A concert in support of Ukraine will be held in Inverness later this month.
Featuring a mix of Scottish and Ukrainian talent, the one-night-only With Love to Ukraine show will be held at Eden Court.
Money from tickets will go to the Association of Ukrainians in Great Britain, Black Isle And Highlands Refugee Network Support and UK Med.
Artists from Scotland will perform, including Julie Fowlis, Duncan Chisholm, Nataliya Gorban and the Inverness Gaelic Choir.
Ukrainian artists will also share their stories through music during the show, produced by Matthew Zajac and Alan Mackinnon.
Toma Butko, who was displaced during the war and now lives in Aviemore, will be performing in her indie-rock style on her guitar.
She used to perform all over Europe with her twin sister in a band called BeTwins.
Iryna Kapetlova, an actress living in Aviemore, will be co-hosting the evening and has been working in a centre for displaced Ukrainians before moving to Scotland.
‘A celebration of solidarity’
Also involved is Elzara Batalova, a Ukrainian pop star who fled from Crimea in 2014 after the Russian invasion. She is confident that “music heals souls”.
She said: “In this case, for them, citizens of Ukraine, you always want to do something more. Even stronger, even better, even higher. We work very hard for them.
“These people want to be supported. This terrible war broke many destinies and claimed many lives of young patriotic guys who honestly love their home.
“I feel so sorry for our wars, a lot of them die defending their land, protecting their families.”
Producer Mr Zajac, originally from Inverness, has close ties to Ukraine as his grandmother is Ukrainian.
He has been travelling to Ukraine over the past 19 years, visiting friends and relatives while performing in shows around Europe.
Denouncing the war as “utterly absurd”, he is motivated to highlight the plight of Ukrainians but also wants the concert to be a joyful occasion.
He said: “This is not simply an expression of the tragedy of the war. It’s also a celebration of solidarity and a celebration of Scottish and Ukrainian cultures and the way the Highlands has opened its arms to Ukraine.
“I’m hoping it’s going to be a joyful occasion as well as having its moments of sobriety and reflection.”
Several artists will express themselves through different forms, including poetry, hymns and moving video montages of displaced refugees living in Poland.
Mr Zajac was recently in Poland speaking with refugees and finding out the impact of war on their lives and will showcase these stories on stage.
“There’s going to be a video element to the show. I have been interviewing Ukrainian refugees in hotels in Aviemore and Inverness.
“I have a few messages from friends in Ukraine, one of whom is fighting on the front line, but he is actually an actor.
“He divides his time between going up to Kyiv and performing in plays and going down to fight near Kherson.”
Keeping the war in peoples’ minds
Mr Zajac is also determined to help keep the Ukraine war relevant in peoples’ minds.
Hundreds of refugees are currently housed with host families and in hotels across the Highlands.
Mr Zajac has arranged for tickets to be allocated for the show to displaced refugees to see firsthand how much the Highland community support them.
The music at the event will be a mixture of classical, folk and more upbeat sounds that show the range of feeling towards what is happening in Ukraine.
With Love to Ukraine will be held on Wednesday, November 16, at 7.30pm at the Eden Court Theatre.
Conversation