Ukrainian War Veteran and Teenage Refugee Unite for Powerful DJ Set at Hannah Laing’s doof in the park

A Ukrainian war veteran who discovered DJing as part of his PTSD recovery and a teenage refugee who fled Kyiv following Russia’s invasion will share the decks at one of Scotland’s biggest electronic music festivals this summer.

Andrew Kosolapov, aka Perekos, and 18-year-old Oleksandra “Sasha” Korol will perform a special back-to-back set at doof in the park on 4 July, marking a remarkable story of resilience, recovery and the unifying power of music.

The collaboration was sparked by Scottish dance music charity Turn The Tables, whose founder Robbie Tolson met Perekos during a humanitarian visit to Ukraine in late 2025. Amid air raid sirens and rolling blackouts in Kyiv, the pair played an impromptu DJ set together at local venue HVLV — a moment that would ultimately lead to a festival stage in Scotland.

Perekos volunteered to fight following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022 and was injured while serving on the front line. During his rehabilitation, he discovered EnterDJ, a Ukrainian non-profit that uses electronic music to support veterans and civilians living with wartime PTSD. What began as a childhood dream quickly became a vital part of his recovery.

“After my injury on the front line, I needed something positive to help me recover and that’s when I discovered EnterDJ,” said Perekos. “I could never have dreamed it would one day take me to play at a music festival in Scotland. I am proud to fly the flag for Ukraine and EnterDJ.”

Joining him on stage will be Sasha, who fled Kyiv as a teenager and rebuilt her life in Dundee. After learning to DJ through Turn The Tables, she became a regular at doof studios, the community music space founded by Hannah Laing, Turn The Tables and Street Soccer Scotland. She has since performed at events including Dundee Dance Event and Hidden Door Festival.

“doof studios has become so much more than a place where I learned a skill,” said Korol. “It helped me grow my confidence and connect with the music scene in Dundee, which has really helped me feel at home here.”

Supported by Hannah Laing, the pair will close the festival’s Highlander Stage — a platform dedicated to emerging talent and grassroots club culture. Their performance arrives as part of a huge second edition of doof in the park, which returns to Camperdown Park on 4 July with a sold-out crowd and a line-up featuring Paul van Dyk, Lilly Palmer, Clara Cuvé, Eddie Halliwell, ALT8 and Maddix.

For Hannah Laing, the set represents exactly what the festival is about. “I’ve watched Sasha grow in confidence since she first started attending workshops at the studio,” she said. “It’s an honour that we can now host this collaboration and give her a platform to represent her home Ukraine at doof in the park in such a meaningful way.”

Turn The Tables founder Robbie Tolson believes the story speaks for itself. “On stage will be one DJ who evacuated to Scotland because of the war and another who volunteered to defend his country,” he said. “Now they’re performing together at doof in the park. If that doesn’t show the power of music, I don’t know what does.”