With electronic beats blaring in the background, volunteers sweep, scrub and haul debris. It’s not a typical techno party activity, but for young people in Ukraine, it’s a compromise between summer music festivals and the massive rebuilding effort taking place. Our Observer, one of the volunteers organising the “rave cleanups”, explained that it’s a way to keep volunteers motivated and inspired during the long cleanup process.
A group of young Ukrainians have built a team of volunteers to repair homes, clean up bombed buildings and help bring some joy back to the people of Ukraine – all while dancing to techno beats. If war hadn’t broken out when Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, these volunteers might be enjoying summer music festivals. Instead, they are mobilised to help the cleanup effort in towns devastated by bombing and violence.
