Jarzyna works in Kijów

Former TR Warsaw director Grzegorz Jarzyna visited the Lesia Ukrainka Drama Theatre in Kyiv last week. The director came to the Ukrainian capital to start negotiations on a project that will appear in the repertoire in 2025.

The Polish filmmaker met with actors and discussed details of the premiere of the new production with artistic director Kyryl Kashlikov and general producer Oksana Nemchuk. For the time being, the administration of the Ukrainian theatre does not reveal details of the project, but stresses that the play will go on stage next season.

Jarzyna watched a performance from the stage's current repertoire, namely a play by Irish author Brian Friel, in Poland known primarily for his drama Dances at Ballybeg. ‘Translations’ (English: Translations) is directed by Kashlikov, and the play is about the Irish struggle for freedom. The cast members say that the themes explored here are not only about the fate of the Irish, but also about Ukrainians and their attempts to save themselves and their own identity.

Jarzyna watched a performance from the stage's current repertoire, namely a play by Irish author Brian Friel, in Poland known primarily for his drama Dances at Ballybeg.


‘Translations’ (English: Translations) is directed by Kashlikov, and the piece concerns the Irish struggle for freedom. The cast members say that the themes explored here are not only about the fate of the Irish, but also about Ukrainians and their attempts to save themselves and their own identity.

Kyiv representatives of the theatre community point out that, for them, this is the first time since the beginning of the full-scale Russian invasion that they have been visited by such a well-known artist of European renown.They see it as an expression of support for Ukrainian artists who have been working under a state of war for more than two years and a confirmation that Ukraine is still integrated into the European cultural code. This cooperation is also of particular importance in the context of Poland's comprehensive assistance to Ukraine.

The theatre's general and artistic director Kyrylo Kashlikov believes that one of the main tasks of Ukrainian society, in addition to winning the war, remains the struggle for Ukrainian identity.‘We, as artists, put a lot of effort into ensuring that the world sees us and our culture as an independent, sovereign country. Gregory Jarzyna's visit is a signal that we are recognised as equal partners and an interesting cultural space for cooperation, where there is a strong creative community. Expressive artistic work cannot be created without healthy competition.

‘The fact that Jarzyna came to Kyiv at such an extremely difficult time for us shows that he is a courageous and caring person.It is very important for us to gain new experiences through this collaboration. We expect that our production will give a boost to the actors and the entire team working on the project, and we believe that this is only the beginning of a very promising path that will interest audiences in both countries,’ - Kashlikov adds. The Lesa Ukrainka National Academic Drama Theatre officially changed its name in 2022 due to the aggressor attack, dropping the prefix ‘Theatre of Russian Drama’.