Special project Woman: ukrainian stars about 2022

The year 2022 has ended, which was a year of difficult trials for all of us. Ukrainian stars and bloggers shared their impressions of the experience, changes in life, as well as dreams and plans for 2023 with Woman.

Zlata Ognjevic

This year has become a real test of courage for me and for every Ukrainian. I am very sensitive to everything that is happening in our country. Especially, the death of the best, both boys and girls, who defend the borders and give us the opportunity to believe in the future, that Ukraine will be a peaceful and prosperous country.

This year opened in me the understanding that I do not fully know my strength. Even now, I probably do not know the full extent of my power, but I can say for sure that my inner light is powerful. And I really want to share this light with people and I do it, I help as much as I can: with words, concerts, donations. And of course, I urge each of you to do it to bring our long-awaited victory closer! Since the full-scale invasion, I stay in Ukraine because it is important for me. Ukraine is my home, I feel at home here.

Amador Lopez

It seems to me that 2022 has changed every Ukrainian, and I, of course, am no exception. First there was a covid, and now a full-scale war. And, unfortunately, they reminded us that we need to value the most important things – life, health, and each other. But this year again showed us that in such circumstances everyone is equal: both rich and poor. Everyone is in the same position. It is very invigorating, you immediately understand that all material goods are not so important, that no apartment, car or bag of money will save anyone from missiles, maybe it will improve life a little, but it will not save.

I have always said that children are our future, and this year I started to promote it even more. Since March, I have already given more than a hundred concerts for children all over the country and for our children abroad, I have done master classes for them, volunteered, all for the sake of ensuring that they do not feel for a minute that someone wants to take away their childhood.

In addition, my singing activity has changed this year. Recently I released my first solo song “Kozache Girl“, this is a very important step for me. I was looking for it for more than a year and finally I understood what I needed and found it. But this song is not simple either, it has a social purpose. It is about Ukrainian girls, fragile, tender, and at the same time very strong. It is about doctors, military girls, volunteers, and just about those who were forced to leave the territory of our country because of the war of Russia against Ukraine. It seems to me that now is the time when they lack our attention and we need to support and praise them at the public level. 

Diana Gloster

This year has changed me completely, because my priorities have changed. Despite the fact that the year was difficult, when I think back to last year, I realize that I am grateful to this year for bringing such changes for me. I began to feel time differently, to appreciate what I have, I began to delve deeper into those processes that are really important to me, I learned to give up what does not respond to my heart. Today, I appreciate simple qualities in people that used to be the norm for me, but now I feel them differently, more important. It is kindness, generosity, willingness to help, to be sensitive, empathic. I discovered altruism in myself, which, to be honest, I have never felt so strongly in myself before. Today I am ready to spend time on other people with all my love and dedication.

It was in 2022 that I really felt what it was like to help a lot and spend all my time and energy on it. Not to do it for the sake of it, but to do it from the heart, to see the sense in it. I am incredibly grateful to 2022 for these changes in myself. I discovered myself in a new way, as well as the musician. I didn’t know before that I could write songs in Ukrainian, although I have already released 5 releases in Ukrainian. And I already feel the strength to write a Ukrainian-language album.

This year gave me the feeling that everything I ran to before does not matter so much if you do not feel the present, this minute here and now. I am grateful that I am alive, my loved ones are safe, I have love, I continue to create, I have the opportunity to help. To make charity collections, to give concerts for our soldiers, for children who need support. It all made me a new person. Despite all the pain, fear, loss, I am grateful for the changes in myself.

SoloHa

It was a very terrible year for every Ukrainian. At the beginning of the year we had so many plans, expectations and dreams. And when  the full-scale war began, at first there was confusion: how to continue working, what will happen to your future, how to save the lives of your children. I have a daughter, she is seven years old, and my main task was to protect her from the horror of war.

This year has shown who is really a friend and who has never been. Many people separated, and new friends came to replace them. As it turned out, strangers can provide more support than the loved ones you trusted in your previous life. I felt who we are as Ukrainians and how much we are a paid nation. How we can support each other and help.  This year made me stronger and showed me that I need to live and help, to change for the better. I am very glad that I stayed in Ukraine, in the capital, with my daughter. And today I have given many charity concerts to support hospitals, IDPs, the Armed Forces. I cooperate and volunteer with the International  charity fund of Oleksandr Andriyuk “Victory and  future”. I have done and am doing many concerts abroad in support of Ukraine: Switzerland, France, Poland, Germany.

This year I realized that it is not necessary to have money to create a good quality product. Before the war, artists earned good money. And during the war all our earnings go to the aid. But this did not prevent me from making a video with the support of my creative friends. Who united and helped me to shoot a beautiful video for the song “You are unbreakable”.  I discovered myself from the creative side, as a singer, in a completely different role. This year the song “You are unbreakable” was born, which showed me from the other side. I realized that I have such a great power to motivate and support people. And that this song can inspire people not only during the war, but also to be a hymn of invincibility of Ukrainians after the war.

Vlad Darwin

This year I saw with my own eyes what heroism is. I have also grown much older, and the number of people I consider friends has decreased significantly. I realized that happiness is in the simplest things and that my main achievement is my family. I realized that I do not want to live in any country in the world except Ukraine, and I began to appreciate my parents and our common roots more. I began to trust myself and my premonitions more, and learned to be grateful every day for life – just for the dawn, just for a smile, just for a breath of air!

