24 September 2026, 09:26
MUR presented the premiere song from the musical about Chikalenko
Ця стаття також доступна українською
PHOTO: Screenshot from a video
The MUR team presented a track that became the first official song for a musical about Yevhen Chikalenko, a prominent philanthropist from the Odesa region. This composition conveys the main idea of the new production and calls on Ukrainian entrepreneurs to carry on the philanthropist’s legacy.
You can listen to the musical’s first song onYouTube.
The nationwide tour of the musical “Play, [Mark]” kicks off on October 8 in Dnipro. Over the course of two months, the team will tour 18 cities, with the final performance taking place on December 9 in Odesa.
The MUR team has also opened early access to tickets for the new production of“Play, [Mark],” dedicated to the outstanding patron of the arts and Odesa native Yevhen Chikalenko. Representatives of Ukrainian businesses and philanthropists are the first to purchase tickets for the biopic.
To gain early access to tickets for their teams, clients, and partners, companies, sole proprietorships, public organizations, and charitable organizations can register on the website myr.com.ua. Ninety-four businesses and organizations have already joined the initiative.
The official start of ticket sales for the general public will take place at a later date. However, tickets for the performance can already be purchased at special MUR ticket booths directly at the venues hosting the performances as part of the nationwide tour.
The goal of the presale is to express gratitude to Ukrainian businesses that, despite the war, continue Yevhen Chykalenko’s legacy—specifically, by developing the economy, creating jobs, and supporting the military, as well as social and cultural initiatives.
At the same time, this is an invitation to learn about a man for whom entrepreneurial success was not an end in itself, but a tool for building the country, according to MUR.
Chikalenko’s phrase, “And you, Mark, play! We’ll play as long as we have the strength, and after us, let others play, but our song will remain the same” gave the MUR its new production its title. The idea behind it is that nation-building is a task that one generation passes on to the next.
Yevhen Chykalenko (1861–1929) was an outstanding Ukrainian public figure, patron, agronomist, and publisher, born in the Kherson Governorate (now part of the Odesa region). He dedicated his life and fortune to the development of Ukrainian culture. In particular, he financed the first daily Ukrainian-language newspapers, *Hromadska Dumka* and *Rada*, and provided financial support to well-known figures, including Mykhailo Kotsyubynsky. Chikalenko is credited with the famous slogan that Ukraine should be loved not only from the bottom of one’s heart, but also from the bottom of one’s pocket.
As Intent previously reported, a performance in Odesa recounted the story of Sviatoslav Karavansky and Nina Strokataya. The performance took place as part of the ODREAM project: History. Culture. Democracy – HCD in collaboration with actors and musicians from the V. Vasylko Odessa Academic Ukrainian Music and Drama Theater.
