A Concert of Ukrainian Folk Music from the Chornobyl Polissia Region
Marking the 40th anniversary of the Chornobyl nuclear disaster, Portland nonprofit DAWN presents Chornobyl: A Song Never Silenced, a free concert honoring the folk music traditions of the Chornobyl region. On April 17th at Portland State University’s Lincoln Recital Hall, audiences have the rare opportunity to experience centuries-old Ukrainian songs that continue to carry memory, resilience, and cultural identity across generations.
In April 1986, a reactor at the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant exploded, triggering the world’s worst nuclear disaster and forcing entire communities across the region to abandon their homes. As villages emptied, generations of cultural tradition were scattered with them. The Chornobyl Polissia region is especially rich in Ukrainian folk heritage, where villagers preserved a vibrant repertoire of ritual songs, lullabies, wedding music, and seasonal traditions passed down through oral history. Today, some of the villages where these songs were first sung no longer exist as living communities, making this performance a powerful act of remembrance and cultural preservation.
Event Details
Chornobyl: A Song Never Silenced
Lincoln Recital Hall, Portland State University
Friday, April 17 | 7 p.m.
Free admission | Suggested donation: $20
Performed by leading scholars and artists dedicated to preserving Ukrainian folk traditions, the program features the Folklore Trio:
- Inna Kovtun — Ukrainian ethnographer, researcher, and folk singer
- Nadia Tarnawsky — Ukrainian folk singer and researcher
- Hanna Tishchenko — Ukrainian folk singer and folklorist
They will be joined by:
- Valentyn Lysenko, virtuoso bandura player
- Michael Caruso, multi-instrumentalist
Together, the artists guide audiences through a musical journey rooted in the villages surrounding Chornobyl, a region whose cultural heritage remains deeply significant despite the devastation caused by the 1986 nuclear disaster. Inna Kovtun, DAWN Director of Health Equity and Culture, folklorist, and musicologist shares:
“In this concert, it will be less about tragedy and more about the hope and strength of people. Even in the darkest times, people preserve their culture and continue to collect and share these songs.”
Following the performance, Kovtun will lead a Ukrainian singing workshop on Saturday, April 18th from 1–3 p.m., offering participants the enriching opportunity to personally explore the unique vocal styles and village traditions that shaped the music of the region. She notes:
“People in Ukraine are strong and brave, and we have a really beautiful culture and folklore. Some of these songs are more than 500 years old. Preserving them is incredibly important, and this event is a rare chance to experience that living tradition.”
Ukrainian Singing Workshop:
- Saturday, April 18 | 1–3 p.m. | Zidell Yards
- Free admission | Suggested donation: $20
- All are welcome; no prior singing experience or knowledge of Ukrainian is required.
- Space is limited, advance registration is required. Email innak@dawnus.org to register.
Through cultural programming, humanitarian aid, and community engagement, DAWN works to deepen public understanding of the lived experiences of Ukrainians — whose daily realities of war remain difficult for many Americans to imagine.