TV & Movies
The Ukrainian Chorus SNL Cold Open Was Layered With Meaning
“Sometimes, SNL just does the right thing,” wrote one Twitter user.
The Saturday Night Live cold open looked a little different on Feb. 26. To kick off John Mulaney’s much-anticipated fifth outing on the show, Kate McKinnon and Cecily Strong simply introduced the Ukrainian Chorus Dumka of New York, who performed “Prayer for Ukraine” in light of Russia’s ongoing invasion of the country.
Oleksandr Konysky wrote the lyrics to Ukraine’s “spiritual anthem” in 1885, which was a time when Russian government forces forbade the usage of the Ukrainian language, according to Broadway World. The English translation of the song via Lyrics Translate includes pleas to “preserve Ukraine for us! / All Your graces and benevolence / Bestow upon our nation,” which make the hymn extremely timely even 137 years later.
After the song, the camera panned down to a collection of candles arranged to spell Kyiv, Ukraine’s besieged capital city. They were surrounded by several bouquets of sunflowers — which didn’t just look beautiful but added an extra layer of meaning to the performance, too. The sunflower is the national flower of Ukraine, and the country is the world’s largest producer of the bright, cheery plant, according to a report from Statista. And, in a recent viral video, a Ukrainian woman can be seen confronting Russian soldiers and reportedly telling them to put sunflower seeds in their pockets “so that they will grow on Ukrainian land after you die,” according to the Daily Mail.
Several viewers took to Twitter to praise the moving performance. “Sometimes, SNL just does the right thing,” wrote an account called Ukrainian Updates. Another user thanked SNL for the display of solidarity with Ukraine, noting that they were “praying for [their] family there.”
The choral group — which according to its Facebook page is made up of “non-professional singers performing classical, sacred, and folk choral music, primarily by Ukrainian composers” — shared their experience on Instagram after the show. “It was such an honor to represent Ukraine and Ukrainians on @nbcsnl,” the account wrote in a story. “Please continue to stand with Ukraine and remain strong! Slava Ukraini.”
