Obiymy (Embrace Me)

Sharing the Light of Hope

“I lie on the floor, washed by nothing and hanging on. I cry at night. I am afraid of hearing voices, or a voice. I have come to the edge, of the land. I could get pushed over.”
― Margaret Atwood

I found this song, Obiymy (Embrace Me), back in 2022. It was written by Sviatoslav Vakarchuk (the lead singer of the Ukrainian rock band, Okean Elzy).

Today, it is as relevant and haunting as ever. That’s all I am going to say, except it is gorgeous.

P.S. If anyone knows how to reach the children’s choir director, Vasyl Rudenko, please let me know. We are looking for a children’s choir to record the Song Flight theme song, “A World Full of Magic” in Ukrainian. We have the sheet music and Ukrainian translation. Thank you!

CREDITS

Idea: Oleg Navolniev

Vocal: Ivan Rozin, Olga Chernienko

Guitars: Ivan Rozin, Oleg Navolniev, Ivan Marchenko

Children's choir: Veronika Ivanova, Nazar Kitcha, Yegor Turcheniak, Kira Chystakhovska, Nazar Yanovski, Yeva Matiushenko

Choir leader — Vasyl Rudenko

String Quartet: Yulia Bun-Volkotrub (violin), Oksana Zhurkina (violin), Anastasia Konotop (cello), Olena Grechka (viola)

Videographers: Alyona Khrenova @alyonakhrenova, Oleksandr Strelchuk, Sergiy Lomosa @sergey_lomosa

Photographers: Sergiy Mykhalchuk @sergi_mykhalchuk, Stas Yurchenko, Graty, @mrcoffeemaniac, Kateryna Moskalyuk @kathryn_moskalyuk, Petro Chekal @_writing.light_, Aliona Grom, city of Bucha, @grom_alena, Pavlo Dorogoy, Kharkiv

Depositphotos Locations and Backstage: Aliona Korol. Sound recording — IQtech sound company: Oleksandr Vasenko, Oleksandr Ponomariov, Oleksii Boiko

Thanks for the help in the project: Dyrektsiya Parkiv Communal Enterprise, Head of Department — Valentyn Gyrych, Café Dacha, Liudmyla Fit, Olena Gavrysh, Iryna Anatoliivna, Ganna Rozina

Special thanks to Sviatoslav Vakarchuk and the Okean Elzy music band for the great song and the inspiration