Music plays on in Kharkiv under Russia bombardment

Russian bombs fall daily on Kharkiv since the invasion of Ukraine, but time stood still briefly on Saturday as a group of Ukrainian musicians moved listeners with a classical concert.

Three violinists, a cellist and a bass player delighted an audience of a few dozen people for half an hour in one of the largest subway stations in Ukraine´s second city, close to the Russian border.

Underground and protected from rockets and missiles, the musicians, aged 20-35, played the national anthem and several tunes from popular Ukrainian folklore.

The enraptured listeners were displaced people, enjoying the concert taking place on a marble staircase.

They have been living in the station since the invasion began on February 24, fleeing the war above and sleeping in old wagons.

"When our heart is full, it helps us overcome difficult times," said Sergiy Politutchy, director of Kharkiv Music Fest, one of the most prestigious music festivals in Ukraine.

The concert was his idea, organised on the same day that the annual event would have begun.

Despite the sounds of war, "music doesn´t stop", he said.

"This mini concert is a symbol that light will overcome darkness, that the truth will triumph over lies... the organisation was a bit complicated because of security, but we made it!"

The musicians thrilled the audience with an extract from Bach´s Orchestral Suite No. 3 as well as Dvorak´s humoresques.

They then played a tune by Myroslav Skoryk -- a Ukrainian composer who died in 2020 -- which is often used by President Volodymyr Zelensky in his videos and messages posted on social media.