Piacella Duo

Ira Bilyk & Sergiy Ivanchuk

Opera singer Serhii Ivanchuk evacuated more than 100 Ukrainians with his car
and lost his fingers to Russian gunfire when evacuating a medical clinic from Kharkiv.

29-year-old Serhii doesn’t have any military experience. He recently returned from studying in Italy. But he has a car and he decided to use it. For the first two weeks of the full-scale Russian invasion, the volunteer evacuated around 100 people. He recalls driving people out, and two or three days later, their houses being destroyed by Russian missiles.

On March 10, he helped to take out equipment from a hospital in Kharkiv. The volunteer came under fire by Russian occupiers. He was shot in his legs, spine, lungs, and liver. Serhii also felt that he had lost fingers on one hand. But he says that he just couldn’t miss the chance to help peaceful civilians.

Doctors said that he would hardly be able to walk, and that he would have to forget about singing. However, after 2.5 years, Serhiy was able to recover and also invent his own vocal technique.

At the concert, Serhiy captivated the audience with an array of stories and jokes, adding a personal and engaging touch to the evening. The event was thoughtfully divided into two parts: the first featured more classical pieces, including Schubert’s Ave Maria and Andriy’s Aria from Hulak-Artemovsky’s opera Zaporozhets (Cossack) za Dunayem.

Serhiy’s stories touched everyone deeply—some laughed, some cried. Singing together made the evening even more special, as Ukrainians and Swedes in the audience joined in, creating a warm and joyful atmosphere filled with shared songs and connection.

The second part shifted to a vibrant selection of Ukrainian folk and pop songs, celebrating the richness of Ukrainian culture. Throughout the concert, the audience was treated to premiere performances of several arrangements crafted by Ira Bilyk, making the evening truly special. Click to learn more about Serhiy..

Sergey is a participant in the film

‘Soldiers of Song’, a documentary following Ukrainian musicians in the wake of the Russian invasion.

The film, which debuted at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York earlier this year, captures the personal stories of musicians who share firsthand accounts of the invasion. Featuring artists from genres ranging from metal to opera, it documents how their lives have been transformed by the war and how they now use their musical talents to support their communities during the ongoing conflict, including touring the frontlines to perform for Ukrainian soldiers.

‘Soldiers of Song’ has been shown at locations across the US and Europe, with further UK screenings to be announced soon. For more information, visit their website: soldiersofsongfilm.com