MUR

MUR is a Ukrainian creative association that combines music, theater, literature and historical memory in a format that is difficult to squeeze into one genre. Here, rap and techno can sound alongside the lyrics of Ukrainian classics, and the concert easily turns into a full-fledged cultural experience.

The project appeared in May 2022 and very quickly became one of the most noticeable phenomena on the modern Ukrainian scene. MUR works not only with music, but also with context — rethinks Ukrainian literature, talks about repressed artists, and creates formats that make you want to not just add a track to your playlist, but also go read Stus or Tychyna.

MUR Lineup

• Oleksandr Khomenko — lyrics, recitative;
• Viktor Tkachenko — lyrics, music, sound production;
• Oleksandr Zaika — lyrics, music, vocals;
• Maria O'Reilly — editing;
• Mykola Shmundyr — recitative, PR.

History of the group

MUR was founded by three friends — director and actor Oleksandr Khomenko, sound engineer Viktor Tkachenko, and Mykola Shmundyr. At first, it was more of a creative experiment: the first clips, music releases, and an attempt to find one's own style in the new reality after the start of a full-scale war.

But very quickly, a full-fledged team formed around this "creative backbone." The project began to grow and turned into a large cultural movement, where music works together with theater, documentary, and history.

The main mission of MUR is to return attention to Ukrainian artists of the past, especially to the generation of the Shot Renaissance, and to do this in a language that sounds modern to a young audience.

The band's work is based on texts by Ukrainian poets combined with their own sound: from rap and soul to hard rock, funk, or techno. It is this mixture of genres that creates the feeling that literature here ceases to be a “school program” and begins to sound like something very alive.

The first solo concert of MUR took place on August 27, 2022 in Kyiv. The performance became an important starting point: the group began to be actively talked about, and the audience grew rapidly.

The name “MUR” has several meanings at once. It refers to a line by Vasyl Stus from the poem “What did you say?” and at the same time reminds of the “Artistic Ukrainian Movement” - an association of Ukrainian writers in post-war camps for displaced persons.

The Creative Path

One of the most high-profile stages in the development of MUR was the release of the musical album “You [Romance]” in 2024. The project became the first historical musical album in Ukraine dedicated to writers of the era of the Shot Revival.

The release included 17 compositions united by a common plot. In the tracks of MUR, the listener literally immerses himself in the atmosphere of that time - through music, lyrics and emotional living of stories.

Based on the album, the team created a full-fledged rap musical without the support of large sponsors or large-scale production structures. And this is what made the story of the project even stronger.

The premiere of "You [Romance]" took place at the October Palace in Kyiv and quickly turned into a cultural phenomenon. Forbes, BBC and Vogue wrote about the production. Writer Tamara Horikha Zernya called the authors “damn geniuses” and briefly summarized the reaction of many viewers: “everyone should watch.”

Less than a week after the premiere, the recording of the musical collected over 185 thousand views on YouTube. And the project itself brought thousands of new listeners and viewers to MUR.

Other Ukrainian artists and creative teams also participated in the creation of “You [Romance]”. The voices of the musical were Serhiy Zhadan, the bands Nazva and Heitspich, as well as Yevhen Yanovych and Olena Kravets.

Creative development of the group

In addition to music, MUR members are actively working on documentary videos about Ukrainian literature, culture, and history. Among the topics are “Shchedryk”, the figures of Pavlo Tychyna, Ivan Bahryany, Vasyl Stus and Vasyl Symonenko.

Such projects have become another way to talk about Ukrainian heritage without academic dryness. Here, history is presented through a modern presentation, emotion and understandable language - without the feeling of “a lecture that you have to sit through”.

In the summer of 2025, the group announced a new play “Rebellion”. The first screenings are planned for August, after which a tour of the cities of Ukraine will begin.

According to director Oleksandr Khomenko, “Rebellion” is a story about rebirth in the midst of a fire, about internal protest and about the ability of people to resist even when the majority around them convinces them to give up.

The play also talks about self-organization, democracy and freedom as a personal daily choice. And this theme fits very well into the general style of MUR - workto create art not for “background”, but for internal response.

MYR discography

• MYR vol.1. (2022);
• "Free Book" (2022);
• "You (Romance)" (2024);
• Pax Romana (2024).

Interesting facts about MUR

• The group calls Oleksandr Khomenko "an encyclopedia man" because of his knowledge of Ukrainian literature and culture.
```
• With the musical "You [Romance]", the team traveled almost all of Ukraine, and donated part of the funds from the tour to the needs of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
• MUR initiated the Pavlo Tychyna Award - an award for achievements in the field of art, music, literature, science and the preservation of historical memory.
• The group's projects often become an "entry point" into Ukrainian literature for young people an audience that had almost no interest in classical music before.
• MUR managed to create a format where the concert simultaneously works as a musical event, a theatrical performance, and a way to rethink one's own cultural identity.
```

Why should you pay attention to MUR

• a combination of contemporary music and Ukrainian literature without the feeling of "museumness";
• live performances that work as a full-fledged performance;
• a combination of rap, theater, history, and documentary;
• projects that make you want to Google Ukrainian writers;
• a format for those looking for an unobvious, but very strong cultural experience.

MUR performances are a story not only about music. It's about memory, identity, internal protest, and a culture that sounds modern without trying to be "trendy for the sake of trendiness."

Current schedule, new events, tickets, concert schedule, and prices — at Numotamo.com. On Numotamo, you can choose an event to suit your mood, plan anti-workdays, or save a concert for yourself "for later" if you don't feel like going out in public right now.