Belleville, Ont. community steps up to help Ukrainian composer

Millions of people have fled their homeland to escape the ongoing conflict in Ukraine and are now trying to rebuild their lives.

That’s the case for one man, a composer, who has just settled in Belleville.

However, thanks to the efforts of local residents, he’s able to continue his studies through the donation of a piano.

Although neither the piano nor the house Kyrylo Stepanenko plays in are his, playing is an important part in his continuing education at Lviv’s university to become a composer.

He is able to continue his education remotely thanks to a piano.

“Piano for us is like a preliminary study or subject, we have to study piano,” said Sepanenko.

He originally moved to Canada in 2003, but for the last six years he’s been living and studying in Ukraine, most recently in Lviv.

Stepanenko fled Russia with his grandmother and mother, who lived in Canada and Ukraine respectively, after the Russian invasion.

“We came from Kyiv only with backpacks because we knew that we are going to try on train and we knew that no even small suitcase will fit the process,” saidHis mother, Natalia Laluq.

Stepanenko was able to get a piano that he can call from a local Belleville grassroots group and not-for-profit called Humanity for Free Ukraine through a not for profit organization. ‘his own’With a post on their Facebook Page.

“The first Ukrainian coming to Belleville is a composer and he needs a piano for his practice, and I don’t know how many pianos he was offered — I frankly don’t even know — but a lot, a lot,” saidMyroslava Symonenko of Humanity, free Ukraine

Stepanenko said he’s thankful and even little overwhelmed by the response and isn’t entirely surprised by the help he’s received.

“People over here are super friendly as usual and they’re really happy to help us in these difficult times, so Belleville has been the best in helping us out,”He added.

Stepanenko said he should have the donated piano at his apartment in about a week, allowing his dream of becoming a composer to continue and return to his war-torn homeland someday when it’s safe.