These Grandmothers Are Recording Ukraine’s Folk Music Traditions | Atlas Obscura

These Ukrainian grandmothers are helping preserve the long history of Ukraine’s folk music.
Miklós Both, founder of the Polyphony Project, is on a mission: to collect folk music in Ukraine. In the last four years, the project has visited over 100 different villages and recorded 2000 songs sung by the women in each village. All these folk songs are then compiled into a digital archive, as a way to preserve the long-standing musical folklore tradition of each Ukrainian village.
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CREDITS
Directed and Produced by
Frederick Bernas
Executive Producers
Doug Baldinger
Chris Naka
Edited by:
Frederick Bernas
Additional Video:
Polyphony Project
polyphonyproject.com
Special Thanks
Miklós Both
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[@atlasobscura]

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[@petrasanton3726]

I wonder if the collection of this songs was uploaded anywhere. I was unable to find it and would be grateful if you'd leave a link to the collection, if it was published.

[@janeymckay1966]

So prophetic that you recorded this music. You may have helped save Ukraines culture.

[@nigelbilsby3826]

Also because of the war in Ukraine, the songs need to be saved!

[@Sasha-Sabelnikov]

@@nigelbilsby3826 a lot of people in Ukraine nowadays would change melodies, would change harmonies and then would say that this was our heritage and our music. The ones you've recorded are the exact melodies and vibes I still remember from my childhood while staying in my grandmother's village. So (in a sense) we need to have these saved from some Ukrainians as well.

[@JSLEnterprises]

But its not just Ukraine's culture, Its slavic culture. Ukraine is but one of many Ethnic groups of Slavs, which all sing the White Voice.

[@Sasha-Sabelnikov]

@@JSLEnterprises it’s Ukrainian, I confirm: the same songs sang my grandmother with her sisters and their older relatives. I was very young then, but i remember it perfectly. Technic may vary but the same harmonies and the same melodies.

[@gafisher001]

I had the privilege of spending some time teaching in Ukraine, and fell in love with the people. They seem, at least those I encountered, to have a natural ability and inclination to sing beautifully, and most showed a talent for drawing and painting which many of us would study for years to acquire. Sadly, the country is rapidly losing its innocence and, with it, much of its soul seems to be fading. Bravo for the effort to preserve at least the memory.

[@atlasobscura]

Thanks for sharing, Gary-where'd you end up teaching?

[@johnogle1816]

I had only a month there. But would like to go back. After the virus is contained. I also fell in love with the country and the people. From New Zealand.

[@jwbarnhartmusic]

To lose one’s past is to lose one’s connection to the earth. Please don’t forget your music and dance. Most of us have and we are lessor people due to having lost it. Ask your grandparents for stories of the past. The older generation has so much to give.

[@camillastacey4674]

Last week I feel in love with a woman who made tiny versions of giant versions of small things, this week I fall in love with singing Ukrainian grannies

[@atlasobscura]

Hey, that's our job ;)

[@freakifications]

This is incredible. Some heroes wear capes, some have recorders. Kudos to you, sir. Keep up the good work!

[@atlasobscura]

We'll pass along the compliments - thank you for watching! :)

[@45HatesOurVets]

@ s and some heros wear Babushkas 😄

[@potcrock3562]

@@45HatesOurVets hahaha

[@nametry3]

I don't know how these ladies do it, but they bring me to the verge of tears, even though I don't understand Ukrainian. Their music is so powerful, thank you for sharing it

[@stephss]

Sometimes, we forget the value of the things we take for granted. This was bitter sweet. My heart goes out to the Ukrainian people, and thank you for recording this. I hope it will help heal, once the conflict is over. Sending love from Canada. 💌

[@olivianicoloff2998]

brought me to tears, thank you for archiving these beautiful traditions i never had the chance of sharing with my family over there. missing my baba even more than i usually do

[@virghammer1]

Thank you SO much! This is PRICELESS. Live, Ukraine! We are behind you. You are so awe-inspiring, during this invasion horror. What COURAGE. These precious people, these wonderful ladies! And bless Miklos Both. (Wow, his English is terrific!) WE LOVE YOU, UKRAINE!

