A literal band of brothers will be performing next week in the Pittsburgh area.
The performers are members of the Ukrainian armed forces and its nonprofit Cultural Forces organization that has hosted more than 4,500 concerts on the front lines since Russia invaded in February 2022.
“One guy is an opera singer who had his leg blown off by the Russians,” said Ron Esser, owner of Moondog’s in Blawnox. “The violinist is missing an eye. I saw them at Pitt in early June when they were doing something short. They are all just phenomenal musicians, and they were in the trenches in Ukraine until their government asked them to do this goodwill trip to thank the U.S.”
Their war injuries have not stopped them from using music as a positive force both at home and abroad.
Next week, five of the musicians will perform throughout the Pittsburgh area, part of a nationwide goodwill tour to express Ukraine’s thanks to the U.S. for supporting its military.
And it all started with a visit to Moondog’s.
“My cousin is a custodian at Pitt, and one day he called me to say they had a Ukrainian Fulbright Scholar who he was going to bring to Moondog’s (to see a concert),” said June Esser, wife of Moondog’s founder and owner Ron Esser. “They came out and we became fast friends and kept in touch.”
Recently, June Esser received a call from her Ukrainian friend, who was working with Cultural Forces to bring several musicians to the U.S., and was seeking venues in the Pittsburgh area.
“We started calling around and it came together very quickly,” she said. “The Ukrainian Club in Carnegie was very receptive and we asked John Vento if we could use Steamworks Creative (in Gibsonia).”
Below, singer and Cultural Forces member Mykolai Sierga talks about the group’s mission.
The Cultural Forces is an association of Ukrainian artists, well-known in their home country, whose goal is to raise the morale and psychological spirit of the military and civilian populations. They have organized concerts on the front line, in military hospitals, rescue units and de-occupied Ukrainian cities. In June the group has traveled to Chicago and Indianapolis to perform.
The Pittsburgh concerts are:
• June 24 at Steamworks Creative, 4967 William Flinn Hwy., Hampton
• June 25 at Moondog’s, 378 Freeport Road in Blawnox, with guest Billy the Kid
• June 26, 5 p.m. at the Ukrainian American Citizens Club, 302 Mansfield Boulevard in Carnegie
• June 26 at Starlite Lounge, 374 Freeport Road in Blawnox
• June 27 at the Pittsburgh Shrine Center, 1877 Shriners Way in Cheswick, with guest Jimmy Adler
All of the concerts begin at 7 p.m. except where noted. They are free to attend, but Cultural Forces is accepting donations at each event.
“Even if you don’t have money, though, you can come see one of the most moving experiences you’ll have,” Esser said.
“They’re world-class musicians,” Esser said. “They’ve won international awards on their instruments, but a lot of them were on the front lines as recently as a couple months ago.”
She said she feels very passionate about supporting the group.
“What’s going on in the Ukraine is an atrocity and a genocide,” she said. “We want these musicians to feel welcome, comfortable and supported.”
Patrick Varine is a TribLive reporter covering Delmont, Export and Murrysville. He is a Western Pennsylvania native and joined the Trib in 2010 after working as a reporter and editor with the former Dover Post Co. in Delaware. He can be reached at pvarine@triblive.com.