Colmena is a powerful podcasting tool for journalists in Ukraine

Katrya Honcharuk is a musicologist, radio producer and presenter at Radio Kultura. Her listeners know her from programs about classical and folk music and she often reported from top music festivals around the world for Ukraine’s public broadcaster Suspilne. But with the start of the full-scale Russian invasion, her focus changed.

In her latest radio documentary project "What Is Music to Me," which premiered in October, Honcharuk explores how music accompanies people through these difficult times in Ukraine. For the three-episode project, she has invited scientists, interviewed musicians and talked with people on the street to discuss phenomena such as music therapy for soldiers, the role of music in memorial rituals and new compositions created incorporating the sounds of resistance.

"New Ukrainian music is born amidst the sounds of air raid sirens," Honcharuk explained.

Capturing resistance

For podcast interviews and production, Honcharuk has been using Colmena, the digital newsroom and podcasting tool that allows her to easily record and edit, when she is on the road or even in a bomb shelter. Using the DW Akademie-developed software, she can also collaborate with her colleagues over the platform.

"Colmena is very convenient, especially when you need to edit an interview in a matter of minutes," said Honcharuk. "The platform provides all the necessary tools for editing podcasts, making the process quick and efficient."

The software has been specifically developed for challenging circumstances, since it does not need an internet connection to function. Colmena has been designed for local and community media organizations to successfully produce stories, despite any technological hurdles they might face.

The power of sound

Using the software, Honcharuk has delved into the complex relationships Ukrainians have to sound and what music can mean to a country in the midst of such an existential struggle.

"Music has once again reminded us that it can shape memory for future generations and speak truth to the world," said Honcharuk. “And, at the same time, music can help individuals process and understand their emotions."

Colmena was developed by DW Akademie and its partners and is supported by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).