The Ukrainian national anthem sounded among the flooded houses of Kherson... A volunteer took to this saxophone to give hope to his fellow Ukrainians living in the shadow of bombings.
ADVERTISEMENTArmed only with his saxophone, Andriy Levishchenko clambered onto the roof of a flooded house to play his saxophone.
Surrounded by high water, Levishchenko played the Ukrainian national anthem as Russian shells fell nearby.
After his rendition, which echoed over the floodwaters even as shelling whizzed overhead, a woman passing by on a boat shouted her appreciation and “Glory to Ukraine,” and thanked Levishchenko for “the best musical performance” she’d ever heard.
He responded by hailing Ukraine’s “heroes” and saying: “I want people to know that life keeps going on here.”
The flooding occurred after the collapse of the Kakhovka dam last week on the Dnieper River.
The areas worst hit by the flooding were located along the lower part of the river, which has become a de facto dividing line ever since Ukrainian troops pushed Russian forces back across the river in a counteroffensive last fall.
In an interview, the 46-year-old who worked in logistics and cargo before the war said he learned to play the clarinet at a music school as a youth, then took up the saxophone during the coronavirus pandemic.
Levishchenko said his dream is to one day play the national anthem in Crimea, which he visited regularly as a boy and has been occupied by Russia since 2014.
“Crimea for me is very, very dear … very personal,” he said.
Watch the video above to see him playing.