[@1969monksey]

The world is still the same , when you have nothing you try too cheer yourselves up , singing , Ireland 🇮🇪 has the same a history of songs 😍 what a wonderful thing you are doing ❤️

[@nataliadyuk1464]

indeed we share s lot in common, famine, fighting for our freedom. Btw watched recently a film cslled Belfast, a nice one

[@melissab3217]

Hearing this feels like electricity through the body, and I can't help but cry from the emotion. Not sad tears, just pure emotion from this beautiful music.

[@martaguran5557]

I'm blessed to still have my mama,she will be 95yrs old! She lives watching theses videos and remembering....looks just like these beautiful Baba's!!!😍

[@oleksiizemskov1321]

Thank you for this amazing work. I'm from Ukraine and we really started to loose our national identity when soviet union came. And even after it. It was going till 2014 I think. Now we trying to support and develop our national traditions. And what is even more important we started to love and respect it.

[@josephstalin9357]

Russian empire was much more repressive to minority cultures then USSR. Most measures were before 1917

[@lenniebaby17]

@@josephstalin9357 username checks out

[@SamuraiKai]

I’m Ukrainian Canadian

[@camille-bettinaatkinson6412]

This music is so beautiful. Thank you for capturing this. I pray these voices and and these villages are safe but that seems unlikely. You are right. Music is power. I send the most Earnest wishes for peace and gratitude for this work and the music...

[@neveahbaranko7271]

I grew up in a highly Ukrainian community in the US, and so I've always been so deeply rooted in my heritage. Every year, I have the pleasure of participating in a Ukrainian dance group. I wasn't able to this year because of COVID-19, but these songs warm my heart. Their voices are so beautiful and comforting. This is the type of music that I was wreathed to, and so it holds such a special place in my heart.

[@VladMachevus]

It’s one thing seeing a bunch of OG Babushkas signing. But it’s another thing when my grandma would sign me Ukrainian folk songs when I was a kid back in Ukraine.

[@nataliadyuk1464]

they are called babusi, in Ukrainian, babushka- is russian

[@danielmorgan2416]

I wish there were subtitles for the lyrics of the songs too!

[@shwabb1]

There are on the project's official website, but no translation, only transliteration

[@dukejivetalker7541]

amazing Ukrainian culture has been under threat from fascists, communists and many other enemies, and yet it has persisted by the strength of Ukrainian people. Slava Ukrayini

[@loveofanimalsinc.visaliaca8508]

I was born and raised in germany in the 60s snd 70s. Our area had a lot of ww2 refugees a lot of Hungarians, Slovakians and Ukrainians. One day you'd hear the Slovakian women singing together in a backyard. Another day you'd hear the ukrainian women and so on. I couldn't understand a words of any of their languages, but the sound was beautiful 😍

[@winnipeggal3230]

Reminds me of the Poplarfield town (Manitoba, Canada) concerts I attended as a child, where my Baba was a member of the ladies choir. Poplarfield is nearly a ghost town today. This video made me cry.

[@natalieturko4808]

This is a unique sound which I wouldn't even know how to duplicate, but is part of Ukrainian tradition which makes it so special and worthy of preservation. The multiple harmonies that the singers just naturally fall into, are raw and haunting.

[@TheHighPriestessStudio]

That was beautiful. God bless them 🙏🌹

[@atlasobscura]

It really was beautiful. Brb, trying to learn Ukrainian folk songs as we speak...

[@rensinavandenheuvel8882]

Thank you...this is beautiful and I love your culture. The women are keeping a culture alive. Lots of love to you all from Australia. Thank you Miklos Both for creating this project

[@Goosebelldog]

This is so wholesome. Sending love from Sweden! 🇸🇪💕

[@13xxamberxx]

What wonderful women. They are saving my culture.

[@ZhenechkaMs]

❤️❤️ thank you for preserving our culture

[@borisbash]

What a marvellous project. I favoured Woman at War music several weeks ago as I just love this music. It is similar to Pacific Islander singing. I hope the ladies know they are much admired even from Australia.

[@debbieomi]

I love this sooooooo much! We have to preserve this important history and expose the young folks beginning at a young age. My 22 year old son is just as comfortable listening to this as he would be any pop song from now, the Beach Boys, Grandpa Jones, Jethro Tull, or, really anything! I tried my best to share all of the richness of music with him. Thank you, Miklos, for your work!

