Metropolitan Opera sings Ukrainian anthem, reminds netizens of ‘Casablanca’

Among the members was 24-year-old Vlad Buialskiy, whose entire family is in Ukraine amid the fighting, reported NBC New York. “I want to help my family and my country as much as I can, but I’m here in this hard moment because all my family, all my friends are there,” he was quoted as saying by NBC.

The Met Chorus singing the Ukrainian national anthem before tonight’s opening of Don Carlos at the Met Opera, a day after the Opera announced it’s cutting ties with Pro-Putin artists @NY1 pic.twitter.com/EWkoviUF6p

— Stef Manisero (@StefManisero) March 1, 2022

Reminds me of the scene from Casablanca when they sang La Marseillaise

— Stretmediq 🇺🇸🇺🇦 (@stretmediq) March 1, 2022

The audience standing gave me chills and brought tears to my eyes.
Beautiful moment.

— Laura 😷🇺🇸🇺🇦 (@Changinglenses) March 1, 2022

Endless thanks for posting this

— BCM (@bcmortimer) March 1, 2022

Thanks – very inspiring.

— Cristiane Young (@Crisopera1) March 1, 2022

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The 141-year-old opera company also released a statement, announcing that they will cut ties with artists who support Russian President Vladimir Putin. Peter Gelb, the general manager of the opera house, said in the statement that they will dedicate the rest of their season to the “bravery of Ukrainian leadership, civilians, and artists”.

Earlier in the same spirit, Teatro Real, a famed opera house in Spain, draped the hero in a Ukrainian flag during the funeral march scene in their production of Götterdämmerung.

El equipo artístico de ‘El ocaso de los dioses’, en la última función de la ópera, esta noche, ha envuelto el cadáver de Siegfried en la bandera de Ucrania, como un acto simbólico de homenaje a las víctimas de la guerra. #StopWarInUkraine pic.twitter.com/ta9Kw4mrfy

— Teatro Real (@Teatro_Real) February 27, 2022

Before that, the choir of Great St Bartholomew, which is the oldest church in London, performed Ukraine’s national anthem before the start of their service on February 27.

🇺🇦 Ukraine’s glory has not perished 🇺🇦

The choir of London’s oldest church singing the National Anthem of Ukraine at the start of our service this morning.

📺 You can watch the whole service here: https://t.co/vwKaGckTbb pic.twitter.com/K1bsG8o2O8

— Great St Bartholomew (@StBartholomews) February 27, 2022

In their latest episode, the popular show Saturday Night Live opened their programme with a sombre by a group called Ukrainian Chorus Dumka of New York. The group dressed in traditional Ukrainian attire sang an 1885 hymn titled Prayer for Ukraine.

“Prayer for Ukraine” performed by Ukrainian Chorus Dumka of New York pic.twitter.com/5pi2l1Olpx

— Saturday Night Live – SNL (@nbcsnl) February 27, 2022

As the infighting between Ukraine and Russia intensifies, more and more establishments are voicing their support for Ukrainian civilians who are struggling under the Russian invasion.

The boldness of Ukrainian civilians, be it a man who moved a land mine with his bare hands or a Ukrainian farmer who allegedly “stole” a Russian tank, are going viral, alongside the heartwarming visuals of Russian citizens who took out anti-war demonstrations despite state crackdown.