After evacuation, Iryna Kriuchenko, director of the Folk Search and Research Folklore Ensemble "Zahraiyarochka," became the voice of free Ukrainian Donetsk region in Germany. The woman shared her war story with Volnovakha.City.
The Terrible Grief Brought by Russian Occupiers
Iryna recalls February 24, 2022, as one of the most horrific days of her life. During the full-scale invasion by Russian occupiers, the woman was at home with her family in Zlatoustivka. The family of eight hid from enemy shelling in a small basement.
"We didn't expect such grief that burst suddenly into my native Zlatoustivka, where I lived with my family in peace and harmony for 35 years. From February 24, we constantly went down to the basement whenever we heard explosions somewhere in the distance. Back then, we still hoped the war wouldn't reach us. We still had electricity and the heater worked; we even smiled and joked that everything would end soon. I have two wonderful daughters. But they were far from me then. While we had contact with them, they supported us and told us to endure for a few days and everything would be fine," Iryna recalls.
When the occupiers began shelling the village, the woman fell ill. For many days, she had to lie day and night in the cold basement, without light, not getting up from the wooden planks.
"On March 11, I was taken out of the basement for the first time after the shelling, and I was able to breathe fresh air. Looking around, I saw that my house had survived, but how much grief the war brought to my fellow villagers and neighbors...
I was taken ill to my sister's, who cared for me (bedridden) for another two months. There were no doctors at that time, and medicines were impossible to get anywhere. There was no contact with my daughters for a long time either. Through acquaintances from the village, the daughters were informed about my critical condition. Through transporters, the girls sent me medicine from Ukraine, which gradually got me back on my feet," the woman shares.
When there was still communication in Volnovakha, Iryna maintained contact with other members of the "Zahraiyarochka" ensemble, as she was very worried about their lives. According to the woman, many of them left. But in the occupied city remained the ancient ethnic costumes of the ensemble members, which had been collected over many years from villages in Volnovakha district. Iryna's ethnic costume, in which she always performed and sang authentic songs of Donetsk region, miraculously survived at her home. The woman calls it her talisman.
Iryna Kriuchenko in her ethnic Ukrainian costume, which she calls her talismanФото: Волноваха.City
The Journey to Germany
After seven months in occupation, Iryna was able to leave for Ukraine.
"My daughter met me in Zaporizhzhia. We planned to go to Germany. Along the way, our goal was to meet with some members of the 'Zahraiyarochka' ensemble to sing with them. The first unforgettable creative meeting took place in September 2022 in Zaporizhzhia with Tetiana Menhlibei. Joy, tears, and excitement overwhelmed us. At the same time, it was very difficult to sing for the first time after what we had experienced," the woman recounts.
Life as a Refugee in Germany
Iryna came to Germany to visit her second daughter, who was there as a refugee after the bombing of Kyiv.
"After what I had experienced, I found myself in an incredibly scenic place. Our house, which my daughter rents, is located in Bavaria, near the Alpine mountains and forests. Thanks to the ecological environment and peaceful atmosphere, I was able to rehabilitate and even continue my ethnographic work," Iryna shares.
Iryna with her grandson near their house in GermanyФото: Волноваха.City
According to the woman, Germany warmly welcomed the refugee.
"I registered as a refugee the day after arrival. Though the process of my registration was lengthy. For almost two months, I didn't receive any assistance and lived on my daughter's and grandson's social benefits. But despite some inconveniences related to not knowing the German language and filling out some documents, Germans very hospitably and warmly welcome Ukrainians, helping them with any difficulties," the woman says.
During her time in Germany, one German family helped Iryna's family so much that, according to the woman, they are grateful to them for life.
"When my daughter Liuda arrived in Germany with her baby son, she was taken into the home of a very noble German family—husband Martin and wife Christina, who are raising three sons. This family found a comfortable little house for my daughter, and despite the fact that we now live separately from them, they still help us resolve any life difficulties. We often gather as families for family holidays. We have to communicate with them and other Germans using Google Translate, but this doesn't prevent us from understanding each other.
Martin can speak Russian a little, and Christina, his wife, works as a German language teacher, so she has already taught us a little to communicate in German. It's very pleasant to learn about Bavarian traditional culture, which impresses with its colorfulness. Germans are not ashamed to wear Bavarian attire even on weekdays. Traditional costumes are sold in almost every store. Cafes, restaurants, and squares are decorated in traditional style. Perhaps that's why Germans are respectful of other world cultures as well. They are very interested to hear our songs and see Ukrainian clothing, which testifies to our identity. They gladly attend concerts performed by us, which end with thunderous applause," Iryna shares.
In difficult times, Iryna was also supported by singer, actress, folklorist, and composer Maryana Sadovska, who lives in Germany.
