“Azovstal. Voices” on Radio Ukraine in Prague

Russia’s war in Ukraine has been ongoing for more than 300 days, and sadly, many tragic events will be remembered and commemorated in the future. However, we will not let anyone forget the crimes of the terrorist state. Alongside the informational front, the cultural front also speaks out, amplifying the voices of heroes—not just from Ukraine, but from the entire civilized world. As Albert Einstein once said, “Art is the expression of the deepest thoughts in the simplest way.”

This sentiment was the focus of the discussion on “Radio Ukraine” about the performance “Azovstal. Voices.”

Angelina Taran interviewed the performance’s director, Valeria Demchenko, and one of the project’s leading actresses, Olga Sobko, about how they found the right language to tell the story of the defenders of Azovstal and why they decided to create this performance.

“The push and the request for such a performance came from abroad, from the Netherlands, specifically from Amsterdam, where there is currently a large Ukrainian diaspora,” Valeria explained.

 

A student of Valeria’s, currently studying in the Netherlands, asked her to bring a play to share what is happening in Ukraine, to ensure that the war does not disappear from the global conversation. At the time, Valeria didn’t have a solid concept but had trusted friends and collaborators—Marina Sobotiuk, a researcher of Ukrainian cultural traditions, and Olga Sobko, a talented Ukrainian actress.

“I called two of my dearest people… and the three of us realized that we needed to talk about what was most known at that moment… and that was the pulsating heart of Azovstal. It’s modern mythology, a new story of the 300 Spartans,” Valeria recalls.

“We are actors, artists—we are warriors of art. And art is our soft weapon. It’s a language everyone understands. We speak with the voices of those who, unfortunately, cannot speak for themselves right now. And we speak with the voices of the symbols of this war: absolute good versus absolute evil,” Valeria emphasized.

Olga Sobko added, “This isn’t just a theatrical project, it’s not an acting project for me… it’s more of my civic duty. This is what I can do for my country if I can’t fight with a weapon in my hands.”

The conversation also touched on:

• The mechanisms used to impact the audience and the art forms they combined in the performance.
• Why the main characters are portrayed as symbolic figures.
• The reception of the European premiere in Spain.
• The ultimate goal of the project.

On Tuesday, January 17, at 7:00 PM, Valery Kharchyshyn, Olga Sobko, Oleksandr Pozharsky, and other actors will present their performance to the audience at Divadlo Hybernia in Prague.