Bath, UK
9 Dec 2025
A powerful anniversary fundraiser marking four years since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Early-bird tickets now available.
Four years on from the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Friends of Oleksandriya are hosting a major fundraising concert at Bath Abbey on Tuesday 24 February 2026.
United 4 Peace will be a deeply moving evening of Ukrainian music, storytelling, and cultural remembrance. Early-bird tickets are now on sale via Bath Box Office.
Curated by Friends of Oleksandriya founder and Chair Zhenya Shkil, the concert marks the fourth anniversary of the full-scale invasion, a moment that changed Europe forever. The programme features the world-renowned violinists Illia Bondarenko and Kerenza Peacock, who will appear together in person for the first time since their virtual collaboration went viral in 2022. They will be joined by seven instrumentalists including Steven Doman of the London Symphony Orchestra, Wallis Power of the BBC Symphony Orchestra, and Roger McCann of the Belfast Ensemble, performing Bondarenko’s original String Nonet. Composed in 2022, the work captures the emotional landscape of the war’s first year, reflecting Ukraine’s suffering, resistance, and unbroken spirit.
The evening also includes “A Woman’s War”, an audiovisual production by composer Kornélia Nemcová and artist Natália Štojková. Based on twelve in-depth interviews with Ukrainian women aged 19 to over 60, the work brings forward stories rarely heard in wartime narratives, blending Ukrainian folk and choral traditions with immersive sound design. Following its premiere at Blackheath Halls and subsequent festival screenings, a new version will be presented in Bath Abbey with vocal trio The Ruffians, Bath’s Argyle String Orchestra, and members of the Courage Choir.
A special charity auction will take place during the event featuring a limited-edition canvas print of Banksy’s artwork created in the ruined city of Borodianka. One of only ten prints produced, the piece travelled through Europe before reaching Bath and will raise vital funds for humanitarian support in Oleksandriya.
United 4 Peace promises to be an extraordinary evening of reflection, cultural expression, and collective strength. It also presents a meaningful Christmas gift opportunity, with early-bird tickets available until 31 December 2025.