“Dad guards the steppes” — Krut’s “Kolyskova” is a lullaby for Ukraine’s children during the war

She’s bringing her bandura and taking her music to a new level. Krut, one of the ten finalists in Vidbir, is among the most talked-about entries in Ukraine’s Eurovision 2023 selection. With her song “Kolyskova” (Lullaby), she reflects on the life of vulnerable children living through war in her homeland.

Vidbir 2023: Krut “Kolyskova”

Twenty-six-year-old Maryna Krut has been known among Eurovision fans ever since her magical song “99” finished third in Vidbir 2020. You’ll remember that the group Go_A won that edition, before taking Europe by storm a year later in Rotterdam.

Playing her bandura, a traditional Ukrainian string instrument, Krut has become a household name. She rose to fame during the eighth season of X Factor Ukraine, where she failed to make it through to the live shows.

However, that did not stop her from making music. In 2018, she released her debut album Arche, followed by Albino in 2019. 

For foreigners, her stage name can be a bit confusing. The last letter of Krut’s name in Ukrainian Cyrillic is a soft sign, which is an untranslatable letter for the English language. It’s definitely not a “b”. 

What do the “Kolyskova” lyrics mean?

In “Kolyskova”, Krut sings about the life of a baby during war. Starting with the classical Ukrainian lullaby “lyuli-lyuli”, which also features in Kalush Orchestra’s “Stefania”, she describes the situation of a mother trying to put her child to sleep as predators stalk the country.

We don’t know where they are — and where the cradle rocks. They could be in an air raid shelter during a bombing or in their home during heavy fighting in a city on the frontlines or even in a maternity hospital, which have also endured shelling during Russia’s war. 

Choosing a child, the most vulnerable of human beings, as the main character of the song, captures the fragility of life. Helpless and completely dependent on others, they’re incapable of surviving the savagery and cruelty of war on their own. 

The song makes an allusion to typical forces within children’s nightmares, such as beasts underneath a child’s bed and scary animals on the outside of the windows. As she sings: “The beasts are in a fierce battle/ The night will come and also pass/ Daddy will chase away the beasts”.  

Next to that, the song makes a reference to families destroyed as result of the war. The father of the child is not near them, but is fighting on the battle field: .”Sleep, sleep, sleep/ Dad guards the steppes”. 

“Kolyskova” lyrics – Krut (Vidbir 2023)

Do you like Krut’s “Kolyskova”? Are you hoping that they will win Vidbir 2023? Let us know in the comments down below!