By Kamal Morgan, Pensacola News Journal | Victoria Adamenko was born in Donetsk, Ukraine, in the 1960s when it was the territory of the Soviet Union. Her parents and grandmother were also born there, but her nostalgic childhood memories from the country are with her grandmother, who was an opera singer.
So when the Escambia County music teacher learned that Russia bombed the Donetsk Regional Drama Theatre in Mariupol, Ukraine, a theater her grandmother had most likely performed in, Adamenko was devastated.
“I was feeling helpless. I didn’t know what to do to help Ukraine,” Adamenko said on seeing the devastation.
Not having the finances to immediately help, she decided to throw a benefit performance instead, intentionally including children to create an uplifting experience.
So when the Escambia County music teacher learned that Russia bombed the Donetsk Regional Drama Theatre in Mariupol, Ukraine, a theater her grandmother had most likely performed in, Adamenko was devastated.
“I was feeling helpless. I didn’t know what to do to help Ukraine,” Adamenko said on seeing the devastation.
“I wanted to oppose that sadness and offer something more like light,” Adamenko said.
Now with the help of the Pensacola Jewish Federation, Adamenko and her husband, Moscow, Russia, native Leonid Yanovskiy, director of strings and orchestra at the University of West Florida, are holding a free Ukraine benefit performance at 7:00 p.m., May 21st at Temple Beth El. They will be accepting donations for the Ukrainian people.
Yanovskiy’s mother is a native of Ukraine.
The performance will start with drinks and refreshments at 6:30 pm. and will feature Adamenko on piano and Yanovskiy on violin, playing a variety of classical music from J.S. Bach, Dvorak and Massenet, among others.
Read the whole story here:
https://www.yahoo.com/news/shes-ukraine-hes-russia-escambia-110118573.html
She’s from Ukraine. He’s from Russia. Escambia Musicians to Hold Ukrainian-aid Concert
