05/06/2026
Iryna Muha releases “Duma” for Refugee Week — a song of exile, memory and courage
Ukrainian-born Nottingham-based musician Iryna Muha is releasing a live music video of her song “Duma” for Refugee Week 2026, bringing renewed attention to the story of Nottingham’s Ukrainian community and the generations shaped by displacement.
“Duma” was originally commissioned by the Association of Ukrainians in Great Britain, Nottingham Branch, for the Soundstage Festival 2025 screening of Громада Засланців — A Community in Exile, a documentary by Leo Jurkiw about Ukrainians who came to Nottingham after the Second World War and built the city’s Ukrainian community.
Drawing on words and memories from the film, “Duma” transforms testimonies of exile, survival and rebuilding into music. The title “Duma” means thought, reflection or remembrance, and also connects to the Ukrainian tradition of sung historical storytelling carried by lirnyky — musicians who accompanied epic songs on the lira, the Ukrainian hurdy-gurdy.
The live video includes a slideshow of publicly available Second World War-era archival photographs from Eastern Europe, alongside photographs of people featured in A Community in Exile, placing the song within both historical and personal memory.
The release is especially meaningful in 2026, as the Association of Ukrainians in Great Britain marks 80 years of preserving Ukrainian heritage and supporting the community.
Iryna Muha said:
“This song carries the voices of people who survived war and exile, rebuilt their lives, and carried Ukrainian culture with them. I wanted to honour their memories, but also to show that their story is still alive today. The Ukrainian Centre in Nottingham was built by one generation of displaced people, and now it is supporting another.”
Released for Refugee Week 2026 and its theme “Courage,” “Duma” connects the experiences of Ukrainians who came to Britain after the Second World War with those displaced by war today. The song honours the courage to survive upheaval, remember, rebuild community and keep culture alive across borders.
Following the release, Iryna Muha will bring her solo show Ukrainian Folk and Beyond to Buxton Fringe 2026, performing at Underground at Spring Gardens on Sunday 19 July and Saturday 25 July, from 2:30pm to 3:30pm. The show features Ukrainian traditional songs, original music, storytelling, guitar and hurdy-gurdy.
ENDS
Links
Live Premiere link https://youtu.be/1ngMX_i26lk
Private video preview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AIWZHw65rUs
Website / EPK: https://irynamuha.co.uk/epk/
Press contact: [email protected] / 07745052897
Notes for editors
About Iryna Muha
Iryna Muha is a Ukrainian-born, UK-based singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist whose work brings together Ukrainian traditional song, original composition, storytelling, guitar and hurdy-gurdy. Her music explores memory, migration, home and identity.
About “Duma”
“Duma” was commissioned by the Association of Ukrainians in Great Britain, Nottingham Branch, for the Soundstage Festival 2025 screening of Громада Засланців — A Community in Exile, a documentary by Leo Jurkiw about Ukrainians who arrived in Nottingham after the Second World War and helped build the city’s Ukrainian community.
About the video
The live video features Iryna Muha’s performance of “Duma” with a slideshow of historical and documentary imagery, including publicly available Second World War-era photographs from Eastern Europe and photographs of people featured in A Community in Exile.
Slideshow credits: Archival photographs and historical materials courtesy of public archives, museums, research institutions, and historical collections preserving the memory of Ukraine and its people.
About the Association of Ukrainians in Great Britain
In 2026, the Association of Ukrainians in Great Britain marks 80 years of preserving Ukrainian heritage and supporting the Ukrainian community. Its Nottingham branch continues to play an important role in local Ukrainian cultural and community life.
About Refugee Week 2026
Refugee Week 2026 takes place from 15–21 June under the theme “Courage.”
Upcoming performances
Iryna Muha will perform Ukrainian Folk and Beyond at Buxton Fringe 2026, Underground at Spring Gardens, on:
Sunday 19 July 2026, 2:30pm–3:30pm
Saturday 25 July 2026, 2:30pm–3:30pm
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AIWZHw65rUs
EPK Ukrainian-born singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Iryna Muha brings folk and original songs shaped by her roots, migration and lived experience. Accompanying herself on hurdy-gurdy and guitar, she shifts between driving rhythms and quiet, intimate moments, drawing on folk stories, poetr...
