The history of Ukraine is told through the prism of the fate of Taras Shevchenko, a great writer, poet, painter, prisoner of labour camps, spiritual leader of the Ukrainian nation in this moving street show. The artists from Lviv present the dramatic situation of the Ukrainian nation's constant struggle for state independence, so topical today in the time of military tension in Ukraine. The performance makes use of stilts, mobile machines, burning scenographic elements and pyrotechnic effects.
The Voskresinnia Theatre has a unique sense of art. Firmly rooted in Ukrainian culture tradition, it draws inspiration from folk ornaments, symbols and paintings in a very expressive, poetic way. Shevchenko is a national icon for Ukrainians: the most eminent poet, father of modern Ukrainian literature, a man who symbolizes the fate of Ukrainians. You cannot watch this spectacle only as a series of attractive pictures. It causes much more complex effects: emotion, understanding and willingness to support.
Ticket information:
The open-air theatre productions can be seen by buying a V4 Festival and Theatre Meeting day ticket or season ticket. Find out more here.
Yaroslav Fedoryshyn (1955-2020) was an actor, director, artistic and managing director of the Lviv Voskresinnia Academic Theatre. Graduated from the Ivan Kotliarievsky Theatre Institute in Kharkiv in the class of Vselovod Cvetkov (1976), the Moscow Institute of Theatrical Arts in the class of Anatoliy Efros (1990) and the Warsaw Cinema School in the class of Krzysztof Zanussi (1991). In 1990 he founded the Voskresinnia Theatre, which he managed until his death in 2020. In 1992 he co-founded the Golden Lion International Theatre Festival in Lviv which is a member of the International European Theatre Meeting (IETM) and International Festivals and Evens Association (IFEA).
He produced numerous street shows and festivals dedicated to important events in the life of Lviv and other cities of Ukraine (Lviv City Days, youth meeting with Pope John Paul II, opening ceremony of the stadium Pope John Paul II etc.). Directed in Ukraine, England, Poland, Russia and Hungary. He was an active participant and consultant of local and state departments of the government. President Yushchenko honoured him as a distinguished art activist of Ukraine. He was an energetic actor of social and cultural life of the country.