SPECIAL: 'Theatre Under Fire' - fighting for the artistic soul of frontline Kharkiv
Ukraine: The Latest
Louisa Wells / Francis Dearnley
4.8 • 2.7K Ratings
🗓️ 31 December 2025
⏱️ 37 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Today, in a special pre-recorded episode, we take you back to Kharkiv, where Francis and Adélie met a young theatre company called Ocheret. Proud heirs to a city with a long tradition of artists defending Ukrainian identity, and one that is primarily Russian-speaking, these performers are part of Kharkiv’s cultural frontline. With the city lying just kilometres from active fighting, the members of the company, all in their early twenties, remain unflinching in their decision to carry on Kharkiv’s artistic legacy, creating theatre in the midst of war. We hear their reflections, and then an update on what has happened in the months since.
Theatre Ocheret: https://www.instagram.com/ocheret.theatre.kh/?hl=en
Druk Centre in Kharkiv: https://www.druk.space/statti-en/druk-and-kharkiv-art-a-space-for-interaction
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | The Telegraph. |
| 0:09.3 | I'm Adeli Pozumont-Pon, and this is Ukraine, the latest. |
| 0:14.2 | Today is a special pre-recorded episode. |
| 0:16.9 | We're casting our minds back to a year ago when Dom, Francis and I were in Harkiv. |
| 0:21.6 | There, we met a young theatre company called Ocheret. |
| 0:25.6 | They were proud to belong to the long lineage of a city known for both being a hub of avant-garde artists defending Ukrainian identity, |
| 0:33.6 | while at the same time being primarily Russian-speaking. |
| 0:36.6 | With Harkiv so close to the front line, these young artists all in their know while at the same time being primarily Russian speaking. |
| 0:39.6 | With Harkiv so close to the front line, |
| 0:42.5 | these young artists, all in their early 20s, |
| 0:46.3 | remain unflinching in their decision to continue the city's legacy and create art in the midst of war. |
| 0:49.5 | Bravery takes you through the most unimaginable hardships to finally reward you with victory. |
| 0:59.2 | The Russian does not want peace. |
| 1:01.0 | First, we're fighting, with our help for the Ukraine, |
| 1:04.5 | also our freedom and our European values. |
| 1:09.7 | If I'm president, I will have that war settled in one day |
| 1:12.7 | 24 hours |
| 1:13.6 | We are with you |
| 1:14.4 | not just today or tomorrow |
| 1:16.8 | but for a hundred years |
| 1:18.4 | We can not as |
| 1:20.1 | European |
... |
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