- Year of foundation – 2022
- Language – Ukrainian
- Genre – rap, hip-hop, soul, new wave, hard rock, funk and techno to the lyrics of Ukrainian classics
Composition:
- Olexandr Khomenko (lyrics, recitative);
- Viktor Tkachenko (lyrics, music, sound production);
- Olexandr Zaika (lyrics, music, vocals);
- Maria O'Reilly (editing);
- Mykola Shmundyr (recitative, PR).
History of the group
MUR is a Ukrainian creative association that was born in May 2022. The project was founded by three friends: director and actor Oleksandr Khomenko, sound engineer Viktor Tkachenko and Mykola Shmundyr. The first releases of video clips and an album took place. Over time, this “creative backbone” grew with new participants and became a powerful creative collective that united art, music and historical memory.
The mission of the MUR group is to open up to Ukrainians, especially young people, the heritage of repressed artists, to revive their voices through modern interpretation and musical rethinking. The artists’ work is based on a combination of poems by poets of the past with an original sound.
On August 27, 2022, the group gave its first solo concert in Kyiv, laying the foundation for future creative achievements. The debut was successful and brought the group of artists popularity and recognition from the Ukrainian audience. The goal of the project was to create compositions where every note and every word work to preserve memory and shape the future.
The name “MUR” is ambiguous: it echoes a line from Vasyl Stus’ poem “What Did You Say?” and is also a reference to the “Artistic Ukrainian Movement” – an organization of Ukrainian writers in post-war camps for displaced persons.
Creative Path
The movement along the track of the creative industry MUR continues in the status of stars of contemporary culture and thought leaders. The release of the band’s third album entitled “You [Romance]” creates a loud resonance in 2024. The release became the first historical album-musical in Ukraine dedicated to the figures of Ukrainian writers of the era of the Shot Revival. The album contains 17 compositions united by a single plot. MUR’s works immerse the listener in the whirlpool of events described in the works of those times. The tracks make it possible to experience them as if the listener were a direct witness.
Based on the album, a unique rap musical was created without the support of influential sponsors, which quickly became a modern cultural phenomenon. The band members see the reason for the success of their creation, in particular, in the professional work of the producer. The loud presentation took place on the stage of the Zhovtnevy Palace in the capital. Forbes, BBC and Vogue wrote about the performance. Ukrainian writer Tamara Horikha Zernya called the authors “damn geniuses” and added: “everyone should watch”. Less than a week after the premiere, the project collected over 185 thousand views on YouTube.
The musical gathered thousands of new fans around the MUR. The project was created in collaboration with Ukrainian artists and creative groups. The voices of “You [Romantika]” were Serhiy Zhadan, the bands Nazva and Heitspich, as well as Yevhen Yanovich and Olena Kravets.
Creative development of the group
In addition to musical projects, the members of the MUR group are actively involved in creating documentary videos about the history of Ukrainian literature and music. In their arsenal are films about "Shchedryk", as well as about the figures of Pavlo Tychyna, Ivan Bahryany, Vasyl Stus and Vasyl Symonenko.
In the summer of 2025, MUR announced the premiere of a new play called "Rebellion", which is destined to become a hit. The first screening is scheduled for August. Then a tour of the cities of Ukraine will start. According to director Oleksandr Khomenko, "Rebellion" is a story about rebirth in the ashes. About internal protest even when the majority around convinces us of the opposite. It is about resistance to the enemy, who again and again tries to impose his "truth" and values on us.
The play tells about the power of self-organization, about democracy and freedom that live in each of us. The production demonstrates how even a small number of people armed with the truth can change the course of history. This is not just a stage performance, but a call to inner courage and daily choices in favor of freedom.
MUR discography:
- MUR vol.1. (2022) ;
- "Free Book" (2022);
- "You (Romance)" (2024);
- Pax Romana (2024).
Interesting facts about the group:
- The author of the lyrics, Sasha Khomenko, is called "our encyclopedia person" in the group;
- with the musical "You [Romance]" MUR traveled almost all of Ukraine. A significant part of the funds received during the tour were directed to the needs of the Armed Forces of Ukraine;
- The band initiated the creation of the Pavlo Tychyna Award, which is awarded for achievements in the fields of fine arts, music, literature, history and science.
The award is designed to honor outstanding figures whose works contribute to the development of Ukrainian culture, the preservation of historical memory and the popularization of national heritage.