Ukrajins‘ki strilets‘ki ta povstans‘ki pisni. Golden Collection. (Ukrainian Shooter and Insurgent Troops' Songs) // www.UMKA.com.ua

Our regular visitors long ago already got convinced that appearance of new discs of the "Golden Collection" series is always a reason for good moods, didn't they? And we are happy to admit that the tradition is kept on – the high level never changes. It is also nice that compilers of the series, as well as before, discover new original themes for the collections – this is important, you should agree. However, we do not neglect the opportunity of that this time the choice of the theme could be influenced, for example, by Oleh Skrypka – as long ago as in 2007, he started raising the theme of heroic songs in Ukrainian culture (you can hear the result of his work in the collection "Ukrainian Heroic Song"). And it is easy to notice, even judging by the name of the present collection, that themes of the two discs overlap to a certain extent. However, the overlapping of the themes does not at all mean identical realization – fortunately. For in the case of the Golden Collection we deal not with modernization, but with classic interpretation – since discs of the series virtually always consist of fund recordings of the NRCU. And these recordings not only have a full right to be considered rarities – they to this day remain in their own way examples of irreproachable performance. And this is the more interesting, when the issue is serious songs of such beauty and internal force as here.

Rutenia. Khto zhyvyj. (2CD). /digi-pack/. (Who’s Alive)

...a country the history of which is still re-written every few years will encounter problems with memory. If you do not remember – it does not hurt. If one does not remind you – it won’t hurt. And – will not change. But the pain – will not disappear, it will just hide. At least, if we talk about internal lack of freedom...

Domestic price: 89.64UAH, International price: $19.92USD

Taras Zhytynsky. Kozats‘ki balady. (Cossack Ballads)

Taras mainly sings folk songs – and far not all of these songs are as known and popular as they deserve being. But here one should be grateful not only for revival of some songs, but also for how they sound in his performance: Taras Zhytynsky has the voice and intonations that it is just difficult not to trust to.

Domestic price: 49.14UAH, International price: $10.92USD

Ukrajins‘ka herojichna pisnja. (deluxe edition). /digi-pack/. (Ukrainian Heroic Song)

The collection release differs from the ordinary one in the following: 1. 24-page song booklet with texts of all the songs that sound in the collection; 2. the electronic version of the Ukrainian heroic chronicle "Our Victories" (in Ukrainian); 3. a digi-pack instead of a plastic box.

Domestic price: 103.14UAH, International price: $22.92USD