Ukraine—indeed, the entire world—of 30 years ago has become almost unrecognizable. Politicians have come and gone, civil uprisings have tossed governments aside, and, unfortunately, Ukraine has suffered untold injury at the hands of a rapacious neighbor. 

The rock group Okean Elzy (Eliza’s Ocean) has remained among the few constants of everyday Ukrainian life, establishing itself as the country’s most famous and successful band. Among its many achievements, albums, and shows, the group’s 2018 sold-out Independence Day performance at Kyiv’s national sports stadium attracted some 100,000 fans, making it the largest concert in Ukrainian history. Okean Elzy’s constant touring inside Ukraine—and around the world—helped establish Ukrainian rock as worthy of international attention.

The group marked its 30th anniversary with an international tour to raise funds for Ukraine.  Beginning in September, the group’s Lighthouse Tour, promoting its latest English-language album, moved around Europe (Switzerland, France, the Netherlands, Spain, Portugal, and Germany) and North America (Toronto, Montreal, New York, Boston, Philadelphia, Washington, and Cleveland). Each stop added tens of thousands of dollars to the Ukrainian war effort. 

The tour’s zenith came with three sold-out performances at Kyiv’s Palace of Sports, which generated controversy when recruiting officers sought to detain draft-eligible men through document checks as hometown fans left the concert. Meanwhile, the 30th anniversary concert was moved to a bomb shelter underground, with fans singing along as air raid sirens sounded.

The group, led by Svyatoslav Vakarchuk, formed in Lviv from within an earlier band, Klan Tyshi (Clan of Silence). Its first concert under its present name took place in front of the Lviv Opera House in January 1995. It quickly won kudos at various music festivals, making its first appearance in Kyiv in 1996, fronting for Deep Purple. A dozen albums and two dozen singles later—together with soundtracks for animated films and appearances in support of various international causes—and Okean Elzy has become one of Ukraine’s most successful international brands. 

Okean Elzy’s longevity rests in part on the group’s stability. In addition to Vakarchuk, drummer Denys Hlinin has been with the band since its founding in 1994. Bassist Denys Dudko and pianist Miloš Jelić signed on in 2004, while guitarist Vladimir Opsenica came on board a decade later. Former group members Yuri Khustochka, Dmytro Shurov, Pavlo Hudimov, and Petro Chernyavsky have enjoyed success following their departures.

Nearing his 50th birthday, Vakarchuk is perhaps the elder of the Ukrainian rock scene. The son of a pair of university physics professors, he earned a PhD in theoretical physics, launching Okean Elzy while still an undergraduate. He moved to Kyiv and earned notoriety by winning the first grand prize in the Ukrainian version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? Supporting both the Orange Revolution in 2004–2005 and the Euromaidan revolt of 2013–2014, Vakarchuk was pulled towards politics and served in the Ukrainian parliament. He also spent time as a scholar in residence at Yale and Stanford universities. He joined the Lviv region’s territorial defense battalion following the full-scale Russian invasion of 2022. Yet, throughout these activities, music and his band always held pride of place.

The traumas and losses felt by Ukrainians have dominated the band’s music during the war. Audiences were particularly moved by two 2022 singles written about the war: “Keimy minnikh zon” (“Flowers of Minefields”) and “Misto Marii” (“City of Mary”), in honor of the defenders of Mariupol. 

The group’s 2024 single, “Voices Are Rising,” anchored their concerts across Europe, Ukraine, and North America this autumn. The song speaks powerfully for their compatriots living through brutally horrid recent months of war: 

            Voices are rising 

            Just let it out right now

            Tears that you’re hiding

            Just let ‘em all fall down

            And I’ll sing till my heart makes a sound

            And I’ll sing till my heart’s breaking out

The opinions expressed in this article are those solely of the author and do not reflect the views of the Kennan Institute.