Oksana Lyniv on the war against Ukraine: "No one destroys our dream"

Created: 02/25/2022, 13:18

By: Markus Thiel

“The world has toyed with Putin for too long”: Oksana Lyniv was born in Brody, Ukraine, studied and conducted in Lviv before going west.

© Serhiy Horobets

Just hours after she conducted Antonín Dvořák's Requiem, which ends with the plea for peace "Dona nobis pacem," Putin's armies attacked their Ukrainian homeland, Ukraine.

Since then, Oksana Lyniv has lived in a permanent, almost sleepless state of alarm.

The 44-year-old keeps in touch with her relatives, posts videos and pictures on social networks and still stands at the podium - like this weekend in Bologna, where she is chief conductor at the Teatro Communale.

How are your parents?

Nobody there can actually say exactly how he is doing.

There is total mobilization in my country.

Anyone between the ages of 18 and 60 must join the military.

My parents are over this limit, but my parents-in-law are not that old yet.

Nowhere is safe, even in my hometown of Lemberg there are warnings about air raids.

The in-laws are now somehow trying to get from Odessa to my parents in western Ukraine.

This is very difficult because there are roadblocks and traffic jams everywhere.

Would you have expected this development, this war of aggression?

The Western countries have long relied on dialogue and have not given up hope.

I feared that Europe and the world were toying with Putin for too long.

Not to say flirting with him.

"The world is worried about Russian politics," it was always said.

Since the annexation of Crimea.

We in Ukraine can no longer hear that.

Now everyone is looking at the internet.

And there's also something cynical about it: the online war doesn't hurt.

Everyone looks at pictures and videos on social networks.

What is being attacked, how many people are fleeing, how are they hiding from the bombs in underground rooms.

And then it was and is called “Ukraine crisis”.

But this is a war!

A deliberate, long-planned action.

In her speech to Putin, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said, "You will never destroy this dream."

She meant the democracy movement in Ukraine, but also in Russia.

Is she right?

Of course, this dream will not and cannot be destroyed.

The people of Ukraine will never accept such a police dictatorship as Putin established in Russia.

One more thing: Do you know how few artists I've shared the stage with have commented on the situation?

Not even a handful.

Do you miss solidarity?

It's not about solidarity.

Many write to me that they are embarrassed, that they are helpless.

I spoke to the Russian director Dmitri Tcherniakov on the phone.

He sent me a wonderful statement.

The bitterest thing, he writes, is that this enmity between the two countries has not been extinguished for many, many years.

Both countries can no longer find a normal relationship with each other because a red line has been crossed.

Ukraine is a sovereign country that can decide for itself where to turn and what to commit to.

Sanctions have already been decided.

Is the West doing too little?

Of course that's not enough.

Ukrainian airspace should be protected.

Our army defends the borders.

But the air strikes are much more difficult to control.

Entire cities will be destroyed!

You spoke on the subject of Valery Gergiev, the conducting Putin friend...

...Art is not pure entertainment.

It arose from the deepest feelings and the search for humanity and to give meaning to our lives.

It has always served to advance and, yes, educate people.

It is there to make humanity better.

So this world heritage cannot be separated from our lives.

Art is not abstract.

It also has to do with what we are experiencing at this moment.

By no means do I mean that Gergiev is a bad conductor.

But now you can no longer hide everything like "Oh yes, he knows Putin quite well".

Now that it's a matter of life and death, the needless annihilation of a nation, you have to approach this subject quite differently.

We in Ukraine have such a rich culture.

And that has long since spread to other countries.

For example, when I conduct in London, I meet former members of my Ukrainian Youth Symphony Orchestra.

The whole world opens up to these people, thanks to culture.

Small children with us speak English better than Russian.

How are things going for you in the next few days and weeks?

I found out about the outbreak of war in Vienna a few hours after conducting Dvořák's Requiem.

I'm in Bologna right now, I have a concert there this Saturday.

We also play a piece by a Ukrainian composer.

I will address the audience beforehand.

Then I'll go back to my apartment in Germany.

I can hardly explain in words how I feel.

You really can't sleep.

You are so shocked by what you see and experience.

Orchestras and festivals are constantly asking me which pieces by Ukrainian composers could be performed.

Vladimir Jurowski got in touch immediately, as did Kirill Petrenko.

Everyone is shocked.

And so am I.

The interview was conducted by Markus Thiel.