Lesya Ukrainka Theatre: A Century of Service to Ukrainian Culture
The historic building, known as the "Bourgogne Theatre" on Bohdan Khmelnytsky Street, has been a centre of theatrical and cultural life in the capital long before it was renamed the Lesya Ukrainka National Academic Theater. This dates back to 1891, when Kyiv saw the establishment of the first permanent theatre by director and actor Mykola Solovtsov.
Source: Wikipedia
The acting troupe led by Solovtsov became the foundation for the Kyiv State Drama Theatre. Their first performances were held in the very premises where the Lesya Ukrainka Theatre operates today. Following the collapse of the Russian Empire, and during the Soviet era, the Solovtsov Theatre was nationalised by the Soviet authorities in 1919. The theatre was named after the distinguished poet later in 1941, when the whole of Kyiv was captivated by the Ukrainian "The Stone Host" production, directed by Konstantin Khokhlov. It became a theatrical hit, and it has since become a tradition for directors of different generations of this theatre to present their own versions of this play.
Each generation has had its own theatrical "stars," whose names resonated and whose faces were collected on postcards. The fame of these actors, who became 20th-century idols, is now something one can only envy: Mykhailo Romanov, Yuriy Lavrov, Mariya Strelkova, Lyubov Dobrzhanska, Mykola Svitlovydov, Yevheniya Opalova, Viktor Dobrovolsky, Viktor Khaltov. The next generation of luminaries included Oleg Borisov, Pavlo Luspekayev, Kyrylo Lavrov, Mykola Rushkovsky, Serhiy Filimonov, Ada Rogovtseva, Valeria Zaklunna, as well as "Serhiy Parajanov’s muse" Larisa Kadochnikova, who still continues to perform. The older generation of actors, including Borys Voznyuk, Iryna Duka, and Lidiya Yaremchuk, maintain the high standards of the troupe and ensure the level of mastery is not compromised. From 1994 to 2022, the theatre was led by Mykhailo Reznikovich, a student of the renowned G.A. Tovstonogov.
Source: Lesyatheatre.com.ua
The theatre has always been known for its brilliant directors, such as Konstantin Khokhlov, Volodymyr Nelly, Mykola Sokolov, Leonid Varpakhovsky, and Georgiy Tovstonogov. Its posters featured works by the best composers, including Borys Lyatoshynsky and Yuriy Shaporin, and scenographers who are now considered classics, such as Anatoliy Petrytsky, Daniil Lider, Moritz Umansky, and David Borovsky. In fact, the theatre has created a museum space in memory of Borovsky called the "David Borovsky Space," where one can learn about how a young boy, struggling to make ends meet in the post-war years, stumbled upon the workshops of the Lesya Ukrainka Theatre and later became a top-tier European scenographer.
The theatre currently operates on three stages: the Main, the New, and the Attic Stage, offering audiences a wide range of performances from classic repertoire (Shakespeare, Anouilh, Miller) to high-quality contemporary dramaturgy (Stephens, McDonagh, Caron) and productions based on Ukrainian classics – Shevchenko, Dovzhenko, and Lesya Ukrainka. A significant aspect of the theatre’s policy is engaging audiences of all generations and age groups, offering captivating and unique performances tailored to each age.
Source: Lesyatheatre.com.ua
The theatre’s repertoire is geographically diverse. Not only can audiences see works by British, French, Italian, Greek, Spanish, American, Canadian, Danish, Irish, Israeli, Japanese, Romanian, Slovak, and other playwrights, but whenever the Lesya Ukrainka Theatre troupe goes on tour, they attract full houses of locals, whether in London, Tel Aviv, Munich, New Jersey, Krakow, Trabzon, or other cities, where the theatre is a frequent guest.
The 24th of February 2022 marked a turning point for the theatre, as it did for the entire country, dividing life into "before" and "after" the war. On the very first day of the war, some of the theatre’s staff joined the “theatre of military operations,” exchanging their theatrical costumes for military uniforms, while many others organised a powerful volunteer movement to support the front lines and those affected by the conflict. As soon as the enemy was pushed back from the capital, the Lesya Ukrainka Theatre was the first to reopen and welcome audiences. At a time when the city was adjusting to new conditions (transport collapse, curfews), and the air raid sirens blared constantly, rehearsals and premieres continued. For the people of Kyiv, this was an important symbolic sign that life goes on, that it is worth fighting, and that it is possible to persevere if one can see the light at the end of the tunnel.
Photo: Lesya Ukrainka, Source: Wikipedia
As a result of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine in late February 2022, the theatre decided to remove the words "Russian drama" from its name. Since July 2022, all the theatre's performances have been translated into and performed in Ukrainian, as stated in a joint declaration by the theatre’s staff and its former director Mykhailo Reznikovych.
"In these tragic days for all of us, when fighting is taking place nearby, when people are dying, I am in Kyiv, in the theatre, responsible for the theatre creatively, organisationally, and morally. Whoever can – also stays in the theatre. Some have left on evacuation trains, some remain in bomb shelters, while those who are able are taking part in the heroic defence of Kyiv. There can be no two differing viewpoints on what is happening in Ukraine today. There can be no differing opinions regarding the official recognition of the decision to remove the name 'Russian drama' from the National Academic Theatre named after Lesya Ukrainka, a decision that had long been maturing within the theatre collective."
Since December 2022, the theatre has been headed by theatre and film actor, director, teacher, and People’s Artist of Ukraine, Kyrylo Kashlikov. Despite the war, in anticipation of Victory, the theatre continues to live, premiere new performances, and draw full houses, continuing to write new pages in the theatrical history of Kyiv and independent Ukraine.