No Soldier Can Stop a Ukrainian from Being Ukrainian: Arsen Mirzoyan on Music, War, and Identity

Inspiration from Arsen Mirzoyan’s Songs

I found inspiration in Arsen Mirzoyan’s poignant songs while sitting on a balcony overlooking the Dnieper River, bathed in the crimson hues of the evening sun. I listened to stories and watched video reports from my friend Vitalik Pastukh, who has organized over 60 concerts to support Ukrainian troops on the front lines in the east of the country. I wondered, why would Arsen, a successful artist and participant in the show “Holos Kraïny” (The Voice of the Country), where he took fourth place in the finale as part of Stas Piekha’s team, put himself in danger?

Meeting with Arsen Mirzoyan

I met Arsen in an entertainment center in one of the most beautiful historical districts of Kyiv. After a long photo session, Arsen suggested we sit in a local café.

Conversation with Arsen

Arsen: “So, you’re from Belarus? Do you understand Ukrainian?”

Me: “Yes, I even know how to speak it.”

Arsen: “Then let’s have some borscht, with lard and jelly.”

Arsen’s Photo Session and Health

I asked Arsen about the photo session and if he could share a couple of photos for the magazine.

Arsen: “I can even send you a couple of erotic photos (laughs). Why not? I would even shoot a music video with elements of light erotica. People seem to lack the correct understanding of body culture, which existed, for example, in Ancient Greece. Eroticism can be present even in a modest kiss; it all depends on the way it is presented.”

I asked about his health, as few know that several years ago he lost his hearing and had both ears prosthetized.

Arsen: “Now everything is fine. But back then… After such an operation, coordination of movements is impaired. You have to relearn how to walk and ‘put your eyes in place’: if you poked in your ear, you could notice that the pupils were directed in different directions (laughs). Or you look at one point, turn around, and in front of you is still what you saw before turning your head. I understood that both ears were plastic and that I would have to give up music. But my surgeon said, ‘Think for yourself, why I restored your hearing.'”

From Engineering to Music

Arsen is a color metallurgy engineer with extensive experience working at a plant. Without a musical education, he writes his own songs. It turns out that such sensitive souls work in factories?

Arsen: “Souls are everywhere; it’s all about the desire. I just started writing lyrics and music. Many songs from that period have faded into oblivion as they became irrelevant; they embodied my youthful philosophy, which I later moved away from. Now I do things that I won’t be ashamed of. And I don’t even know when exactly I stopped throwing songs into the trash bin.”

The Beginning of Arsen’s Musical Journey

Arsen’s creativity has always been for the soul, but at his own level. He didn’t have a producer; he managed himself, didn’t understand anything about show business, and didn’t know how to promote himself. He started recording songs in an expensive studio with a renowned sound engineer and began to understand that people of this level don’t work with just anyone. They believe in him. That’s how he recorded an album under the guidance of Vitaliy Telezin, known for his work with bands like “Okean Elzy” and “Lyapis Trubetskoy”. He shot a music video with director Alexander Stekolenko, who also worked on videos for “Okean Elzy”, “Lyapis”, and Zdob si Zdub. The cost of that video was equal to two years of his salary at the plant.

Participation in “Holos Kraïny”

Arsen’s participation in the project “Holos Kraïny” was a forced decision. Without a background, it’s hard to break through. Therefore, such projects are a springboard. But there are nuances: it’s important that producers don’t spoil anything with their whims. Many try to convince participants that they are a certain type of artist.

Arsen: “Wait a minute, for example, I already have an album recorded; I’ve been in the creative field for a long time and consciously. Why do you think I’m not the right artist? You weren’t producers in the past, but now you are. And I was a musician in the past and remain one now. I haven’t changed. Some people have their image spoiled, and that’s bad. They told me, ‘Choose another song. With this one, you’ll be out!’ Okay. But with another one, I’ll also be out, but no one will understand me because what the producers impose is not me.”

Cultural Reunification and Support

Arsen’s participation in the tour “Pidtrymaemo Svoïkh” (Support Our Own) is an attempt at real support for “our own”. There is nationalism and patriotism—two different phenomena. Nationalism is correct. It’s when a person doesn’t even understand the question: why do you speak Ukrainian?

Arsen: “For 15 years, not a single Ukrainian-speaking artist has performed there. They don’t know the Ukrainian language, and everyone who speaks Ukrainian is a ‘Banderite.’ This leads to the cultural disunity of the country. With budget money, expensive holidays are organized with invited Russian artists. The eastern region is not loved for money laundering, for the position of a subsidized region, as a feeding one. I worked as an engineer in the Metinvest holding for 10 years and know who feeds whom in these industries. And we—Ukrainian performers—have become unnecessary for them, and now even enemies.”

Arsen’s story is one of resilience, passion, and a deep commitment to his cultural identity and music. His journey from an engineer to a celebrated artist is a testament to his dedication and belief in his craft.