In this interview, 20-year-old Ukrainian musician Svetoyar Gerashchenko talks about his participation in the “Voice of the Forest” art residency, organized by AO Pădurea Noastră in collaboration with the Goethe-Institut.
Svetoyar talks about how the forest helped him escape the hustle and bustle of the city, listen to himself, and see creativity from a new perspective. Together with the other participants, he created a landscape installation and music, while the residency experience inspired him to work on new compositions and continue pursuing his professional path as a musician.
My name is Svetoyar Gerashchenko, I am 20 years old, and I am from Ukraine. I am currently a student at a music college.
I came here hoping to take a break from the hustle and bustle of the city and the war, as well as to fully express myself as a musician and composer. I wanted to create new music here and explore the boundaries of my creative potential.
The forest allowed me to relax and finally take off the “mask” that people are used to wearing in cities. I felt a deep sense of peace and silence, and for the first time in a long while, I was able to truly hear myself.
From an early age, I traveled all across Ukraine, performed, and lived in forests at festivals together with my parents. Back then, the “voice of the forest” for me was the people around me — those who talked, made noise, and played music. It always brought back warm memories. But during the residency, my understanding changed.
The city pulls us into an endless rush and overwhelms us with noise. It puts masks on us and imposes roles upon us. But when you leave the city, immerse yourself in nature, and listen to the voice of the forest, breaking free from the endless cycle, time slows down — and you finally hear not the echo of other people’s worries, but your own pulse beating in harmony with nature.
For me, the “voice of the forest” is your own inner voice, which you rediscover in silence.
We created the “Voice of the Forest” landscape installation entirely from eco-friendly materials. The idea is that, by sitting on the bench, you can imagine yourself in the place of this tree, surrounded by the forest. Being there, you can hear yourself as if from the outside and realize that you are not alone — the world around you is there to support you. Through music, we also tried to convey the emotions and feelings we experienced here.
Our starting point was the atmosphere of this place itself and the desire to rethink the transition of a person from the hectic city into a living, breathing space of nature.
The most unexpected thing was how deep and healing the silence here is. The challenging part was figuring out things that were new to me, although that was also quite interesting.
The experience was truly amazing! Everyone here is an incredibly interesting and unique person. We built the installation together, interacting with one another at every stage. And we created the music in collaboration with Dima. Working with him was easy and comfortable — he understood everything very well, supported our ideas, and responded to criticism constructively.
We created together: everyone did what they were best at, and we all helped each other along the way. In the end, music, visual art, and the collective work on the project came together as one, complementing each other within the same space.
I learned perseverance, how to stand up for my point of view, and how to help others. Communicating with the participants gave me a powerful motivation to work, because I saw the passion in their eyes as they pursued what they loved. This experience showed me that creating is easier when you are surrounded by such creative people — there are always people who will support you and help you overcome any difficulties.
For me, it is a great honor and a way of showing respect to those who came to listen to us. I feel incredibly proud that Dima and I opened the exhibition together, and that our work truly resonated with the audience.
In this place, I saw an incredible starry sky, forests, and lakes, and once again realized how beautiful pristine, untouched nature can be.
I am taking home with me a huge creative energy, unfinished music that I want to complete and play at home, and, most importantly, the spark I saw in the eyes of the other participants. A lot has changed in me: I have developed a deep respect for other people’s boundaries, a greater understanding of the value of mutual support, and a strong belief that my music will find its listeners, no matter how difficult the journey may be.
I plan to continue developing as an artist and musician, complete my fourth year at music college, and apply to a conservatory, because here I realized that I am capable of much more. Dima and I also came up with the idea of writing a large suite, which we would like to present not only here, but also back home.
If I had to describe the residency in one word, for me that word would be “challenge.” I challenged myself and tested my limits to understand what I am truly capable of.
Works by Svetoyar Gerashchenko created during the Art Residency:
