Echoes of Home
In Berlin’s vibrant arts scene, Ukrainian musicians and artists are using their craft to transform pain into resilience and resistance. With each song and performance, they convey a message of hope, unity, and the enduring strength of culture in times of crisis.
Line-up Manifesto. Photo Credits: via IG @xjazzberlin © All rights belong to their respective owners. No copyright infringement intended.
It’s the beginning of November, and the cold has begun to sneak through thin layers of clothing, settling into people’s bones—autumn’s final act after one of the most beautiful falls Berlin could offer. Everything good comes to an end, they say. Or perhaps, it simply changes form.
On this sunny morning, I find myself at a small café I’ve never visited before, sitting across from Kate, who’s dressed in all black, rolling a cigarette and sipping her morning coffee. She waits for her colleague Kateryna to arrive, smiling as we chat about her work and the project she’s been passionately involved with for years. Pride radiates through her words. Kate is Head of Communications at Vitsche, a Berlin-based NGO founded in 2022, shortly before the Russian full-scale invasion of Ukraine. As she speaks, there’s a knowing smirk, as if the urgency of their mission was evident from the start—a mission she and her team embraced with both courage and foresight.
Just then, we see Kateryna approaching, absorbed in thoughts with earbuds in and sunglasses on. She doesn’t notice us until Kate waves her over. I introduce myself, momentarily unsure whether to hug or offer an Italian-style handshake. We laugh off the indecision and opt for a hug, a warm start to our conversation. Kateryna, wearing a cosy yellow hoodie, has a calm, gentle presence and speaks softly about her work as Vitsche’s Cultural Project Manager.
I recognised her from a few weeks back, at a panel discussion Vitsche organised in collaboration with XJAZZ! Berlin in the basement of the ACUD cultural centre. She held the microphone that night, moderating the discussion and nodding in solidarity with her colleagues as they discussed art’s role in resistance and identity—a role that feels all the more urgent as Ukraine’s story unfolds in the heart of Berlin.
At a recent panel by Vitsche at ACUD, one central question was posed: What is wrong with art for peace? For those less familiar with Ukraine’s history and recent events since the 2022 occupation, this question may seem contradictory. So, why is "art for peace" a controversial narrative? And why do Ukrainians struggle to feel seen, heard, and represented in cultural spaces?
Eva Yakubovska, Chief Project Manager of Vitsche was passionately talking at the panel discussion, she believes that the goal is not just peace but justice, visibility, and a refusal to be silenced. “[Protecting arts] It’s our responsibility as citizens living inside of the country, which means we have to fight because as soon as we assume that we are outside of this discourse someone is going to take our voices and our power away.” she says. “We are not powerless, none of us is powerless, regardless of what politicians want to make us believe, they want to make us feel like we cannot ignite change, but actually we could and we should, and that happens also through arts and culture”.
Vitsche and JAZZ KONTAKT (the project launched by XJAZZ! together with Music Export Ukraine), understand that creating a true space for these voices requires confronting uncomfortable truths, ones that defy simple narratives and ask audiences to reckon with the full weight of Ukrainian experience. Through this partnership, they are doing more than simply giving a stage to artists—they are amplifying the raw, undiluted echoes of home, in all their defiant complexity.
What stands out most strikingly is the resilience Ukrainians have shown since the start of the full-scale war, as well as the emotional toll of continually having to prove that their culture is alive, unique, and independent of any external political power. It is a culture that stands apart from other Eastern European identities and is certainly not subordinate to Russia’s. The collaboration with XJAZZ! offers these artists an invaluable opportunity: to express and affirm their identity without compromise, letting their voices be heard on their own terms.
But Vitsche’s effort doesn’t end here. They host their own flagship music festival, Ukrainian Sound Garden, held in Berlin to celebrate Ukrainian culture and resilience. Since the full-scale invasion, the festival has run six dynamic editions from 2022 to 2024, drawing over 10,000 attendees and showcasing the talents of more than 70 Ukrainian and Berlin-based artists in a vibrant cultural exchange. Serafyma Brig, Vitsche's Cultural Project Manager and Curator, believes that Ukrainian Sound Garden can beautifully blend traditional Ukrainian celebrations, such as Christmas and Midsummer, with Berlin’s contemporary arts scene, proving that, contrary to assumptions, Ukrainian music has depth and diversity.Each festival event is thoughtfully curated, featuring workshops, live performances, art installations, and pop-up markets that bring the flavours, sights, and sounds of Ukraine to Berliners.
Vitsche has also partnered with Fusion Jams, a Kyiv-based jazz collective equally dedicated to supporting Ukrainian artists. Together, they have created a solid cross-border bridge that not only amplifies Ukrainian culture but also fosters vital spaces for mutual support, underscoring the message that art knows no borders when it comes to resistance.
This year, Vitsche and Fusion collaborated on “Integration Diary,” a reflective jam session at the festival and an upcoming documentary on Ukrainian musicians in Berlin, curated by Brig. The focus is on experimental genres—electronic, harsh noise, post-black metal, breakcore—examining how Berlin influences these musicians and how they, in turn, are reshaping the city’s music scene. The documentary highlights visionary artists who have been active for years and some pioneers in their genres in Ukraine. This project aims to preserve their stories, capture the evolution of Berlin’s music scene, and document the history of sound itself.
Uplifting artists is not these collectives’ only goal, instead they also serve deeper purposes: they are dedicated to raising funds for critical projects, from humanitarian aid to cultural preservation initiatives, like building a bomb shelter school for Ukrainian kids to ensure their safety in such complicated times. Combating social isolation, and safeguarding education, they are giving these children the opportunity to continue leading an everyday life, even in the face of life-threatening challenges such as the Russian shelling attacks in the Kharkiv region, where the school is located.
As we continued talking, we shared stories about artists who have taken their work from galleries to the frontlines, like those graffiti artists painting vehicles bound for soldiers. Their art, once meant for exhibitions, now serves as both camouflage and a message of unity—a bold reminder that even in the darkest times, creativity finds a way to uplift and protect. We also spoke about the warmth and connection fostered by Berlin’s Monday Kitchen, a collective that gathers Ukrainians each week to share traditional meals. For a few hours, they find themselves back home, enveloped by familiar tastes and the warmth of their community—a crucial source of support and connection.
Over the past three years, these communities have accomplished so much to maintain a sense of normalcy while remaining aware of the circumstances surrounding them. Preserving art and advocating for Ukrainian subjectivity are fundamental to preventing the erasure of culture and combating Russian disinformation. This allows them to connect on a deeper level with the places they call home, even when it’s still difficult to return and feel the same.
Kate and Kateryna smile as we wrap up, their hands turning red in the chilly breeze, a reminder of how long we’ve been sitting outside this café, deep in conversation. Our stomachs are starting to remind us it’s time to eat, but there’s something sustaining about this dialogue. They have run me through historical facts, through the significance of language and a few funny childhood stories. They’re both as anxious as they are excited about the projects they’re working on, and in a city of nearly four million, we discover we know some of the same people. It’s funny how Berlin, despite its size, can make strangers feel unexpectedly connected.
But after this morning, I like to believe Kate, Kateryna, and I are no longer strangers. I like to believe that dialogue can spark positive change—through exchange, understanding, listening, and open confrontation. And I want to believe that art and music will never die because there’s one unbreakable truth about them: no one can ever truly silence sound.
...speaking of which, if you're curious to dive deeper into the spirit of Vitsche, check out their specially curated Spotify playlist—a collection of tracks that capture the uniqueness, passion, and energy of Ukrainian music.
