Prayer for the Ukraine

• Silvestrov wrote Prayer for the Ukraine for unaccompanied mixed choir in 2014. The piece was written in response to the Maidan protest movement.
  • *A note about the title – the piece is most commonly referred to as “Prayer for Ukraine,” but the title in Silvestrov’s published score is “Prayer for the Ukraine.”
• Prayer for the Ukraine soon became part of a cycle of choral works by Silvestrov related to the protest movement called Maidan 2014, a “cycle of cycles.” The piece has remained particularly potent in light of the war in Ukraine beginning in 2022.

The English translation of the Ukranian text:

Lord, protect the Ukraine.

Give us power, faith and hope.

Our Father.¹

1. Jo Johnson, “Silvestrov’s Prayer for Ukraine: a musical response to war,” London Symphony Orchestra (2022), accessed February 2, 2023, https://lso.co.uk/whats-on/alwaysplaying/read/1826-silvestrov-s-prayer-for-ukraine-a-musical-response-to-war.html#:~:text=The%20text%20of%20Prayer%20for,’.