As Ukraine’s military fights to hold of the Russian invasion following a third Christmas season, the nation unites to the sound of a classic Christmas tune. “Shchedryk,” known in English as “The Little Swallow,” was arranged by Ukrainian composer Mykola Leontovych as a New Year’s Eve song in 1901. Students at Kyiv University performed early performances of “Shchedryk” and the final version was published in 1919. Following a performance by the Ukrainian National Chorus at Carnegie Hall on October 5, 1922, American composer Peter Wilhousky made “Shchedryk” into a Christmas carol, “Carol of the Bells.” Wilhousky copyrighted and published his own lyrics to the song in 1936. Today, Ukrainians proudly claim “Shchedryk” as part of their nation’s identity and the military has employed the song to spread Christmas joy amidst the invasion.
On December 23, 2024, the Special Operations Forces Command of the Ukrainian military published a video on YouTube titled “Carol of the Bells – Art That Became Weapon.” The video recounts the history of “Shchedryk,” noting that Leontovych composed the song in Pokrovsk, a city in the Donetsk region that has almost been completely destroyed by the Russian invasion. Additionally, despite the Soviet invasion of Ukraine in 1919, “Shchedryk” managed to escape the country’s occupation and spread across the world.
After providing the background with historical parallels to modern Ukraine’s struggle for existence, the video shows an orchestra assembling in a metro station where they perform “Shchedryk.” Meanwhile, on the frontlines, a team of SOF soldiers take a break from battle. One soldier, tending to a portable stove, is gifted a flute from another soldier. As the musical soldier assembles the flute, the gifting soldier notes that his squadmate assembles it like a gun. “Yes,” the musical soldier responds, “art is a weapon.” The musical soldier performs “Shchedryk” for his unit until incoming fire forces them to take cover.
Flashing between the frontline and the metro station, “Shchedryk” is played by the orchestra as the soldiers check on each other. After dusting off, the musical soldier picks back up where he left off. The video also depicts international performances of the classic Christmas tune in recent years, highlighting Ukraine’s contribution to global culture. As the song ends, the soldiers grab their gear and move out. “Shchedryk” is a significant part of Ukraine’s history and heritage; the video calls for Ukrainians to join SOF, whose emblem features a wolf, in the nation’s defense. “Do not let the song become silence…Join the pack.”