United 4 Peace

On Tuesday 24 February, our community came together in a historic evening at Bath Abbey: United 4 Peace, a concert marking the fourth anniversary of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The programme featured a magnificent String Nonet by Ukrainian composer Illia Bondarenko – starring world class musicians – and stunning audiovisual production A Woman’s War by composer Kornélia Nemcová and artist Natália Štojková. At the conclusion of the concert, a canvas print of Banksy’s graffiti art in destroyed Borodianka was auctioned for £1000. The evening ended with the Ukrainian National Anthem sung by a local refugee from Uman Yuliia Lut and led by violinist Illia Bondarenko – accompanied by The Argyle String Orchestra, the Courage Choir and local singers.

The event was a powerful tribute to the strength of Ukraine, a celebration of the country’s culture, and a poignant act of solidarity. During the event an amazing £15,000 was…