"I Won't Be Home for Christmas": Ukrainian soldiers share their versions of popular Christmas songs – video

Ukrainian soldiers have shared their versions of four popular Christmas songs, changing their lyrics to reflect the reality of the war and stress the importance of the world’s support for Ukraine. The songs they chose are Happy Xmas (War is over), Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas, Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow! and I'll Be Home for Christmas.

Source: UNITED24, a Ukrainian fundraising platform launch by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy

Details: Some of the lyrics were altered in each song to reflect the reality of life in Ukraine now. For example, John Lennon’s "war is over" became "war is not over".

"I’ll be home for Christmas" in Frank Sinatra’s original rendition of I’ll Be Home for Christmas, written from the perspective of a soldier returning home from WWII, became "I won’t be home this Christmas" in the Ukrainian version.

"These words coming from Ukrainian soldiers are very genuine and very moving. Ukraine needs support today, on Christmas, and on New Year’s Day. We believe that the world will feel this once again and stand by us," Yaroslava Hres, UNITED24 coordinator, said.

Music videos for the songs were filmed in trenches on the Bakhmut front, against the backdrop of civilian buildings destroyed by Russian occupation forces, including a community centre and a railway station in Lyman, and a school and a gas station in Kostiantynivka, a town located only 15 kilometres away from the front.

The cover versions of the songs were recorded using bandura, a traditional Ukrainian string instrument, flute, guitar, percussion and synthesiser.

Oleksandr Remeza, a soldier from the 110th Separate Territorial Defence Brigade who was injured during fighting near Lysychansk, and Inna Korolenko, a combat medic from the fire support platoon of the 206th Territorial Defence Battalion, played the guitar and sang.

Dmytro Romanchuk, a soldier from the 59th Separate Mechanised Infantry Brigade who defended Kyiv in February 2022, played the bandura and also sang. Mykhailo Adamchak, a paramedic from the Hospitallers Battalion of the Ukrainian Volunteer Army, a musician, and the frontman of the KoraLLi band, played the flute.

Artur Temchenko, a soldier from the 110th Separate Territorial Defence Brigade, actor, and drummer, was in charge of the percussion, and Mykhailo Oliinyk, a soldier from the 59th Separate Mechanised Infantry Brigade, composer, and music producer, played the piano and sang.

Dmytro Dudko, who serves in the 59th Separate Mechanised Infantry Brigade, played the saxophone, with Iryna Kosovska, a combat medic from the 3rd Mechanised Infantry Platoon of the 1st Company of the 10th Edelweiss Special Forces Brigade, Viktoriia Chudakovska, who serves in the 59th Separate Mechanised Infantry Brigade, and Svitlana Cherednychenko, a soloist of the Honoured Academic Orchestra of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, on vocals.

"I have served for almost two years now, and today music is what helps me and my fellow soldiers fighting on the Bakhmut front recover," said Inna Korolenko.

"I really hope that this project will make the world realise that the war is not over and that everyone should get as involved [in the war effort] as possible. The more supporters we have, the more help we will get, and the faster we’ll advance towards victory," Korolenko added. 

Support UP or become our patron!