At the Palace of Europe in Strasbourg, a concert by 17-year-old Ukrainian pianist Gavriil Sidorik was held; after the start of the full-scale war, he left Ukraine and now lives in Estonia.

The aim of the event was to remind about missing Ukrainian children due to the war and to support young talents from Ukraine abroad.

The young pianist performed works by Beethoven, Heino Eller, Mykola Lysenko, and Frédéric Chopin.

Performance and responses from the participants

Opening the concert, the President of the PACE, Petra Bayr, highlighted the uniqueness of Gavriil Sidorik’s story, but at the same time noted that similar fates prevail among many young Ukrainians whose lives have been disrupted by the war, yet whose hopes and ambitions live on.

Perhaps this story resonates especially strongly in Estonia, because Estonians know: freedom, culture and identity are precious, and solidarity can change the course of a person’s life

– Petra Bayr

Bayr also emphasized that the event resonates in Estonia as well, where freedom, culture and identity are valued, and solidarity can influence people’s lives.

Gavriil Sidorik, after the start of the full-scale war, left abroad with his mother – first to France, and then to Estonia, where since 2023 he has been studying at the Tallinn School of Music and Ballet, MUBA. Last year he became the winner of the Estonian competition for young classical performers “Stars of Classical.”

As previously reported, EU leaders signed a joint declaration “Europe for Culture, Culture for Europe.”

I am very proud that our education system is built in such a way that talents from Ukraine can be protected and supported precisely when they need it most. We know that war destroys not only the generation it catches, but also the future, because children lose their chance for education. That is why, I think, this is our duty – to give every Ukrainian child the chance to continue their studies

– Kristina Kallas

The Strasbourg event underscored the importance of supporting Ukrainian talents abroad and the role of the Estonian education system in protecting and developing young musicians.