Atlas United Returns: Ukraine’s Largest Music Festival Offers Respite Amidst Ongoing Conflict

Oneindia

Atlas United, Ukraine's largest music festival, took place for the first time since Russia's full-scale invasion of the country in February 2022. Though much smaller than before, it offered revellers a desired break from the stress of the war.    #OIDW #DWVideos #AtlasUnited #UkraineMusicFestival #MusicFestival #UkraineWar #Resilience #CulturalRevival #WarTimeFestival #UkrainianSpirit #LiveMusic #Festival2024 #UkraineEvents #WarRelief #CommunityStrength #HopeAndMusic #UnityThroughMusic                 ~PR.152~ED.194~HT.334~

Transcript

00:00For many people in Kyiv, there is little to look forward to this summer.

00:10But for music lovers, there is this.

00:16This is Atlas United, Ukraine's largest music festival, revived this year despite the war.

00:25Three days of music, inside and in front of a shopping mall.

00:31Ukrainian rock band Boombox is headlining the festival.

00:36Atlas is a breath of fresh air in a time of war.

00:41Before it was easy to rock, but now the mood is very depressed, which is bad for work,

00:47and we have to resist.

00:50We have no other time to live and celebrate, so we should celebrate life and show everyone

00:56that despite the war, our life continues.

01:04This is the largest gathering in Ukraine during this war.

01:07More than 60,000 people are expected to attend Atlas weekend, not even two weeks after the

01:13latest large-scale attack by Russia that killed many here in Kyiv and across the country.

01:20The shopping mall underground car park can serve as a bomb shelter for 20,000 people.

01:26Pretty much everyone expected to attend daily.

01:30There is even a stage down here, and there is merchandise for sale.

01:34It's almost like any festival, just that here military units are selling, promoting and

01:41collecting donations.

01:44I've got a sticker with a hat and a little badge to support the 3rd Separate Assault

01:49Brigade.

01:54The goal is to collect 100 million hryvnias, that's about 2.3 million euros for the military.

02:03In the third year of the war, it's much harder to raise funds now than in the first or second,

02:07because there's a certain fatigue and a financial fatigue too.

02:12Talking to us during rehearsal, Boombox singer Andriy Khlyvenyuk had just returned from the

02:17front line, where he serves in a combat unit of the National Police.

02:23It's not about rock and roll anymore, but I feel like I'm representing the country.

02:31Boombox had permission to leave the country, and earlier this year spent three weeks playing

02:35concerts in the U.S. and Canada, to shine a light on the war in Ukraine and raise money.

02:4185-90% supported by the donations people do.

02:47In the modern warfare, things changed a little bit, so you need a lot more different devices

02:54to stay alive and to do the job well.

02:58Some criticized the festival going ahead despite the war, but Khlyvenyuk argued in favor.

03:08You don't want to come back to a monastery.

03:11You want to come back home full of life, where people smile when there's music.

03:19Our life without music is not worth fighting for, actually.

03:27This weekend, Atlas United raised funds and smiles.

03:31And most importantly, there was no attack.

03:34The enemy is still coming in for the military.

03:40Don't miss out.

03:41Follow One India for real-time updates.

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