The concert will take place in Freedom Square (Vabaduse väljak) on Thursday, August 24, the day Ukraine marks its freedom after the breakup of the Soviet Union and just four days after Estonia's own Restoration of Independence Day.

Dubbed "Ukraina tänab!", in addition to Ruslana, who won the 2004 Eurovision Song Contest, Estonian performers Stefan, Elina Nechayeva, Tanel Padar and Ukrainian-Estonian folk band Svjata Vatra are due to appear, as is the Estonian national men's choir (Eesti Rahvusmeeskoor).

Ruslan Trochynskyi, trombonist, Svjata Vatra member and concert organizer, told ERR that: "The purpose of the 'Ukraina tänab!' concert is to express gratitude to all the people of Estonia, for their continued support of Ukraine, and to celebrate together the day of Ukraine's restoration of independence. With this event of thanksgiving, we want to demonstrate and to maintain the connection and trust that exists between the Estonian and Ukrainian communities."

"A few days after Estonia's Restoration of Independence Day, Ukraine also marks its own anniversary of the same event. Unfortunately, today Ukraine has to fight in a war for its freedom, and the spiritual and material support of the Estonian state and people continues to be vital and highly anticipated, for Ukraine," Trochynskyi added. 

Donations obtained during the concert will go towards projects relating to the safety of children living near the front line in the war, and especially for the construction of bomb shelters for schools in eastern Ukraine, the area most affected by the Russian invasion.

Ukraine's new Ambassador to Estonia, Maksym Kononenko, said: "On behalf of the Ukrainian state and our citizens, I would like to express my deepest gratitude to Estonia for its sympathetic attitude, international support, military and humanitarian aid and its providing of asylum to those Ukrainians who have sought safety here. This humane gesture will forever remain in the hearts of Ukrainians."

Also appearing at the concert will be the Tallinn Police Orchestra, conducted by Siim Aimla, Silvr Sepp and Ukrainian-Canadian trio Balaklava Blues.

The Estonian men's national choir will be joined by all the artists who performed earlier, to perform together patriotic Ukrainian hymn "Oi u luzi chervona kalyna," ("Oh, the Red Viburnum in the Meadow"), one of the themes to Ukraine's current struggle, though it dates back to 1875.

The concert starts at 7 p.m. Estonian time on Thursday, August 24, and ends two hours later. The concert is free to enter and will be broadcast live by ETV also.

The Verkhovna Rada declared Ukrainian independence on August 24, 1991, a decision which was decisively ratified by a referendum later that year.

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