I've never heard an audience so silent. When the credits rolled on a screening of 2000 metres to Andriivka, no one in the Kyiv cinema moved. Their popcorn and beer were mostly untouched. The documentary by Mstyslav Chernov is a frontline film so intense you feel like you're trapped in the terrifying trenches alongside the soldiers. Watching that in Ukraine, a country under fire, the intensity is multiplied.
At the start of Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022, as society mobilised to defend itself, Ukraine had little capacity for culture. Venues were closed or repurposed, some were attacked, and artists became refugees or soldiers. Almost four years on, the arts are back - but everything is now permeated by the war.
The change struck me on a recent trip to Kyiv. I realised that city walls were plastered with two kinds of poster: fundraisers for forces on the frontline - or films, plays, and exhibitions about the war.
Artists are adjusting to a new reality. Documentaries like Andriivka and musicals like the rock opera Patriot show a society refusing to forget the sacrifices made. While many audiences wish for lighter fare, they find themselves drawn to narratives that resonate closely with their current struggle. The emotional weight of these screenings often leaves attendees reflecting not just on the art, but on their own experiences of loss and resilience in the face of conflict.
As the head of the Kyiv Opera, Petro Kachanov, noted, even musicals now carry a mission - to emphasize the very real dangers faced by Ukrainians and reject the idea of a happy ending in a time of continuous turmoil. The rich tapestry of Ukrainian culture, bathed in sorrow yet rich with the spirit of defiance, illustrates a nation caught in a fight for identity against the backdrop of war.
At the start of Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022, as society mobilised to defend itself, Ukraine had little capacity for culture. Venues were closed or repurposed, some were attacked, and artists became refugees or soldiers. Almost four years on, the arts are back - but everything is now permeated by the war.
The change struck me on a recent trip to Kyiv. I realised that city walls were plastered with two kinds of poster: fundraisers for forces on the frontline - or films, plays, and exhibitions about the war.
Artists are adjusting to a new reality. Documentaries like Andriivka and musicals like the rock opera Patriot show a society refusing to forget the sacrifices made. While many audiences wish for lighter fare, they find themselves drawn to narratives that resonate closely with their current struggle. The emotional weight of these screenings often leaves attendees reflecting not just on the art, but on their own experiences of loss and resilience in the face of conflict.
As the head of the Kyiv Opera, Petro Kachanov, noted, even musicals now carry a mission - to emphasize the very real dangers faced by Ukrainians and reject the idea of a happy ending in a time of continuous turmoil. The rich tapestry of Ukrainian culture, bathed in sorrow yet rich with the spirit of defiance, illustrates a nation caught in a fight for identity against the backdrop of war.
