Navigating the Music Scene: An Interview with Maryna Mykhailova of Vertuha

In this interview, we speak with Maryna Mykhailova, concert manager, co-organizer of Vertuha music events, and co-founder of Vertuha Records. Maryna’s journey into the music industry began unexpectedly after moving to Kyiv, where she discovered Vertuha and became deeply involved with its events. Starting with modest tasks, she quickly took on significant responsibilities, eventually helping to scale up the organization and establish Vertuha Records to support and promote Ukrainian music.

Maryna shares insights into her current projects, including organizing Vertuha House parties and managing artists like Seba Korecky and Lucas Bird. She discusses the impact of the war on her work, from navigating the challenges of event planning to adapting communication strategies in a time of crisis. Maryna also reflects on the evolving Ukrainian music industry and offers advice for newcomers in the field. As she prepares for the Reeperbahn conference in Hamburg, her focus remains on growth, learning, and expanding her projects in these turbulent times.

How did your journey in the music industry begin?

It started quite spontaneously and unplanned. In general, I wanted to be involved in events, parties, festivals, but I didn’t know how. About six months after I moved to Kyiv, a friend of mine invited me to Vertuha. I went to that party and fell in love with it. I realized that I wanted to be part of this team and create such events. After the party, I wrote to the team, saying, “Please take me on, I’m ready to do anything.” They accepted me, and my first tasks were, for example, to choose stickers or stand at the entrance. But over time, the team began to trust me more, and they offered me the role of booking manager, working with artists. Then we started to scale up as a promo group, organizing larger parties, adding more communication with artists, both about the overall concept and sets, as well as supporting Ukrainian culture. Last year, we realized one of our dreams — we launched the Vertuha Records label to promote Ukrainian music and create a platform where artists feel comfortable — we already have our first artist.

What projects are you currently working on or have already completed?

There are a few directions. There’s the Vertuha House, which includes the parties we organize in Kyiv. They can be concert-style events, and with the team, we involve different artists so that people can learn about and hear them. I’m happy to be a part of this. These are difficult times, and organizing parties before the invasion and during the war are two very different stories. There's a lot of context, and you need to learn to sense what is appropriate and what isn’t. Many people tell us that they are grateful Vertuha’s parties exist because they help them feel joy and light during dark days. It inspires me a lot that I can be part of something like that.

At Vertuha Records, we currently have one artist — Lucas Bird. It’s been quiet for now, but we plan to start active work in the fall. I also work as a manager for a few artists: Seba Korecky, PoBo, and Lucas Bird. I help them with organizing performances, communications, and promotion.

Tell us about the impact of the war on your work.

I think the Russian invasion in 2022 radically changed the perception of the music scene in Ukraine. More opportunities have opened up for local artists, and interest in Ukrainian music has grown. I see this at the performances I organize for my artists or for those we invite to "Vertuha." More and more people in Ukraine are interested in Ukrainian music, even if they hadn’t heard of a particular artist before — they’re curious to discover something new. For example, at "Vertuha," we created an alternative stage with indie artists, and Figurat performed there. Some of my friends heard him for the first time at that event and have since become his ambassadors, spreading the word about him to everyone.

At the same time, organizing events of this format has become more challenging. Sometimes we get criticized, with people saying it's not the right time or that such events shouldn't be held. Before, we could post photos and video reports without hesitation, but now we carefully consider whether it's appropriate to publish them. For example, we planned to announce an event, but on that day, tragic events occurred in Lviv and Poltava, so we decided to delay the publication.

(Editor’s note: A missile strike on Poltava on September 3 killed 55 people and injured nearly 300. On September 4, 2024, a Russian attack on Lviv killed 7 and injured 40.)

Due to tragic events, communication campaigns are often delayed or postponed. After such incidents, people are usually not in the mood for entertainment or attending events. However, there’s also a sense that people are focusing more on the present moment — they value what’s happening here and now, and who they’re spending time with. During events, they spend less time on their phones or recording videos.

Booking artists has also become more difficult — both for performances abroad and for bringing artists to Ukraine. Previously, bookings could be organized anytime and anywhere, but now it’s much more restricted.

You mentioned that people are filming less at parties now. Why is that?

Recently, we banned filming during parties to avoid unnecessary triggers for society. Also, I feel like people themselves have become more aware that a video from a party during wartime could be a trigger for others who might not feel comfortable with it. But even when we still allowed filming, people weren’t doing it as often as before. They wanted to remember the event through their own eyes, not through their phones. I remember when our friend, a DJ from Italy, visited us — both before and after the invasion. He’s always been amazed by Kyiv and the people here. He says that he feels life here, that people fully immerse themselves in the moment, knowing that today there’s a party, but tomorrow it might not happen.

In your opinion, how is Ukraine's music industry currently functioning and developing?

In my view, the voices of local artists, which previously might not have been heard — for example, because foreign artists would come to Ukraine — now have a chance to be heard. There’s a clear shift toward Ukrainian music, which has replaced Russian music. It seems that people have started attending more concerts, even those of unknown artists. The industry is developing rapidly, but sometimes there’s a boost, and other times there’s stagnation when there’s no fresh energy. It’s great when there’s an opportunity to travel, see performances, attend festivals, and exchange experiences because that’s inspiring. In this regard, the situation is challenging. On the one hand, you can create something new here in Ukraine from scratch, but on the other hand, there’s a lack of experience exchange. It would also be great to have more venues where artists could perform.

What advice would you give to those who are just starting out in your profession or the music industry in general?

Don’t be afraid. Don’t worry about what others will think of you. Of course, you need to be mindful of sensitive topics, but I know so many people who are just too scared to do anything, who don’t share their ideas because they’re afraid they won’t be understood. But there will always be someone who will support you, and maybe there will be so many people that you’ll need to gather at the Olympic Stadium. Also, get to know people — contacts are incredibly helpful.

You’re going to the Reeperbahn conference and showcase festival in Hamburg this September. What are your expectations and plans there?

I expect a lot of information, a lot of people from different countries working in the industry. It’s great that there will be an opportunity to exchange contexts. For example, I’m in touch with a music manager from Australia who’s attending Reeperbahn from a completely different reality, and it’s exciting that our two realities will intersect. My goals are to make great contacts and learn from international experience that we can apply in Ukraine.

How do you see your development and the growth of your projects in the near future?

Planning is difficult. I would like to continue gaining expertise in the music market, to learn more, and to develop the music industry. With the Vertuha team, we want to continue doing what we’re doing, because stability these days is a luxury. We have so many ideas, and we’d love to grow, expand our team, and scale up. I’d also like to focus more on releasing music.