Ukrainian
performers
at war

One of the sectors most affected by military operations in Ukraine is the performing arts. Theatre, opera and ballet, which require a live audience, must either adapt to the realities of constant air raids or evacuate from the war zone entirely. The whole world learned about the Russian bombing of Mariupol’s theater in the spring of 2022.

In this section, we tell the stories of Ukrainian theater actors, ballet dancers, opera singers and choreographers who, often despite a complete lack of military experience, joined the ranks of the army at the beginning of the full-scale Russian invasion.
We would like to believe that all of them will return to their main occupation. However, the lives of some of them have already been tragically cut short during hostilities.