I began to research the history of Ukrainian music more thoroughly, and started the DJ for Ukraine project, which is related to the ethnicity and folklore of Ukraine. It was the first time I had to give a speech online to the students of an American university, and I felt the tremendous support for Ukraine. And thanks to the performances for the military, in particular those who returned from Russian captivity, I looked into the eyes of invincibility. I began to respect Human Nature even more, every mother who protected her child’s sleep during rocket attacks. I became even more proud to be a Ukrainian.

In the new year 2023, I want to reach a new personal maximum to help our defenders. In particular, through international platforms, through Ukrainian ones, and through their own projects.

NAVKA

In fact, absolutely nothing has changed inside me. Because for me the war began in 2014. And if there were any changes, they happened in that period. The only thing that changed was the way I saw Ukrainian society. Frankly speaking, before the invasion, I wanted to cry when I saw a globally indifferent society: indifferent to its defenders, indifferent to history, indifferent to fundamentally important things for the country in which the war is going on. I was sad that only in narrow intellectual circles people were outraged by anti-Ukrainian politicians, certain anti-Ukrainian decisions. When I asked an ordinary citizen about Russia, I often heard: “Russia is a friend, we need to talk to Russia, we are one people” – openly Russian narratives. Fortunately, this has changed now. Finally, everyone saw the obvious. It is a pity that opening people’s eyes cost so many lives, the lives of the best Ukrainians.

Summing up everything I said, it turns out that something has changed in me – faith in Ukrainian people! I believe that our people (I do not mean limited circles, but globally) will want to educate themselves, will draw conclusions, will study our history, will know their heroes and will do everything to ensure that the sacrificed lives of the best Ukrainians for our freedom and independence were not in vain. There was also a strong belief that Russia would collapse in my young life! Thanks to the fact that Ukrainians have opened their eyes and hearts and are now one united whole.

ETOLUBOV

This year has put everything on the shelves. It became clear who your real friends are – who tells the truth and who does not. They say that there is no black and white in life, but I was convinced of the opposite. For me personally, many things became clear and unambiguous. I think that next year, Ukrainian music will have bright days. I really hope that interest in Ukrainian artists in other countries will only grow, and they, in turn, will produce cool material. I also have many plans, we are already preparing new tracks in both Ukrainian and English, which should be released in the first months of 2023.

YAROMIYA

This year was not easy. We can say that my year had only two months – January and February! After all, the war with the neighbor-terrorist, which ruthlessly destroys our Ukraine, has made its adjustments. From the first days of the war it was scary. But I quickly pulled myself together. Of course, my work allowed me to keep morally strong during this time. In addition to musical creativity, I work as a teacher in an educational institution. So, communication gives great steps to stay in this time. Every time I gave lectures, it gave its advantages and positive emotions. Combining all this with music, a balance of harmony with oneself was created.

In the first month of the war I wrote a song “Ukraine”. This is a very motivating work, because at that time we saw only sadness and uncertainty of what would happen next. The first month we were saving ourselves as best we could and learning to live on, not to lose heart. It was hard morally for the relatives who went to war. Of course, I did everything in my power to help our military. I will not advertise personal donations. As for concerts – every weekend I performed in support of the Armed Forces. I am sincerely grateful for this opportunity!

Andrey Nechay

During this year, I have matured, not even so much, I have learned to get out of stressful situations for myself. On the other hand, this year has ruined many plans, which made me become more pragmatic and realistic. On a personal note, such situations test love, as there were many divorces in the kovid, and now. But our family passed these tests, we began to trust each other more.

This year, for me personally, was very stressful, because my family was in Mykolaiv all the time, those were hard days. But I began to appreciate the good even more, as it becomes less and less. On such days, many people took off their masks and revealed their real faces, which they had been carefully hiding from society. 2022, despite all the bad, brought inspiration. My music began to appear actively, and even material for a full-fledged yet unannounced album, for which I am very grateful.

Roman Scorpion

This year has changed me – made me more confident, I began to realize those dreams that I put off for later. I became more open and straightforward, many people do not like it, but my people stay with me, not mine – continue to go their own way. This trait helps me in my profession and everyday life. I learned to ask for help if I need it. He began to dream big, even about things that he had not allowed to enter his mind before. I am developing professionally,  with the help of my creativity I do everything in my power to help those who need it.

Arthur Bosso

This year has changed not only me or every Ukrainian, this year has changed the whole world. We will never have the life we had before February 24. Not only our life has changed, our consciousness has changed. This is something that concerns global changes. What has changed in me, I can say this: this year has made a lot of discoveries. At first, I did not know that more than 15 people can live in my two-room apartment in Lviv, not counting dogs and cats. The fact that I can cook at least 15 liters of borscht a day and make 300 varenyky. That even at such a time I could record one of my best songs. That I would be able to gather a large team of artists and sing together on Rynok Square in Lviv the anthem of Ukraine, which was seen and heard by the whole world. And then create “Team A”, which aims to help our soldiers and support Ukrainians. In short, I did not expect to have so much energy and strength.

And  most importantly, I am proud that I was born in Ukraine, where there are such Heroes and such an incredible united people. Glory to Ukraine!

Photo: press services of the stars