[@nicholassmith490]

Hi

[@Azety93]

It's my dream to follow you during the records. I was living in unriane from 2p24 to 2017 and I still go there every year

[@45HatesOurVets]

BABAS!!!! My greatgrandma looked just like them 😀

[@NotaCapn]

This is such important work!

[@ZhovtoBlakytniy]

Polyphonic singing grannies of Ukraine, rejoice! My children love this style so much and learn the folk songs. My almost 2 year old son insists on listening to them to relax (he tries to sing and does a wiggle dance to indicate this), thank you for putting them on the Internet for us young folks ❤❤❤

[@bijujoze4043]

Excellent, Love from India

[@nicoladavies4499]

Great project, for all the reasons given in the commentary. Important for young people to learn their own songs and also the folk traditions of other countries to encourage mutual respect and connection.

[@Shamustodd1]

So cool. I'm glad someone cares enough to not let this be lost to change.

[@kunik61]

Thank you for talking about our actual culture.

[@erpthompsonqueen9130]

Thank goodness you were able to do this before the invasion.

[@arsenosii5961]

Thanks bro from Ukraine❤ Ukraine Slavic people💙💛

[@smsmsmsmsmsm]

I love music like this. Of course the UK used to have a lot of folk music but it was mostly driven out, I would love if this type of traditional music still existed. Especially in London, where I have lived my whole life, there isn’t much traditional anything. I love our current culture of modern England but I wish there was more opportunity for us to have things like this, especially as a young person :)

[@smsmsmsmsmsm]

Some of them have amazing powerful voices I love it

[@DalDagor90]

3:36 yeah! This is the right place where to sing songs! My grandmas always sing like this)

[@henriqueribeiro8167]

Man the grannies can sing!

[@babalon7778]

I want this to happen everywhere!

[@CallemJayNZ]

What's that? All women 30 and older have to join a community choir? 😂

[@dianneredd3031]

Awesome I want all these songs Slava Ukrainska babcia !!!

[@Nepomniachtchi_Austin]

That is beautfil, you are doing far more than you think you are. Cheers from the US

[@oanatienko]

Their cooking is Unbelievable! Oksana (me) will be there....

[@Poetjanstie]

Such an important thing to do … recording the songs of traditional folk music, like oral histories, is the only way to preserve the true stories and legends of a region’s history. Unlike the history written by conquering empires!

[@halyna-fv7ci]

Thank you so much ❤

[@dianneredd3031]

Thank Gid you started this before the war

[@erpthompsonqueen9130]

Thank you. Watching from Alaska.

[@Gorg0nops]

first song sounds exactly like Oy Tam Na Gory

[@nicoladavies4499]

Ps. Love the flower patterns of the ladies' scarves

[@wendyryan5333]

Bless these songs ❤️🙏❤️🌈

[@belizeguy]

Very important!

[@Cody_Benoun]

I haven't the faintest idea what they're saying, yet I'm tearing up

[@catnap387]

Love these ladies and their work. Precious!

[@mpfeiffer7996]

Thanks for this worthy project! I've been scouring the internet for a song my didi used to sing. I believe it was about a wolf chasing a girl in the woods. I'd love to hear it again...

[@4rl0ng]

Damn this gave me chills

[@IncendiaHL]

This is so unbelievably precious! Thank you!

[@trackhorse9028]

When old men sing, it's usually not so good. These women are clear as crystal

[@oliverbender3764]

I guess it depends on how you control your voice, to maintain a tonal stability, and of course your voice in general, the cadence. Otherwise, men are perhaps less likely to have ever sung in a choir, or in their free-time on their own. But I wouldn't consider men in general to be less fond of singing as clearly as women, although I would normally agree with you.

[@trackhorse9028]

@@oliverbender3764 I agree. The original recording is actually sung by older working fishermen- kzbin.info/www/bejne/rHOxmnWLp8h1h8U

[@karenagreen2976]

It depends. Irish old men are awesome. Choirboy background, maybe

[@HowievYT]

Stand with Ukraine.

