‘Dancing on bones’: Mariupol theatre to reopen with staging of Russian fairytale

The Mariupol Drama Theatre, destroyed in a Russian airstrike in 2022 while hundreds of civilians were sheltering in its basement, is to open its doors again, with Russian occupation authorities heralding the reconstruction as a sign of renewal, while former actors at the theatre denounced the reopening as “dancing on bones”. The restored Drama Theatre in Russian-controlled Mariupol. The strike on the theatre is one of the most notorious incidents of the war in Ukraine.Photograph: Alexander Ermochenko/Reuters Workers take part in the reconstruction of a theatre building, which was destroyed in 2022.Photograph: Alexander Ermochenko/Reuters Actor Vira Lebedynska: ‘I have the feeling that the souls of the people who died there won’t let them perform well there.’Photograph: Kasia Stręk/The Guardian An aerial view shows the destroyed theatre building.Photograph: Alexander Ermochenko/Reuters The Kremlin has made the reconstruction of Mariupol a calling card of its rule in occupied Ukraine , but Moscow’s oversight is accompanied by arrests or exile of critics, along with property seizures that have stripped thousands of Ukrainians of apartments they legally owned. The Mariupol Drama Theatre is due to reopen by the end of the month with a performance of The Scarlet Flower, a Russian fairytale, after being rebuilt almost from scratch over the past two years. “The theatre is being reborn together with Mariupol. Russian and Soviet classics have returned to the stage,” said the theatre in a statement about its plans for the future. Evgeny Sosnovsky, a photographer from Mariupol who worked extensively with the theatre but moved to Kyiv after the Russian takeover, said: “I can’t think of any other word for it than cynicism. There should be a memorial at the site in memory of the Mariupol residents who died during Russia’s capture of the city, not an entertainment venue.” The strike on the theatre remains one of the most notorious incidents of Russia’s war in Ukraine, with the building targeted despite the fact that “CHILDREN” had been painted in block letters in the square in front of it. At least a dozen people are confirmed to have died, but the real number is likely much higher. Russia has denied hitting the theatre and claimed the damage was caused by an explosion detonated inside the building, but several independent investigations have suggested Russian air bombs were responsible. Amnesty International concluded that the devastation was “likely caused by Russian forces deliberately targeting Ukrainian civilians” and said the attack should be investigated as a war crime. “Having entertainment, songs and dances on top of all the bones? I have the feeling that the souls of the people who died there won’t let them perform well there,” said Vira Lebedynska, a former actor at the theatre. Lebedynska is now based, with a small group of former Mariupol actors , in the western Ukrainian city of Uzhhorod. The calling card of the theatre-in-exile has been a play called Mariupol Drama, which is based on the events in February and March at the Mariupol theatre, and which has toured across...

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