‘You continue living..’: Kyiv theater reopens with sold-out performance amid Russia-Ukraine war
- Russia-Ukraine war: The theater on Podil was the latest cultural institution in Kyiv to resume operations as the movie theaters and the National Opera opened their doors at the end of May
Just as Russian forces continued to fight for control of Sievierodonetsk, an eastern Ukrainian city that is key to Moscow's goal of completing the capture of the industrial Donbas region, a theater in Ukraine's capital Kyiv reopened for the first time since war began, and tickets sold out for Sunday's performance.
The theater on Podil was the latest cultural institution in Kyiv to resume operations as the movie theaters and the National Opera opened their doors at the end of May. Actor Kostya Tomlyak says he had hesitated to perform in wartime but the influx of people returning to Kyiv since hostilities there have lessened persuaded him that it was time to perform.
The actor said, “you continue living, although you don't forget that there is the war. The main question is how actors can be helpful.”
While another actor, Yuriy Felipenko said, “we were wondering how it would be, whether spectators would come during the war, whether they think at all about theater, whether it's of any interest. And we were happy that the first three plays were sold out.” Filipenko shared the theater is putting on plays with just a few actors.
Meanwhile, Russia has begun turning over the bodies of Ukrainian fighters killed at the Azovstal steelworks, the fortress-like plant in the destroyed city of Mariupol where their last-ditch stand became a symbol of resistance against Moscow's invasion.
Dozens of the dead taken from the bombed-out mill's now Russian-occupied ruins have been transferred to the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, where DNA testing is underway to identify the remains, according to both a military leader and a spokeswoman for the Azov Regiment.
The Azov Regiment was among the Ukrainian units that defended the steelworks for nearly three months before surrendering in May under relentless Russian attacks from the ground, sea and air. It was unclear how many bodies might remain at the plant.
And Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Moscow's forces also intend to take the southeastern city of Zaporizhzhia, home to more than 700,000 people, a move that could severely weaken Ukraine's standing and allow the Russian military to advance closer to the center of the country.
“In the Zaporizhzhia region ... there is the most threatening situation there,” Zelenskyy said. The Ukrainian fighters' dogged defense of the steel mill frustrated the Kremlin's objective of quickly capturing Mariupol and tied down Russian forces in the strategic port city.
The defenders' fate in Russian hands is shrouded in uncertainty. Zelenskyy said more than than 2,500 fighters from the plant are being held prisoner, and Ukraine is working to win their release. The recovery of their remains from the Azovstal ruins has not been announced by the Ukrainian government, and Russian officials have not commented.
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Business NewsNewsWorld‘You continue living..’: Kyiv theater reopens with sold-out performance amid Russia-Ukraine war
First Published:7 Jun 2022, 11:09 AM IST
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