Ukrainian play debuts in St Andrews

The UK debut of a theatre project designed to rehabilitate veterans and people internally displaced following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine will take place in St Andrews on Tuesday (11 November) as part of Ukrainian Week.

A special adaptation of ‘Blokpost: Stories from Ukraine’ will take place at the Laidlaw Music Centre shortly after the University pauses to mark Armistice Day and remember all those involved in past and current conflicts.

The Blokpost project works with Ukraine’s veterans and internally displaced people encouraging them to share their personal stories with a wider audience through the medium of theatre, to promote healing and gain distance from painful memories. It was initiated by film and theatre actor and director Taras Zhyrko, in collaboration with the Ivan Franko National Drama Theatre and the Les Kurbas National Centre for Theatre Arts and is being staged as part of a visit to the University by a delegation of Ukrainian colleagues to discuss contemporary Ukrainian culture.

Amongst those attending will be students taking a new honours module in the School of Modern Languages on ‘East European Modernisms’ who will use the opportunity to discuss the key historical and cultural role played by Ukrainian artists and writers in avant garde and modernist movements.

Taras explained that people who have gone through the “hot phase” of war often struggle to free themselves from its impact even after returning to “peaceful” life.

He said: “All the social guarantees provided by the State are good and necessary, but they cannot fully address the challenges of reintegrating veterans and internally displaced persons into society. These people have extraordinary experiences — and most importantly, a strong desire to share them with the country they defended. They want to be heard by their fellow citizens.

“The play does not focus on death or the horrors of war. Instead, it speaks about returning to life — through stories of childhood, love, overcoming despair, rediscovering strength, compassion, and hope for the future. It is an experience that is both painful and empowering — a journey toward healing and meaning.”

Taras said the Blokpost project begins with acting workshops led by graduates of the Karpenko-Karyi National University of Theatre, Film and Television. Sessions help participants release psychological and physical blocks, enabling them to feel like equal members of the creative process. Scripts are based on personal stories with participants writing their own life narratives, which are jointly edited and staged. They take turns playing different roles — including their own — to experience emotional release. Professional actors also join the process, allowing the authors to see their own stories from the outside.

He added: “The combination of classical theatre and playback theatre methods has shown powerful psychological and creative results over 10 months of work. As well as the performance, participants are trained in facilitation methods so they can later lead similar theatre-based rehabilitation sessions with other veterans. The project culminates in a full-scale performance in which participants appear as actors and authors of their own biographies.”

In this special presentation of Blokpost, Taras, together with film and stage actor Tetiana Oleksenko, will perform selected fragments of the play combined with a short lecture on the processes and challenges of resocialisation for this group of citizens.

The visit will have particular significance for St Andrews postgraduates and staff whose research addresses the Ukraine cultural, educational and heritage sectors including Professor Victoria Donovan, PhD candidate Viktoriia Grivina, Dr Emily Finer and PhD candidate and children’s author, Viktoriia Medvied.

The event begins in the McPherson’s Recital Room at 12pm with a welcome by Principal and Vice-Chancellor Professor Dame Sally Mapstone followed by an introduction to the lecture performance by Taras Zhyrko and Tetiana Oleksenko.

A buffet lunch will be served in the Laidlaw Foyer at 1.15pm for all attending.