Maryana Sadovska (in the wreath) with the "Zahraiyarochka" collective before the occupation of Volnovakha
"Maryana Sadovska became like a second sister to me. She was with me in thoughts and prayers from the very beginning of these terrible events. After February 24, she constantly called and wrote inspiring messages that gave me the strength to survive. When Maryana learned that I had managed to leave, there was no limit to her joy. Although Maryana also lives in Germany, we couldn't meet at first because our city is very far from her. And yet, this didn't become an obstacle," Iryna recounted.
How Residents of Volnovakha District Introduce Germans to the Culture of Donetsk Region
After some time, Maryana Sadovska began including Iryna and her daughter in various creative projects, during which they introduced people to Ukrainian traditional culture and ancient songs of Donetsk region. During their tours of Germany, the family duo chose the symbolic name "Voice of the Steppe" for themselves. They post video recordings of their singing on their YouTube channel of the same name.
"During our first tour in December 2022, we visited the city of Cologne, where, as part of a week-long project, we conducted a series of master classes for refugees from Ukraine on learning old Volnovakha carols and New Year songs, and also presented the learned carols and New Year songs with Ukrainian refugees at charity events and concerts.
Photos from events in CologneФото: Волноваха.City
In Cologne, we were also lucky to sing together with a German choir led by Maryana Sadovska. The Germans were pleasantly surprised to hear the colorful songs of Donetsk region. After the concert, they wouldn't let us go for a long time, meeting us and taking photos. Our goal is to bring our story to the world—one that has Ukrainian origins and traditional culture that has existed since the settlement of the steppe in the 18th-19th centuries.
In January 2023, we performed at Maryana Sadovska's solo concert at the theater in Düsseldorf, where we presented ancient songs from Volnovakha district and talked about joint expeditions through Volnovakha district that took place in 2016. But to understand the full depth of this project, one must delve into its history," says Iryna.
According to the folklorist, in 2016, Ukrainian poet Serhiy Zhadan and singer Maryana Sadovska came to perform at the Volnovakha District Cultural Center.
"After the concert, Serhiy Zhadan and Maryana Sadovska visited our museum room of the 'Zahraiyarochka' folklore ensemble. They were impressed by what they saw and heard. Maryana didn't expect to see such a colorful collective in Donetsk region, working exclusively on preserving and reviving the traditional culture of Donetsk region. After 'Zahraiyarochka's' singing, Maryana cried with happiness because she felt the real Ukrainian Donetsk region in it. And when she learned that in almost every village, old-timers speak Ukrainian, sing colorful songs, and remember wedding traditions, she was inspired by the idea of joint expeditions through our region.
The following year, Maryana came with the main expedition goal. We traveled through villages around Mariupol, and after that, Maryana created her concert program 'The Night Is Only Beginning' and presented this project in Germany. Maryana Sadovska very much wanted the members of 'Zahraiyarochka' to be present at this event, but at that time it was unrealistic to do so.
In 2023, Maryana Sadovska decided to repeat that project, only this time real artists from Donetsk region sang on stage, which became an unexpected surprise for Ukrainian and German audiences.
Our colorful singing was complemented by Yulia Kulynenko, a member of the Donetsk folklore ensemble 'Dyvyna,' and her daughter Vira, as well as a new participant from Ukraine—Sasha Tymoshenko, who made her debut at this event. Together with these girls on stage, the wedding ritual 'Dressing the Bride' was presented and final songs were performed.
Ukrainian singers in GermanyФото: Волноваха.City
The feeling from the concert is incomparable. It was very pleasant to feel the warmth of the audience, who listened carefully to every sound of the polyphony. After the concert, Ukrainians came up and thanked us for the fact that the free and loud steppe voices gave them strength to stay so far from their native land," says Iryna Kriuchenko.
The woman managed to preserve almost all the research materials that she collected over many years together with other members of the "Zahraiyarochka" ensemble. This valuable knowledge will certainly be useful for future generations.
Plans for the Future
"In June, the 'Voice of the Steppe' duo was invited to present an entire program of folk festivities of the summer cycle, which will take place on the square near the theater in Düsseldorf. We will weave wreaths with the audience, lead round dances, and sing mermaid, Kupala, and harvest songs," notes Iryna.
But no matter how hospitable Germany is, Iryna dreams of returning home.
"When I return to my native village and free Volnovakha, I dream of creating an ethnocenter for Volnovakha district, where young people could develop by learning the true history of their native land. Children would take an active part in reviving and preserving the ethnographic traditional culture of Donetsk region and would gladly sign up for clubs in folk crafts: wicker weaving, pottery, pysanka decoration, learn from masters of traditional embroidery, wreath weaving, and making motanka dolls. I also plan for the Center to have authentic dance and singing groups. The Center would have an ethnographic museum where a house of our settlers would be presented in cross-section with its proper attributes, antique dishes, embroidered towels, and presented samples of antique clothing of 19th-century settlers. God willing, I hope to return home and find like-minded people and financial support to realize this dream," shares Iryna Kriuchenko about her plans for the future.
