Dear friends,
I'm happy to share our new interpretation of the classic Ukrainian song "Kyieve Mii" ("My Kyiv"), recorded together with Kamianyi Hist.
For me, this project closely echoes my photobook Light Through the Ruins. Like the book, it follows a journey from pain and sorrow toward light and hope. We approached this song with deep respect for the original work by composer Ihor Shamo and poet Dmytro Lutsenko, while also bringing into it our own experience of living in Kyiv and Ukraine during the full-scale war.
I clearly remember one day in March 2022, when I unexpectedly heard a lone street violinist playing the melody of Kyieve Mii. I stopped in my tracks and couldn't hold back my tears. It was an incredibly moving moment. Right then I made myself a promise: if we survived this war, my band and I would record our own version of this song.
I kept that promise.
This project took many months to complete. The arrangement, recording, mixing, mastering, script, directing, filming, and editing—every stage required time and dedication.
The filming proved especially challenging. We had planned to begin shooting at 6:00 a.m. on May 24, but after one of the largest overnight Russian attacks on Kyiv, we were forced to postpone production until later that day.
We are truly happy to finally share our version of Kyieve Mii with you.
Because each of us has a city that will always remain home.
A city we love.
A city that endures.
A city that inspires.
Featuring
- Yurii Veres
- Viktor Chernetskyi
- Serhii Spatar
- Valerii Lutsenko
- Oleh Marchuk
- Polina Yelisieieva
Music: Ihor Shamo
Lyrics: Dmytro Lutsenko
Arrangement: Kamianyi Hist
Concept, screenplay, and editing: Yurii Veres
My sincere thanks to Taras Bolhak for the outstanding mixing and mastering of the track, and to Oleh Marchuk for his excellent cinematography.