[@lakemanson8051]

I am here looking for the channel that is like this! Where has it gone? i miss my songs people sang., Where did it go?

[@bonsummers2657]

I'm interested in old/traditional instrumental focused Ukrainian music

[@juniperays]

you should check out laboratorium pieśni.

[@animalmother5091]

Very nice

[@bratdfortd]

omg i've been listening to these exact recordings for some time now, interesting to see them

[@Skyewalker1000]

God help the people of the Ukraine x

[@genes2311]

This is so cool 😎 Viva 🇺🇦

[@frankmoon2137]

Does anyone know where this archive can be found and if it's accessible to the public?

[@neorientalist]

Yes youtube.com/@PolyphonyProject-folkmusic

[@ethnotraveller]

Чудово

[@TolKOZAK]

Молодець

[@stealtho]

hopefully theyre safe rn

[@TheJessie1949]

Love it

[@heroyamslava666]

Slava Ukraini

[@anna-ki5xf]

it’s beautiful

[@creatress_savanna]

Beautiful work! Is there a database of songs and lyrics available somewhere?

[@shwabb1]

Yes, on KZbin and the project's website

[@chengloki]

My Babchi passed away 30 years ago. I still miss her. This is bad, I miss babchi more than my mother. Am I a bad person??? =Stefan=

[@limaanzadegi5397]

LOVE

[@ratibor_shevchenko]

Where we can hear or buy these records? I'd really like to listen to it.

[@awilderstories]

Many of them don't look old enough to be Grandmothers! I wonder where they are now. 😪

[@SharikSobaka]

I thought I was gonna listen to the songs? Where can I listen to the recordings?

[@shwabb1]

KZbin or the project's official website

[@pallych]

Why the heck is our, ukrainian people of culture dont give a damn bout our songs, our heritage and all. Even our president dont speak ukrainian, and people like Miklós is saving ukraininan heritage when OUR PEOPLE just dont care

[@ballygassoon]

Wow !

[@BreatheDJOY]

Blessings~ Good Music 🗝Holds 🕊Pure Truth & Kindness Matter ~ When World Fail 🎶Music Speaks ~ Thank You! Yes! ~Preserve The Music Of The Sovereign People Of All Lands ~ 🙏🏼💞🎶⚖️🕊

[@nicholassmith490]

Hi

[@nikiTricoteuse]

I'm only up to 0:22 and l'm already in love with these women. Sláva Ukrayíni.

[@teanfoylat]

Link to Polyphony Project channel - kzbin.info/door/PSBclpJVHiU0gJ6nwtknlQ

[@13xxamberxx]

Please do one on enthic ukrainian hairstyles... this is hard to find

[@gipsybulldog3286]

Babuske ❤️

[@shwabb1]

Babusi

[@tamerov2387]

The Babushkas seem so pure and lighthearted!

[@shwabb1]

*Babusi

[@DawnAveryArtist]

Does anyone know the name of this beautiful song?

[@shwabb1]

Туга за тугою, журба за журбою

[@tomanopiteeee]

can any1 tell me the name of the first folk song they sing? pls

[@iosyprudnytskyi1825]

PLEASE, i would be happy to listen all the songs they sang, could anyone send link or site where I can found it?

[@sinijsaxar]

@PoliphonyProject

[@iosyprudnytskyi1825]

​@@sinijsaxarthanks!

[@IzaMladenova]

such a cuties

[@luggilu7864]

02:50 give that poor boy some water or something xD But jokes aside this is pretty wholesome

[@anna-ki5xf]

i want to learn how to sing these songs

[@kosmasnick7417]

How all grannys sit in the same position?

[@denizozgurozer2892]

Aynı bizim teyzeler lan duygulandım

[@Sasha-Sabelnikov]

So where can I listen to it?

[@frederickbernas4820]

youtube.com/@PolyphonyProject-folkmusic

[@Sasha-Sabelnikov]

Thank you so much,@@frederickbernas4820 ! I've been looking for my country's music everywhere. It is so beautiful. It almost exact the same to what actually my grandmother was singing when I was a little kid. Thank you so much for preserving this beauty and our legacy! God bless you!

[@universe25.x]

Ой таааааам на гориии