DOI: 10.1017/tmd.2026.10049 ISSN: 3033-4233

Sounds of Resilience: Music and Ukrainian Identity across Displacement and Occupation

Olga Zaitseva-Herz

Abstract

This article examines the role of Ukrainian music in resistance during Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Focusing on popular music across homeland, occupied, and digital spaces, the study draws on social media platforms from war-torn Ukraine. It highlights how music becomes a tool for cultural resilience and political engagement. By situating Ukrainian sonic activism as resistance in contexts of military occupation, this article offers insights into the relationship between songs, displacement, and collective belonging.

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