PHOTINUS Studios

ART on THE MART, in coordination with the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, hosted a special addition to its 2022 fall programming in recognition of the cultural contributions Ukraine has made to the world throughout its history. The platform hosted a nine-day showing of Shchedryk - Carol of The Bells: Unwrap the Holiday Magic, a projection spotlighting the work of Ukrainian composer Mykola Leontovych, who arranged the iconic melody of “Carol of The Bells” in 1916. This special presentation was organized to raise urgently needed funds for relief efforts in Ukraine through President Zelensky’s UNITED24 platform. 

Shchedryk - Carol of The Bells recounted the history of Shchedryk (the original Ukrainian title of “Carol of the Bells”) from the ancient origins of Ukrainian caroling culture through to the world-renowned “Carol of The Bells” tune. The animated holiday-themed projection relayed the original Ukrainian lyrics, which told a story of a swallow returning home for spring. The roots of the song go back to pre-Christian times in Ukraine, when Ukrainians sang folk songs in the spring and asked the gods for abundance in the new year. 

The full production team included: 

• Max Robotov – Lead Artist
• Ivan Svitlychnyi – Lead Creative Director
• Oleksiy Sai – Lead Animator; Creative Director
• Georgiy Potopalskiy – Composer
• Tina Peresunko – Narrative Curator
• Sofiya Dzhurynska – Lead Project Coordinator

The father of more than 150 musical compositions, Mykola Leontovych was born in city of Vinnystia, Ukraine in 1877. Leontovych attended a seminary in Kamianets-Podilskyi but decided against priesthood, instead choosing to teach voice and music lessons. His passion for music brought him to St. Petersburg in 1903 to pursue a formal education in the field. By 1916, Leontovych had finished his masterpiece: Shchedryk, a choral piece composed of a simple folk melody that mesmerized audiences. Met with broad acclaim from its debut performance in Kyiv, Leontovych would go on to tour the world performing Shchedryk. A performance in Carnegie Hall in 1922 was described by The New York Times as “simply spontaneous in origin and artistically harmonized.”

Shchedryk became an instrument of Ukrainian diplomacy at the beginning of the 20th century. The world tour was meant to form a positive perception of Ukraine abroad and help in the recognition of the independence of the Ukrainian People’s Republic, proclaimed in 1918. The holiday-inspired English lyrics were written by American composer Peter Wilhousky after he heard Shchedryk. His version of the song, with unchanged music and the new title “Carol of The Bells,” quickly became a classic once it was published and copyrighted in 1936. “Carol of The Bells” would reach the height of its popularity when it was included in the soundtrack for the blockbuster holiday movie Home Alone (1990), and it lives on as a staple of holiday music around the world. Today, there are more than 1,000 variants of Shchedryk.

Shchedryk - Carol of The Bells was supported by Consulate General of Ukraine in Chicago, Nortia Logistics, Ukrainian Resistance Foundation, Selfreliance Foundation, Heritage Foundation and ADM.