Oleg Skrypka

It is not possible for 36-year-old Ukrainian rock band Vopli Vidopliasova to perform in its home country: The band’s guitarist is in the army, its bassist has fled the city, and the drummer is sheltering to avoid Russian bombs. So the group’s leader-singer, Oleg Skrypka, 57, and his 14-yearold son have been playing acoustic concerts in secret locations for 100 to 200 soldiers in Kyiv. “I don’t know if it’s more important for them or me,” he says. “It’s very emotional.” When the Russian invasion began, Skrypka sheltered in the basement of his Kyiv home with his wife and four children. They’ve since returned to a more or less normal life, other than the occasional explosions. “It’s mostly Ukrainian guns,” Skrypka says. “If not [for] this resistance, Kyiv does not exist.”