Spring will be different

20 March 2022… the world celebrates the International Day of Happiness, and according to the calendar spring at last comes into its own... and many other things happened on this day.

Amid the boundless space of things that matter to us, there was an event of high spiritual significance – CHARITY.

Today the fairly spacious St James’s Lutheran Church in Tapa was packed with people whose eyes shone with boundless love and warmth, and tears glistened in them again and again… People gathered in this place, sacred to them, to pay tribute to the Ukrainian people, who are defending their freedom, independence and right to choose their own path, who today are bravely defending their country and shielding the whole of Europe with their bodies. Those who came to pay tribute to and support the Ukrainian people understand this well...

On the initiative of the heads of Tapa Parish’s creative groups – in particular Tiiu Tikkerber, artistic director of the Lehtse Chamber Choir, and the heads of the Lehtse and Tapa culture houses, Leelo Jürimaa and Heili Pihlak – and with the support of creative people and groups from the whole region, a charity concert titled “This spring will be different” took place on this Sunday…

Tiiu Tikkerber invited creative people and groups belonging to the Association of Ukrainian Organisations in Estonia to take part, and each considered it an honour to support their homeland in this way.

It is hard to describe in words the atmosphere that reigned in the church today: it was an incredibly lofty unity of souls, thoughts and hearts.

Valdo Reimann, pastor of St James’s Church, addressed those present with words of God’s blessing, and the head of the local government, Alari Kirt, thanked those who came to support Ukraine in this way.

By tradition, the concert opened with the State Anthem of Ukraine, played on the flute by Illia Sliusarenko, a boy from Zaporizhzhia who had to flee the war with his mother and arrived in Estonia in early March.

The Lehtse Chamber Choir together with the Tapa mixed choir “Leetar” performed Ukraine’s spiritual anthem “Bozhe velykyi, yedynyi” and the unforgettable work to Taras Shevchenko’s words “Reve ta stohne Dnipr shyrokyi”, as well as the Estonian people’s similarly spiritual anthem “Mu isamaa on minu arm” to Lydia Koidula’s poem.

Every ensemble and soloist tried to perform a work connected with Ukrainian culture, as well as classical works dominated by the themes of freedom and love for one’s native land.

Our Estonian friends received the performances of Ukrainian musicians and talented amateurs with special warmth: today the duo “Strings of the Soul” – Liudmyla Hramiak and Olena Duminika – performed, along with the newly formed ensemble of old songs “Rodovid” with our “Oksamytivtsi” from Zaporizhzhia, and Illia Sliusarenko, who besides the national anthem played a medley of well-known Ukrainian melodies; we can also proudly call Ukrainian the trio led by Aleksander Aanisepp (Ariana Arutiunian, Nadiia Chuvpylo). The girls were Sunday school pupils not long ago, and today they are accomplished performers. The mandolin orchestra led by Ilmar Kald, well known in our region, also played several Ukrainian melodies.

Soloists and singers of the Estonian National Opera and the Estonian National Male Choir – Sigrid Mutso, Indrek Jurtšenko, Kadri Nirgi and Mart Krõõn – graced the programme with masterful performances of leading works of vocal art.

This truly spiritual celebration ended with a common prayer to the Almighty to send peace to Ukraine and protect the world from further destruction and war...

The Lord’s Prayer was heard today in the languages of its peoples…

For us Ukrainians, such great and boundless support from the Estonian people is a real treasure from which we draw spiritual and even physical strength. We are endlessly grateful to everyone who supports us in these hard days for our people, who shelter our war refugees and share everything they can to bring the war to a victorious end!

In conclusion, the charity concert raised a significant sum – over 2,500 euros – to be handed over to the AUOE charity fund!

In a solemn atmosphere, a protocol on the transfer of the funds raised was signed, for which we are incredibly grateful to our sincere friends in TAPA Parish!

GLORY TO UKRAINE! ELAGU EESTI!!!

Liubov Laur.