The city of Kiev hosted this Sunday (17) the first major outdoor show since the start of the war against Russia. The rock band BoomBox performed for thousands of people in the parking lot of a shopping center in the Ukrainian capital, in an event marked by both public euphoria and the strict security measures adopted in the face of the risk of attacks.
Correspondent Américo Martins followed the show at the venue and reported on the atmosphere of the event. According to him, there was “a certain risk in the air”, as the place was open and subject to possible attacks with Russian drones or missiles. The choice of parking for the shopping center was not random: the location has three levels of underground parking, where people can go in the event of an aerial alarm.
Air alarm right after the show
The fear proved justified. About 20 to 25 minutes after the presentation ended, one was called. “During the show, fortunately nothing happened,” reported Américo. The correspondent added that the event was held during the day precisely because it is at night that the Russians usually carry out most of their bombings. The alarm was later suspended, without any explosions being recorded nearby.
Resistance symbol
The band BoomBox is one of the most popular in Ukraine. Their lead singer, Andriy, gained further notoriety when he volunteered for the Ukrainian Armed Forces on the first day of the war. He also abandoned them in Russian, deleting them from his repertoire — an attitude that reflects a broader movement in Kiev, where many Russian speakers have chosen to leave the language aside.
Andriy also composed a song that became a kind of anthem of the Ukrainian resistance. In an interview with Américo Martins before the show, the vocalist explained the importance of the event: “It’s a huge amount of donations to the Army, which people contribute. If they want to hear me sing, I’ll sing […] It’s not about a big artist’s show, it’s more about friends gathering in one place, saying we’re not scared, we’re going to do what we do.”
When asked about the reasons for attending the event despite the risks, those present responded that they wanted to continue resisting and maintain as normal a life as possible. For them, being there was a way of sending a message to Moscow that Ukrainians do not intend to give up their routine. Some even joked: “We are crazy, and being crazy means that we can win this war, because we are willing to take that risk.”
