A theatre in the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv has reopened for the first time since the Russian invasion of the country in February, and tickets for Sunday’s performance were sold out, news agency Associated Press reported. Several movie theatres and the National Opera reopened at the end of May even as the Russian forces continued to fight for control in other parts of the country continues. The Theater on Podil was the latest cultural institution to resume operations in Kyiv, the AP news report said.
“We were wondering how it would be, whether spectators would come during the war, whether they think at all about theater, whether it’s of any interest,” Yuriy Felipenko, one of the actors, was quoted as saying. “And we were happy that the first three plays were sold out.”
Filipenko said plays are being staged at the theatre with only a few actors.
Actor Kostya Tomlyak told AP he had hesitated to perform in wartime but the influx of people returning to Kyiv made him believe it was necessary to go on.
“You continue living, although you don’t forget that there is the war. The main question is how actors can be helpful,” he was quoted as saying.
Russia-Ukraine Conflict Update: Streetfighting On In Sievierodonetsk
Meanwhile, streetfighting continued in the industrial city of Sievierodonetsk as Russian forces pushed to conquer Ukraine’s eastern Donbas more than 100 days into the invasion, news reports said.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said Monday the Russian forces had the numerical advantage in Sievierodonetsk but Ukraine had “every chance” of fighting back, news agency Reuters reported. The president also appealed for more weapons to arrive faster.
Ukraine’s defence ministry said Russian forces were also advancing towards Sloviansk, about 85 km to the west of Sievierodonetsk.
The Ukrainian military said in its nightly update that two civilians were killed in Russian shelling in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions Monday, the Reuters report said, specifying that it could not verify this. Russia has denied targeting civilians in the conflict.