Oksana Lyniv, Director of the Youth Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine, Calls for Help

Oksana Lyniv is the founder, conductor, and art director of the Youth Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine and founder and artistic director of LvivMozArt Festival in Lviv, Ukraine.

In conjunction with her international career, boasting the title of the first female chief conductor of an Italian opera orchestra, Lyniv has been committed to the development of classical music in Ukraine, acting as one of its cultural figures. She has been named the honorary ambassador of the city of Lviv in addition to numerous Ukrainian awards.

Lyniv went to social media following today's news of Russia's military attacks on Ukraine. She writes:

"Today, February 24, 2022, the Russian army attacked Ukraine at night from Crimea, at the eastern regions and the Belarusian border, with a heavy battle. Russia is bombing Ukraine — the border areas, the big cities, the airports, the storage units, the most important military objects. Now Putin's true intentions have become clear and open — to annihilate an independent state, a nation with its own culture, language, history, artists, identity.

Our development as a European state, which we have been working on for 30 years since independence and have already paid a dear price with the Maidan (Revolution of Dignity) — is now in mortal danger.

The world is finally seeing the true face of Russia — alas, far from ideal as a country of art and humanism, a cynical country of deceit and violence. The beginning of it was already cruel — the annexation of Crimea, which violates all world rights, and direct, targeted support of the war in the Donbas region — but the current goal is the whole of Ukraine.

Over the decades of his government, the dictator in Russia has built up a police state — but they will never do the same to Ukraine! They now want to destroy the Ukrainian military and the big cities, and then set up Russian puppets there — they'll never be able to do that. Because we are here, a strong new generation that will no longer endure violence!

Now is the time when the whole world tests the laws created after two world wars and defends Ukraine in the bloody battle in the middle of Europe.

We, the Youth symphony orchestra of Ukraine that unites the youth aged 12 to 22 from 32 cities of Ukraine, call everyone together, on behalf of our families from all over the country. We appeal to all governments of European states — stand for Ukraine now with action, military help, and the strictest sanctions that will stop our killers.

We ourselves will never give up defending our homeland and world peace with all our strength, with art, music and true values."