Vox Humana of War: Ukrainian Art Music as a Mode of Resistance (2022–24)

Abstract

Since 2014, when the Russian war against Ukraine began, and especially after the full-scale invasion started, numerous cultural actions have emerged as acts of Ukrainian cultural resistance. Resistance studies are characterized by their interdisciplinarity, enabling the application of their methodologies across various fields. At the heart of resistance is a refusal to accept oppression. It has been observed that, during the war in Ukraine, composers and their creative works have been resisting both the wartime circumstances and the political narratives propagated by Russia. Generally, artistic creativity stands against the violence and death inherent in war, generating new meanings that reflect and capture the emotions, desires, and hopes of Ukrainians. This article examines theories of resistance to provide a framework for analyzing compositions dedicated to the theme of war, and explores the mode of resistance in Ukrainian art music. Specifically, I focus on the composition Vox Humana (2023) by Roman Grygoriv, written for an MRLS BM-27 Uragan missile and chamber orchestra. Uniquely, this work uses a missile fragment as a musical instrument, illustrating a meaning-making process within the resistance narrative that remains deeply relevant to Ukrainians today.