Although all three of us were born in Russia we have deep ancestral roots in Ukraine. Oleg and Anton are of Ukrainian Ashkenazy extraction and Vadim comes from the Ukrainian Romani tribe known as the Servs. The lives of our parents and grandparents were profoundly affected by Stalin's repressions and the Holocaust. In our childhoods, we learned of the horrors of the past not through books and movies, but through the testimonials of our relatives who witnessed them firsthand. For our generation, the war was a distant, yet ever-present memory. Today, our ancestral homeland is once again bathed in blood. Once again, the cities are in ruins, countless children are made orphans, countless peaceful citizens are dead, and countless women are raped. We are devastated by the thought that these horrors have been unleashed by our motherland!

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We are appalled and outraged by the unjustified and cruel war initiated by Russia. We condemn Russian aggression and stand with Ukraine and her heroic, freedom-loving people!

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At the time that Russia is attempting to systematically break the will of the Ukrainian people by assaulting their cultural institutions and even their language, we feel that it is our responsibility to draw attention to Ukraine's vast musical heritage. Hence, our programs include many arrangements of Ukrainian folk songs, as well as songs by other ethnic communities that for centuries called Ukraine their home.  It is our very humble way of expressing our solidarity with Ukraine and her brave, persevering people!