The Flying Dutchman’s scenery destroyed to finance the Donetsk People’s Republic

Let us recall that back in February, the Shevchenko Prize Committee determined by a secret ballot five laureates of 2014 in the following categories:

LITERATURE

Myroslav Dochynets for books Well-Digger: Diary of the Richest Resident of Mukachevo District and Highlander: Waters of Our Lord’s Riverbeds.

LITERATURE AND ART STUDIES

Iryna Haiuk for book Illustrated Encyclopedia of Armenian Culture in Ukraine.

THEATRICAL ART

Opera The Flying Dutchman by Richard Wagner, performed by Donetsk Solovianenko National Academic Opera and Ballet Theater.

Authors: music director Vasyl Vasylenko, director Mara Kurotschka, choirmaster director Liudmyla Streltsova, artistic director of the project Vasyl Riabenky, actress Tetiana Pliekhanova.

FINE ARTS

Liubomyr Medvid for cycle of paintings “Reminiscences.”

MUSICAL ARTS

Liudmyla Monastyrska for leading roles in opera performances of the National Opera of Ukraine in the seasons of 2009-13.

President of Ukraine used to sign the decree awarding prizes before the Bard of Ukraine’s birthday (March 9), so that the award ceremony could take place on that day, but first the Euromaidan, then Russia’s annexation of Crimea, and later deterioration of the situation in Luhansk and Donetsk regions and the anti-terrorist operation (ATO) in eastern Ukraine forced repeated delays in presenting prizes to this year’s Shevchenko laureates. The Day learned lately that the awards will finally find their holders, and the ceremony is scheduled to be held at the Shevchenko Museum on November 7. However, not all laureates will be able to rejoice at getting recognized. For instance, the legendary Donetsk performance of The Flying Dutchman will never see the stage again! Let us recall that this opera production was a unique Ukrainian-German cultural project dedicated to the 200th anniversary of Wagner. Premiere of The Flying Dutchman was held on December 8 and 12, 2012, becoming the chief cultural event in the country (it was covered by The Day as well). This was Ukraine’s first ever performance of the opera in German and by the original score!

This summer, the unique scenery created for The Dutchman and 14 more iconic performances was looted by militants of the so-called DNR, and the remaining pieces were hit by shellings. The Donbass Opera’s director-general Vasyl Riabenky died suddenly in October (the militants forced him at gunpoint to start the new season without guaranteeing the security of actors or spectators, and it proved too much for the manager’s heart...), while Donetsk Solovianenko National Academic Opera and Ballet Theater, which was a flagship of high culture in recent years (its premises saw major festivals of the World Ballet Stars cycle as well as opera and ballet productions), serving as the guiding light for Ukrainian teams, has been transformed into a smalltown farce scene. Both on weekends and during the daytime on weekdays, it is staging operettas and third-rate productions, because half of the company has moved to other cities and even abroad; it is also lending its stage for performances by outspoken enemies of our country (in particular, singer Iosif Kobzon who recently held a propaganda concert there, glorifying the mythical “Novorossia”). Today, all things Ukrainian are being eradicated from the theater’s repertoire! Incidentally, due to the Donbass Opera’s support for the separatists and collaboration with them, their colleagues from Donetsk National Ukrainian Drama Theater and other Ukrainian theatrical figures are suggesting stripping the opera of its national status, evicting it from the Union of Theatrical Workers of Ukraine, and depriving the actors of their titles of Honored Artist and People’s Artist of Ukraine. Are the opera’s employees really infected with the virus of hatred of Ukraine? Why has the team not been evacuated? Has anyone raised this issue with the Presidential Administration, Cabinet of Ministers or Ministry of Culture? What will happen to the theater next? We discussed these issues with artistic director of the Donbass Opera Vadym PYSARIEV.

“Donetsk Opera and Ballet Theater has it hard now, but the team is working. None of the artists and musicians has quit their job, but only half of the company is still in Donetsk, while the other part has gone to other cities, some artists and musicians have managed to sign up with other theaters and perform abroad. Many have returned to the city during the current truce, because housing problem is too acute to stay elsewhere, and some believe that life will get better at home... Every returnee has had their reasons, some have to care for elderly parents, maybe some have started to believe the DNR’s promises, but, in my opinion, most of them have gone back to work out of despair and longing for the stage.

THE UNIQUE UKRAINIAN-GERMAN CULTURAL PROJECT THAT WON THE SHEVCHENKO PRIZE IN 2014 WILL NEVER SEE THE STAGE AGAIN! / Photo by Andrii KORNIIENKO

“By the way, our people have received no salary since July! As for those who are now touring abroad, no one can say whether they will ever return to Donetsk. Due to the destruction of scenery and absence of leading soloists, some members of the corps de ballet and choristers, we cannot present many performances anymore. Even so, those artists who have remained in the city are trying to do their best...

“I do not know what will happen in the near future. It seems that the Donbas is becoming another conflict spot on the planet and is gradually turning into a Transnistria or an Abkhazia. It will be a great pity if the Donbass Opera’s history will end! I have heard that there is an idea to rename our theater the New Russia Theater, but it will be a completely different brand. Any team includes actors, musicians, conductors, directors, and technical and administrative employees. I know one thing, the old theater is gone! It pains me that our appeals to the new Ukrainian authorities have not been heard at all. We raised the question of the need to do what was necessary to do to save the Donbass Opera – to evacuate the team, scenery, and costumes to save the     productions that were already part of the history of Ukrainian culture. However, the evacuation proposal received no support, as the country’s leadership had to solve higher-profile problems of the ATO soldiers. The so-called DNR authorities do not allow even people to leave the city now, much less to take out the scenery. On the other hand, many of the dancers, singers, and musicians attempted to sign up with other teams, and only a few have found a job. An attempt to move the entire theater would meet a lot of hurdles: where to act, where the actors would live – we have a vicious circle here... Those who could afford to leave the city have done so, but many just do not have the money to buy a ticket or pay for petrol to get out of Donetsk, and moreover, they have no way to pay for housing and find a job. Judging by news appearing in the media, the conflict in eastern Ukraine will be a protracted one, but it seems to me that all the trials that befell our country will make our people more consolidated and patriotic. I believe that time will put everything in its place and Ukraine will show everyone that it is a strong and consolidated power!”