Ukrainians Are Hosting “Clean up Raves” To Restore Places Destroyed by Russian Attacks

Techno music is helping to repair a village in northern Ukraine. Yahidne, a town of about 300 people, has been wrecked by the Russian occupation. But the young folks in the country aren't going to let the devastation stay that way. They recently held a daytime “clean-up rave” to help clear debris from Yahidne and repair some of its buildings, all while electronic dance music was blaring in the background.

The village’s cultural center was one structure destroyed by a Russian rocket strike in March. To help in the recovery efforts, volunteers shoveled and drove tractors to move the ruins of the bombed-out building. As that happened, a DJ spun techno and dance music atop a stack of ammunition boxes. People would take breaks and dance in the open areas, seemingly one with the music.

“Volunteering is my lifestyle now,” explained Tania Burianova, an organizer with the Repair Together initiative. “I like electronic music and I used to party. But now it’s wartime and we want to help, and we’re doing it with music.”

Ukraine is known for its nightclubs that draw visitors from around the world. The scene was brought to a halt once Russia invaded the country on February 24. Some clubs have returned to Kyiv, the capital, but the curfews and threat of Russian attacks have stunted nightlife. By focusing their efforts on recovery with some help from EDM, those who have lost their club community can have some of that back.

“We miss (parties) and we want to come back to normal life,” Burianova laments, “but our normal life now is volunteering.”