve.
“Sadly, we won’t develop them from their graves, however we will play cranes,” stated Main Alexander Holub for the day by day visits that the group members he holds make on the cemetery the place a whole bunch of latest graves are dug for Ukrainian troopers.
In the course of the three years since A full -scale invasion of Russia It began, Ukraine has skilled large losses. In interview Posted final month, President Volodimir Zelenski stated a minimum of 46,000 Ukrainian troopers had been killed within the struggle and that over 350,000 have been injured, figures that have been broadly considered an underestimation.
Within the final yr, the Russian military has been in an offensive, capture of Ukrainian territory Frequently killing Ukrainian troopers with a bigger quantity.
Then comes the work of the group of the one hundred and first Separate Brigade of the Basic Workers Guard.
“We deal with each funeral, as is our most vital live performance, as we are saying goodbye to these for which we’re nonetheless right here,” PVT stated. Lev Remenev, songwriter In a civilian life, which voluntarily fights within the military, however as a substitute winds within the one hundred and first separate guard group the place it performs the piano.
The mission of the 21 members of the group is to indicate two sides of the battle of Ukraine for 3 years within the struggle: recognition of the insufferable payment and preserve the spirits of those that transfer ahead with the preventing.
They help troopers and civilians by enjoying to lift concert events in colleges and at universities and facilities for rehabilitation. However the tune they play most frequently is a model of cranes to honor their fallen comrades.
The musicians say it’s typically troublesome to maneuver on to the cheerful temper of a live performance for college kids or for troopers in hospitals instantly after enjoying a funeral.
“You probably have not been in a position to swap and proceed to be gloomy, the youngsters really feel it,” says the 45 -year -old Main Holub, the conductor who has a bunch of 18 years. “Youngsters are the simplest viewers and it is extremely straightforward to make them have enjoyable,” he stated. “Troopers are probably the most troublesome.”
However for the musicians, funerals are probably the most troublesome.
They performed a model of cranes of funerals earlier than the struggle, however most of all retired troopers who died of outdated age, stated Main Holub. Grew to become tougher In 2014When Russia invades The Donbass region From Japanese Ukraine and the troopers have been killed in battle. It grew to become rather more troublesome after the full-scale invasion, he stated.
He remembers the funeral that has affected him most: “I’ll all the time keep in mind a younger boy known as Andrius, from our brigade,” he stated. “He wished to play at his marriage ceremony, and in the summertime 2023 we performed at his marriage ceremony. After which a yr later, in the summertime 2024, we performed at his funeral. “
He added, “I’ll say actually that after I see moms bury their sons, I’ve tears – it is very troublesome.”
Personal Remnev joined the military in 2022 and was despatched to the Donbass area to combat. He was appointed to affix the group this July.
He nonetheless writes songs and his comrades have requested him to write down a hymn to have a good time the victory, he stated. “This can be a very excessive tape,” stated non-public Remnev about expectations for the anthem, including that he has not but created one.
“The principle factor is the victory to truly come after which I’ll write higher regular songs,” he stated. “Individuals don’t take heed to hymns; Individuals like regular songs. “
Since becoming a member of the military, he has performed greater than 200 concert events in hospitals and colleges and different occasions. However just like the others within the group, he performed much more funerals.
“I all the time really feel gratitude within the first place, after which the grief, after which the ache that girls and boys die – that our nation is dying,” he stated.
He, like his colleagues, says it’s troublesome to be in a very good temper after the funerals. At concert events, they should increase morality. “We aren’t any completely different from all around the nation,” he stated. “All individuals who reside in struggle should be compelled to maneuver to a false good temper. This means comes with observe. “
Typically members of the navy group speak on the bus to the cemetery, giving one another ethical help. Typically, they are saying, it is simply too unhappy they usually make you silent.
PVT. 29-year-old Olexiy Prikhtakko has been presenting himself within the group for 5 years, however he started enjoying recurrently in funerals after the full-scale invasion of 2022. “It’s doable to adapt to all the things,” he stated. “However it is extremely troublesome to see the tears of kin who’ve misplaced their family members.”
The primary funeral that performed in his reminiscence. “We went to the cemetery, however there have been no kin,” he stated. “It was the very starting of the struggle and the mom of the fallen soldier evacuated and couldn’t return in time.” She had escaped and was a refugee. “A lady known as her,” he stated. “And she or he stated goodbye to her lifeless son on the telephone.”
He added, “I’ve no solutions learn how to deal with it, however by some means I proceed.”
Each morning he goes out on a parade land on the Kiev base, the capital, at 9am together with his trumpet and performs a model of cranes for troopers on the base. Most days he performs the music once more on the funeral, he stated.
One such day, in December, there was a lower of energy from Russian missile assaults towards energy crops in the course of the funeral, he stated. The church darkened and sorrowful have been requested to show the flashlight on their telephones to search out the ark in the dead of night room and say goodbye to the fallen soldier.
Then the non-public prykhodko performed a model of Faucets.
“The kin by no means inform us something – they do not take into consideration us at that second,” he stated. “When their cherished one dies, we’re the very last thing of their minds, however we nonetheless come and play valves,” he stated. “This can be a ritual and is vital.”
Yuri Sivala Contributes to reporting.
