“Ukraine is a frontier society and I have a frontier mentality. I thrive in this kind of chaos.” Max Leonov, 45, knocks back a double espresso at the bar of Buenavista, his Cuban restaurant and venue in downtown Kyiv. He scrutinizes a group at a noisy table, his pale skin, …
Read More »They Once Made Music in Ukraine. Now They're Fighting for Their Country
Until last month, Sasha Boole spent his days writing more of the ruminative folk-rock songs he’d been releasing in his native Ukraine for about a decade, with titles like “Waiting for the Doom” and “Music to Watch the World Dying.” But these days, his focus is elsewhere — on, he …
Read More »Ukrainian Punk Band Rerecords the Clash Classic as 'Kyiv Calling': 'A Symbol of Solidarity and Hope'
A Ukrainian punk band has rerecorded the Clash’s classic “London Calling” as a protest song and a resistance anthem against the Russian invasion. Beton, a punk-hardcore trio, received permission from the surviving members of the Clash before recording “Kyiv Calling,” which changes the lyrics of the 1979 single as a …
Read More »Ukrainian Band Closes SXSW With Bold Protest, Bob Dylan's 'Masters of War'
Oleksandra Zaritska — colloquially known as Sasha — does not constitute the whole of Kazka, yet she’s the only member of the Ukrainian electronic-folk band who was able to attend the band’s 2022 showcase at SXSW. Like so many of her peers, this appearance was a do-over for the scrapped …
Read More »A Boogaloo Boi Tried to Join the Foreign Legion In Ukraine — It Didn't End Well
When Henry Hoeft decided to join the foreign legion in Ukraine, he pitched his local newspaper on the story. The result for the 28-year-old was a PR coup: A glowing front-page profile in the Columbus Dispatch. The piece described him, appealingly, as “as a former infantryman in the U.S. Army …
Read More »Zelensky 'Ready' to Negotiate with Putin, But Warns of 'Third World War' if Talks Collapse
Ukraine‘s President Volodymyr Zelensky said he is ready and willing to negotiate with Russian President Vladimir Putin, who has led a violent invasion into the sovereign nation in recent weeks, bombing heavily populated areas and displacing millions of Ukrainians. Those negotiations, however, could lead to a much bigger global conflict …
Read More »Pope Francis Condemns Russia's Invasion of Ukraine: 'In the Name of God, Stop!'
Pope Francis condemned Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in a series of tweets Sunday, marking the pontiff’s most pointed statement toward the Russia government’s “barbarism” and “unacceptable armed aggression.” While Pope Francis has often called for peace amid the Ukraine invasion, he had refrained from directly criticizing Russia. However, on Saturday, …
Read More »U.S. Filmmaker Brent Renaud Shot and Killed in Ukraine
American filmmaker and journalist Brent Renaud was shot and killed by Russian troops in Irpen, Ukraine, Kyiv’s regional police force announced Sunday. Renaud’s brother and collaborator Craig confirmed his death at the age of 50 to the New York Times, adding that Brent was in Ukraine to film refugees leaving …
Read More »Zelensky Thirst Is Making Liberals Look Like Absolute Clowns
Every few years, during times of great political and sociocultural turmoil, liberals seek respite by sexually objectifying the first halfway decent-looking man they see. It happened with Michael Avenatti in 2016, then Robert Mueller the following year, and Gov. Andrew Cuomo during the 2020 pandemic. Sometimes, this sentiment results in …
Read More »Roger Waters Calls Putin's Invasion of Ukraine 'The Act of a Gangster'
Roger Waters condemns Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in an open letter to 19-year-old Ukrainian woman named Alina Mitrofanova. “I am disgusted by [Russian President Vladimir] Putin’s invasion of Ukraine,” he wrote Wednesday. “It is a criminal mistake in my opinion, the act of a gangster. There must be an immediate …
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