Ukrainian pianist Irina Maniukina breaks hearts with this viral farewell performance in her shattered home

Poke Staff. Updated March 14th, 2022

Some images and footage of major events capture the essence of the circumstances more powerfully than any words ever could.

One such clip, of a Ukrainian professional pianist playing one last piece on the piano in her ruined home in Bila Tserkva, is moving people to tears.

@kkkarysia Ответ пользователю @catty.romanova ♬ оригинальный звук – karysia

The clip, posted to TikTok by @karysia, has been viewed nearly two million times, as well as going viral on other social media platforms.

She added this comment – according to Google Translate.

Do not judge, my mother is a professional pianist and decided to play to let this go.

Several news outlets have identified the pianist as Irina Maniukina, and the piece as Chopin’s Aeolian Harp Étude.

Her touching farewell to the piano and her old life went wildly viral on Twitter, with numerous accounts sharing the clip.

A Ukrainian pianist played Chopin in the ruins of her house after it was badly damaged by Russian shelling. Iryna Manyukina is seen playing the piano in her home in Bila Tserkva, not far from Kyiv, on March 5. A Russian shell exploded nearby. No one from the family was injured. pic.twitter.com/6Uu0F4Q75x

— Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (@RFERL) March 12, 2022

professional pianist Irina Maniukina playing Chopin (Aeolian Harp' Étude, Op. 25, # 1) before finally leaving her home south of Kyiv https://t.co/mZrRJ4k3l0

— Jim Pickard (@PickardJE) March 13, 2022

The beauty and tragedy of human capability in juxtaposition. https://t.co/BMiOl1urqY

— Sir Brian Moore (@brianmoore666) March 13, 2022

This makes me want to cry. The last act before abandoning her shell damaged home to flee #Ukraine https://t.co/fMK9dYu619

— Jon Sopel (@jonsopel) March 13, 2022

Utterly heartbreaking. A Ukrainian leaves her home in Kiev. First she plays her piano for the last time.

As a violinist myself, I can’t imagine parting with your instrument. An instrument which has become apart of you.

The emotion is this video alone.pic.twitter.com/4e9bqEqMnD

— Dr. Jennifer Cassidy 🇺🇦 (@OxfordDiplomat) March 13, 2022

Incredible destruction in Kiev. Incredible resilience and creativity in response #thepiano https://t.co/2P9S49MaBl

— Peter Jukes (@peterjukes) March 13, 2022

Paul Waugh summed up the scene in just three powerful words.

Beautiful, tragic, defiant. https://t.co/zgtqXsEFzG

— Paul Waugh (@paulwaugh) March 13, 2022

Source @karysia Image Screengrab