The Ukrainian Origin of “Carol of the Bells” | The Story of Shchedryk

“Carol of the Bells” is one of the world’s most iconic Christmas songs, but few people know it was originally a Ukrainian New Year’s carol called Shchedryk. In this episode of Ukraine Unfiltered, we uncover the real history behind the song, the tragic assassination of its composer Mykola Leontovych, and how a simple four-note Ukrainian folk chant became a global holiday classic.

Discover how Ukrainian composer Mykola Leontovych transformed ancient ritual music into a choral masterpiece, and how his work was later adapted by Peter Wilhousky, who wrote the English lyrics to Carol of the Bells in 1936.

We explore:
🎶 The origins of Shchedryk in Ukrainian folklore
🎶 How the song moved from a pagan spring ritual to a New Year’s tradition
🎶 The Ukrainian National Chorus’ 1922 performance at Carnegie Hall
🎶 Why Wilhousky’s version became world-famous
🎶 The heartbreaking assassination of Mykola Leontovych by a Soviet agent
🎶 How this Ukrainian melody became one of the most recognizable holiday songs on Earth

If you’ve ever wondered “Is Carol of the Bells Ukrainian?”, “Who wrote Shchedryk?”, or “What is the true story behind Carol of the Bells?” - this video has the full story.

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