History

History

History

The “theatre on Teatralna” was at the heart of the capital’s cultural life even back when there was neither Teatralna Square nor, indeed, a metro system in Kyiv. Our story begins as far back as 1891, when the first permanent theatre in Kyiv was founded by Mykola Solovtsov – a celebrated director and actor of the time, as well as a successful theatre manager. His troupe performed its first plays in the very building that today still houses the Lesya Ukrainka National Academic Drama Theatre. Historians know this building as the “Bergognier House”. The theatre itself received the name of the eminent poet Lesya Ukrainka much later, in 1941, when the whole of Kyiv was abuzz with the success of the Ukrainian production of "The Stone Host" directed by Kostiantyn Khokhlov. That production was a true theatrical sensation, and ever since, it has become a cherished tradition for directors of different generations to stage their own interpretations of this play.

Lesya Ukrainka Theatre

Each generation has had its own theatrical “stars”, but here they are remembered with particular warmth, even those whose careers were separated by time. These names once resonated throughout the country, their portraits were treasured on postcards, and their fame as idols of the 20th century is still enviable today: Mykhailo Romanov, Yurii Lavrov, Mariia Strelkova, Liubov Dobrzhanska, Mykola Svetlovydov, Yevheniia Opalova, Viktor Dobrovolskyi, Viktor Khalatov. The next generation of luminaries included Oleh Borisov, Pavlo Luspekayev, Kyrylo Lavrov, Mykola Rushkovskyi, Serhii Filimonov, Ada Rohovtseva, Valeriia Zaklunna, and “Serhii Parajanov’s muse” Larysa Kadochnikova, who continues to perform on stage to this day. Among the older generation of actors are Borys Vozniuk, Iryna Duka and Lidiia Yaremchuk – artists whose very presence compels the troupe to uphold the highest standards of their craft.

Mykhailo Reznikovych, a student of the famous Georgy Tovstonogov, stepped up to take the helm of the theatre in 1994.

This has always been a theatre of striking directorial personalities, among them Kostiantyn Khokhlov, Volodymyr Nelli, Mykola Sokolov, Leonid Varpakhovskyi, and Georgy Tovstonogov. Its playbills were graced by the names of the finest composers – Borys Liatoshynskyi, Yurii Shaporin – and scenographers who are now considered classics: Anatolii Petrytskyi, Daniil Lider, Moritz Umanskyi, and David Borovsky. Incidentally, in honour of Borovsky, the theatre created a museum space aptly named the “David Borovsky Space”. Here, visitors can discover how a simple post-war teenager, working odd jobs to earn his bread, accidentally entered one of the theatre’s workshops and eventually became one of Europe’s most distinguished scenographers.

Lesya Ukrainka Theatre

Today, the theatre performs on three stages: the Main Stage, the New Stage, and the Rooftop Stage, giving audiences a choice of productions to suit all tastes, from classical repertoire (Shakespeare, Anouilh, Miller) to high-quality contemporary drama (Stephens, McDonagh, Caron) and productions based on Ukrainian classics – Shevchenko, Dovzhenko, Lesya Ukrainka.

We believe that theatre is beyond the confines of age, so we welcome with open arms audiences of all: children who are yet to start speaking properly but can recite their favourite fairytale play by heart, teenagers who are into modern works and all sorts of theatrical experiments, as well as seasoned academic theatre connoisseurs.

Our diversity isn't limited to age, either. And it's not just that the source material comes from the British, French, Italian, Greek, Spanish, American, Canadian, Dutch, Irish, Israeli, Japanese, Romanian, Slovak authors. Wherever we are on tour, the audience is always packed full of people. London, Tel-Aviv, Munich, New Jersey, Krakov, Trabzon, the list goes on. One would think that due to the language barrier the drama would have a harder time touching the audience's hearts. Turns out it's the combination of the world-renowned psychological theatre school and idiosyncratic Ukrainian theatre that helps our work to transcend all borders.

 Lesya Ukrainka Theatre

On 24 Februrary 2022, the life of our theatre, as well as of all Ukraine, was shattered.

On the very first day of the war, some members of staff joined the “theatre of combat operations”, trading costumes for military uniforms, while most others organised a powerful volunteer movement to support the front and those affected. And as soon as the enemy was pushed back from the capital, it was the Lesya Ukrainka Theatre that was the first to resume work and open its doors to audiences. At a time when the city was learning to live under new conditions (transport collapse, curfew) and the wail of air raid sirens never ceased, rehearsals continued here, premieres were staged, and it became clear that for the people of Kyiv, this was an important and symbolic sign – that life goes on, that there is something worth fighting for, and that one can endure, as long as one can see the light in the distance…

In December 2022, the theatre was taken over by Kyrylo Kashlikov.

And so, in anticipation of Victory, the theatre lives on – creating premieres, drawing full houses, and filling new pages in its theatrical history every single day.

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