More than a century ago, a little girl lived in a Ukrainian farming village. Every few months, a man arrived in town with a fiddle strapped to his back. When the little girl and the other children saw him, they ran into the fields to announce the news. The people stopped their work and quickly gathered at the biggest barn in the village. They listened to the fiddler all night, dancing their cares away.
Alexander, 47, and Danylo Fedoryka, 44, grew up hearing their grandmother tell the story of the fiddler. And through their band, Scythian, the brothers try to do what that Ukrainian musician did decades ago: give revelers an opportunity to enjoy the beauty of music and the pleasure of each other’s company.
“It’s about the way that music draws people together,” Alexander said. “That’s why I love folk music, whether it’s Irish, Ukrainian or the old Appalachian tunes.” Scythian’s sound, sometimes described as folk rock, takes cues from all three.
While their heritage has always been a part of their music, these days the Fedorykas also are using their platform as Ukrainian American performers to support their besieged motherland. Since the Russian invasion began last February, Alexander and Danylo, both members of Knights of Columbus John Carrell Jenkins Council 7771 in Front Royal, have encouraged their many fans to pray for peace in Ukraine and to assist refugees by donating to the Knights’ Ukraine Solidarity Fund.
“All our fans were emailing us, saying, ‘What can we do? What can we do?’ And we immediately said, ‘Let’s turn all our fans to this fund,’ ” Alexander said. “There’s been an overwhelming response. Some people just came up and actually put money in our hands over the course of the summer, saying, ‘Please, give this to the Knights.’ ”
Ukrainian at heart
The Fedoryka brothers grew up in Virginia but have deep roots in Ukraine. All four of their grandparents survived many tumultuous years in the country before being granted asylum in the United States. Their parents settled in Front Royal and raised their 10 children there, imbuing them with Ukrainian culture. “My parents were super grateful to be American, but their hearts were always Ukrainian,” said Danylo. “Ukrainian was my first language. I remember my sisters speaking English to keep secrets from me.”
The siblings grew up surrounded by Ukrainian art, embroidery, folk music and dancing, while Ukraine remained a Soviet republic through the 1980s. Their Catholic faith was part of that culture, too. “My parents escaped communism, where the faith was snuffed out,” said Danylo. “We saw the sacrifices that were made for us to even be able to go to church. So we realized that we had something so special in our faith. It informed who we were.”
Today, Alexander and his wife, Catie, and Danylo and his wife, Thérèse, and their 1-year-old daughter, Phoebe, attend the local Roman Catholic church, St. John the Baptist, and Sts. Joachim and Anna Ukrainian Catholic Mission Church, both in Front Royal.
The gift of music
Their mother, Irene, was a classically trained musician, and she taught her children everything she knew. “She always taught us that music was an expression of God’s gift to each one of us,” said Alexander.
When he was older, Alexander spent four months in Ireland, learning Irish tunes in the pubs at night. Upon his return, he and Danylo put on street performances playing fiddle and guitar, respectively. They made it official in 2002 and named their new group Scythian after an ancient nomadic tribe that lived in the Black Sea region, around modern-day Ukraine. While its lineup has changed over the years, the band now includes Ethan Dean on bass and Johnny Rees on drums. The band released a traditional Christmas carols album on the feast of St. Nicholas, Dec. 6, called “Christmas Out at Sea.”
Some of their most memorable moments in the band include playing for the president of the United States and the prime minister of Ireland in 2008, and performing in front of hundreds of thousands of people at World Youth Day in Sydney later that year. In addition to touring, the band created the Appaloosa roots music festival in 2015, drawing thousands to Front Royal each Labor Day weekend.
On all of these occasions, the Fedorykas remain grateful for their mother’s dedication. Though she died of cancer 12 years ago, music keeps them close to her. “It’s very special for us to know that we’re making our living, we’re supporting our families, by something that our mother directly gave us,” said Danylo.
Playing and praying for Ukraine
Watching violence return to Ukraine has been devastating for the Fedorykas. “Ukrainians have suffered so much already,” said Alexander. “My heart just breaks for Ukrainians, because they’re some of the most beautiful people — artists and poets and lovers of the land.”
“This is a war on the Ukrainian people, but it’s also a war on Ukrainian families,” Danylo said. “We’re being told a generation of fathers is gone.”
Posting performances of Ukrainian songs on social media and releasing a new single, “The Motherland,” from their album “Roots & Stones,” they urged their tens of thousands of followers to donate to the Knights’ relief efforts.
Though it’s impossible to know how much Scythian fans contribute to the cause, the Knights have raised nearly $20 million for direct humanitarian assistance for Ukrainians displaced or otherwise affected by the war, including temporary shelter, food, clothing and medical supplies.
At the same time, they believe the most important weapon in the fight for Ukraine is prayer. All their lives, the Fedorykas have been told about God’s providence in the lives of their parents and grandparents and how he brought them through harrowing experiences into a new life. Knowing the way God provided for their family, the brothers trust that he will be with the Ukrainian people.
“We hope in the Lord,” said Alexander, “and I have to think that the Lord will carry the day once again.”
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