Donetsk Academic Regional Drama Theater in Mariupol
While the first performances were already being given in this southern Ukrainian city in the middle of the 19th century, the building itself was erected from 1956 to 1960. The pompous facade was built from Crimean gray stone and the elegance of its galleries radiated from four columns and a pediment decorated with a sculptural group.
In 1960, the theater's opening became a benchmark for the cultural life of the entire region. There were two stages, where performances, concerts, and other events were constantly taking place.
However, everything changed in 2022. As a result of Russia's invasion, Mariupol suffered horrific devastation. The city was bombarded by every type of weapon imaginable and struck by aerial bombs around the clock. Instead of holding performances and concerts, the theater became a shelter for Mariupol residents. On the square in front of the building, they wrote “ДЕТИ” (CHILDREN) in big capital letters. Alas, this did not spare them from the invaders' bombs.
On March 16, 2022, Russia hit the theater with an airstrike. According to various estimates, there were 500 to 1,200 people inside at the time. It is still unknown how many of them survived. Mariupol was captured by Russian forces soon afterward, which prevented any honest investigations.
Near the end of 2022, occupational authorities demolished the remains of the building to hide all evidence of their crime. Nonetheless, the Mariupol Drama Theater remains a symbol of the city's tragic fate intertwined with Russian cruelty.
SERHII VILKA
SERHII VILKA (born in 1987) is a Ukrainian composer, flutist, sound artist, and conductor. He is a Co-founder of Sed Contra Ensemble.
As a performer, Serhii played more than 200 world and Ukrainian premieres of many Ukrainian and foreign composers. Serhii has taken part in masterclasses and workshops with Pierre-Yves Artaud, Johannes Schöllhorn, Jerzy Kornowicz, Chaya Czernowin, Zygmunt Krauze, Toshio Hosokawa, Justė Janulytė, Guillaume Auvray, Eden Ladin as classical / jazz performer and composer. His music has been performed in Ukraine, the USA, Germany, Austria, the Netherlands, Italy, Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Finland, Greece, Moldova, and Armenia.