A classical ballet performance, the first complete since February 2022, was staged this April in Kharkiv, in the secure basement of the city's Opera House, which was transformed into a makeshift stage. The war on the fronts of eastern Ukraine persists, but a group of artists are fighting their own battle for life and cultural survival at the National Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre.
Despite technical shortcomings and emergency conditions against a backdrop of gray walls and bare wires, according to a Reuters report, the audience was treated to "Chopiniana," the 20th century romantic ballet based on the music of Frederic Chopin.
This was the first time that Kharkiv had hosted a full ballet production since the beginning of the Russian invasion. "Despite everything that is happening — the bombs, the drones and the constant fear — we can still offer something beautiful. If only for a short time, the audience can escape to another world," says Antonina Radiefska, the artistic director of Opera East, the team behind the production.
The contrast between everyday life and the need for cultural continuity could not be more stark. Using apps for air raid alerts, sleeping in underground stations overnight and worrying about loved ones on the front line have become the new "normal" in Kharkiv. However, in this reality, art not only survives, but also offers hope.
On 23 February 2022, the curtain fell at the Opera House in Kharkiv. The next day, Russia invaded Ukraine. Initially, members of the artistic team scattered across Europe, from Slovakia to Lithuania, and continued to perform with the support of European sponsors.
By 2023, the situation in the city had stabilised following the withdrawal of Russian ground forces. The first rehearsals in the Opera House basement began in October of that year. In spring 2024, the theatre was permitted to welcome audiences again, starting with children's events and short performances.
"Chopiniana" marked the full return of the classical repertoire, but it also signified something deeper. According to Igor Tuluzov, the general director of Opera East, "The return of opera and ballet is a message of cultural independence. Ukraine remains a self-sufficient and creative state."
The underground space, with its brick walls, concrete floor and exposed wiring, bears little resemblance to the plush halls of the main theatre, which remain closed. Whereas there used to be 1,750 seats, performances are now limited to just 400 folding chairs. Yet the symbolic value of the space is immense.
"This space means life," says Radiefska. "The artist cannot exist without a stage, without creation. It is a form of rebirth."
--
With information from the Reuters
Photo credit: State Emergency Service of Ukraine
Photo source
