The Swallow Has Arrived. Iren Rozdobudko

In December 1997, a boarding house for the elderly is preparing to celebrate Christmas. Old Nicholas Leo hears the melody of "Shchedryk" and... suddenly almost dies of a heart attack. In his last confession, the man admits that he is not at all the person he has pretended to be for many years. His story takes us to Kyiv in 1916, where the premiere of the legendary "Shchedryk" by Mykola Leontovych takes place. During the war and against the backdrop of the turn of the eras, the destinies of young musicians, artists, and students are intertwined. They are inspired by music, it becomes a force that can change lives, cause jealousy, and stir up dangerous passions.

"The Little Swallow Has Arrived" is a novel about the power of art, talent, and hard work, about crime, the ruthlessness of the system, and the innocence of the victim, about obsession and the price of great love. And about a famous melody that survived centuries, even if a gunshot ended the life of the one who created it.