Kharkiv, in the far north-east of Ukraine, has been described as ‘a city without windows’ (Mayor Ihor Terekhov in a Twitter post of June 27, 2025). The city’s location, just a twenty minute drive from the front line, had seen it occupied early in the Russian invasion, then liberated by the Ukrainians, but it remains perilously close to the fighting.
Near the center of the city, I’m led into a steel door, along some dark, walk almost pitch black corridors, then enter suddenly into a low room, where the sound was nearly overwhelming. The room is mostly below ground level, but with a small window out on to the ground level of a courtyard. Inside, a youngster is belting out a pop song, accompanied by others on drums guitars and an organ. After a few somgs, an adult comes over and introduces himself as Yuri Mischenko.
Yuri is a decorated veteran of the Russia-Ukraine War, who volunteered in 2014, and was later wounded on the front line. Yuri has worked as manager in the National Academy of Ukraine, and was later invited to the Ministry, but today I’ve been invited to what is clearly his ‘baby’ (my word). It’s a music studio of the Youth Creative Center, ‘Invincible Children’ – under the aegis of the Non-profit Organisation, “Family Line”.
About UKH 300, 000 worth of musical equipment has been bought out of Yuri’s own pocket, and he is spending another 15 – 20,000 a month on various repairs and maintenance. As well as the various items of musical equipment, the leadership of ‘Family Line’ have arranged training and rehearsals in this relatively safe place (it’s mostly below street levels, and has three floor levels above it, in Kharkiv, that’s a big plus when it comes to drones and bombs).
Yuri is also the person who has found the right students and put them together into bands. The band I’m hearing now is ‘Teenager Stars’ (whose ages actually range from 7-14 years), and the front-singer is ten year-old Daniil, from Kharkiv, with Iryna on the organ, and Lisa alternating between drums and guitar. Three other band members, Magarita, Julia, Danylo, are missing with throat issues, and as well as the kids, a couple of adults are also helping out – Victor with some of the drumming, Zhenia on bass guitar, and Yuri on the bongo druns. When I fret about getting the names of who is playing what, right, Yuri emphasises that most students are adept at playing a range of instruments.
Two other bands (of muscicians aged 6-18) have been organised at ‘Invincible Children’ – ‘Night Dreams’ and Freedom’. There is also some mix and matching between these bands. For example, the Iryna I’m watching playing the organ for ‘Teenager Stars’ is also the leader and drummer of ‘Night Dreams’.
The Youth Creative Center “Invincible Children” was founded back in December 2022. They gathered talented children of the military, children who were IDP (Internally Displaced People), children from deoccupied territories, children of volunteers and the volunteer children themselves, who have remained in Kharkiv and its surrounds. Since January 2024, they have been training children in guitar, keyboard, and drums classes.
Dozens of performances (including nine solo concerts) have been held in multiple venues in front of military personnel in hospitals, other IDPs, children, Kharkiv residents and guests of the city. The experience gained and the high-quality professional performance by children have made them famous in Kharkiv and other cities.
When the war started, Yuri’s expectations were modest – but have grown as the bands have received official rewards and recognition from people including Kharkiv’s mayor Ihor Terekhov (he of the ‘City without windows’ quote, and the famous General Zalushni. One of the children, 16 year-old Lisa, along with Yuri himself, are both composing and writing their own lyrics. One of the bands, ‘Night Dreams’, will soon play with one of the very famous Ukrainian bands: ‘Bez Obmezhen’ (translated as “Without Limits”)
Yuri wants to use music to help the children of this front-line city to adapt to what is going on around them, and to help socialise them. He understands that children are the future, cares what they will become, and wants to make them better. With that in mind, Yuri’s background in academia means he also sees the need to keep a record of how each child has progressed.
“We have culture in Ukraine!” Yuri says – and he wants to show that this culture is both growing and can stand by any other European culture. Reflecting Ukraine’s mood – Yuri also emphasises that the music studio is democratic. “If someone has opinion – everyone can express it”. This is the hidden meaning in the studios symbol – which includes a circle – representing King Arthur’s (democratically) round table.
What next? Preparations are underway to create a social music school, and as well as musicians, the studio is also catering for dancers. Yuri would like to see the studio develop into an ‘exchange system’, which will promote and help young talent in Kharkiv, and visitors from abroad. The children, having achieved local stardom, would like to go on tour to Europe.
Standing, once again, outside the studio door, I’m looking at yet another building which has lost all it’s lower-level windows to the impact of explosive shock-waves. They’ve been filled by rectangles of, as I’ve discovered, a somewhat standard, yellowish chip-board. As I write (late July, 2025) (which has suddenly become late September!) Kharkiv continues to lose, not just it’s windows – but lives and buildings. In the middle of this mayhem, the Invincible Children is both a shining example of Ukrainian civil society – and, in this front-line city, also an act of defiance.
Feel like helping? The studio “would be happy to cooperate and receive invitations to perform at touring concerts, charity events, community events, in private organizations, and to any offers to perform our repertoire in a solo concert.” If you’d like to donate, please try here (any problems, let me know):
- A QR code
2. The basic details
Non-profit organization ‘FAMILY LINE’, ІTPN 44803225
IBAN UA963510050000026007879169152 АТ ‘UKRSIBBANK’
Music Studio ‘INVICIBLE CHILDREN’
IBAN UA403510050000026000879169234 АТ ‘UKRSIBBANK’
E-mail Sletich@gmail.com
+380506768008,+38 0962826910, +380931232301
Acknowledgments
Thanks to Ludmilla, Lisa, and Kareena for their help in producing this post.
