Recommendations from the Kyiv Independent: The Ukrainian pop music scene in the 1970s (Patreon)

Hello, dear members of the Kyiv Independent community, 

My name is Anastasiia Mozghova, and I am the executive producer of the War Crimes Investigations Unit. 

Before I joined the Kyiv Independent, radio was one of my passions. While at university, I was a member of an online student radio station — I started as a producer, and later, I had a chance to lead the whole radio team. 

Today, I’d like you to imagine that my letter is the voice of a DJ host who invites you to explore the Ukrainian music scene of the 1970s. I’d like us to focus on the genre that I’d call Ukrainian “estrada” — pop music that interweaves a bit of blues, funk, and even folklore motives — a sign of those times. 

Regardless of the year of release, many of these songs feel modern, fun, and authentic. And if I get too serious, I think this music deserves to be known worldwide as part of Ukrainian culture. 

First, we have “Zhuravka” by Tetiana Kocherhina, which is a funky, dreamy, and very romantic song. It has a bit of a sadness to it. The main motive is a woman telling a story of an unrequited love. She turns to Zhuravka — a tender way to say “crane” in Ukrainian — to tell her story. The strings of the instruments that you hear in the background make me feel like a bird that flies. I like how this effect allows freedom and space for various emotions and fantasies while listening.    

Next: “Matchless World of Beauty” by Nazarii Yaremchuk. Nazarii Yaremchuk is a legendary figure in Ukrainian music — a singer with a unique voice and unmatched charisma. He is most known for singing one of the most popular Ukrainian songs, “Chervona Ruta.” I do not know a Ukrainian who would not be able to sing at least the chorus of this song. Often, when a crowd of Ukrainians gathers and the tone of the event allows it, someone always starts singing “Chervona Ruta” — I’ve heard it with my own ears. 

Yet, I want you to listen to Nazarii Yaremchuk’s song that is a tribute to the beauty of the Carpathian Mountains. When I hear this song, it brings such positivity to my day, as if the sun were brightening the room. All of a sudden, I feel inspired and relaxed — and I hope that's what this song will bring to you. Please, listen and come back to the next tune. 

The next song is called “Kateryna,” and this is a Ukrainian version of the name Katherine and is a love song of admiration for a woman with such a name. (I like to play it for the Katherines I know :) ) It’s by the vocal-instrumental ensemble Arnika. My favorite part of the song starts at the second minute, where you can hear all the different voices of the singers, which for me, sound like the continuation of a dialogue with words. You can listen to “Kateryna” by VIE Arnika here. 

The last song of today’s recommendation would be “My dear flock of sheep” by Ihor Bilozir and VIE Vatra. I can’t skip it in today’s list, even though the release date of this version was in the early 80s. 

The song is an address, a conversation of a shepherd and his flock of sheep. He says: “My dear sheep, who's gonna be your shepherd when I die…?” I am fascinated by the contrast of lyrics and music. I envision the main character of the song in the Carpathians, in a village. But somehow, being a woman from the steppes of Donbas, I can still relate and empathize with the lyrics. 

Usually, such lyrics would naturally go with the folklore tune, but here, the music is very modern for the time. It’s jazzy, bluesy, and airy. It’s even dreamy and very romantic. If you are a Pink Floyd fan, this song is for you! 

Sometimes I feel like discovering tunes of Ukrainian “estrada” is one of my hobbies. Some songs are more popular than others. Yet, there are many masterpieces that stay on vinyl and are not widely spread among the listeners on the internet. Many songs of that time are scattered among DJ mixes on different platforms and are not even on streaming platforms like Spotify. What I like more than discovering such tunes is sharing them with others, and I am glad you were my listeners today.