American actresses bring powerful stories of war-torn Ukrainian women to stage in NYC documentary screening

Photo: Anastasiia Krasheninnikova

Ulyana Guz

On November 18, the New York Bedlam West End Theatre held a charity theater reading event for Diary of War: Women. For the second time, American actresses read the diaries of seven Ukrainian women, sharing their firsthand accounts of living through a full-blown Russian invasion. This was part of a documentary podcast called Diary of War by cultural activist Daria Kolomiec.

Rubryka reports this with reference to the event's organizers.

Daria Kolomiec, author and producer of Diary of War: Women, handpicked seven stories of real Ukrainian women with varying experiences during the onset of a full-scale Russian war to craft the script.

Her documentary podcast Diary of War, released in 2022, includes 41 stories of Ukrainians who recorded voice messages for the project about the events of the first weeks of the full-scale war.

^{Photo: Anastasiia Krasheninnikova}

The readings in New York are meant to remind Americans of the 1,000 days of full-scale invasion and nearly 11 years of the Russian war. They also aim to raise awareness and garner support for Ukraine through charitable contributions to assist combat medics.

^{Photo: Anastasiia Krasheninnikova}

The heroines of Diary of War: Women were:

• Iryna Tsybukh (call sign Cheka), a film producer and a project manager in civilian life, shares her work as a combat medic in the Hospitallers volunteer battalion, evacuating soldiers in hot spots on the front line. In May 2024, she was killed during her rotation.
• Tetyana Kuzmenko recounts her experiences living under Russian occupation in the Kyiv region, providing insight into the harsh realities of those times.
• Olena Nikulina: the wife of Maksym Nikulin, a soldier of the Azov Regiment. She describes learning about her second pregnancy while her husband was at the Azovstal factory surrounded by Russians. Since his capture, Olena has not heard from Maksym, and he has never met his son.
• Julia Kochetova: a photojournalist who regularly works in Ukraine's most dangerous places, reporting about Russian war crimes. She was awarded an Emmy in 2023 and a World Press Photo Award in 2024 for her work.
• Anastasia Shevchenko (STASIK): A singer, actress, and war veteran, Anastasia reflects on her experiences of hostilities and life before the full-scale war. Shortly after recording, she rejoined the army.
• Olha Bulkina describes her work as a volunteer clown at Kyiv's Ohmatdyt, the largest children's hospital in Ukraine, which was recently struck by a Russian missile.
• Valeria Mykhailovska describes her emotional journey from the Czech Republic to rescue her mother and dogs from Mariupol. Her story captures the brave risks taken and personal sacrifices made during the invasion.

^{Photo: Anastasiia Krasheninnikova}

Musa Gurnis directed the readings and read one of the diaries. Other actresses read other stories: Katie Grimes, Kate Hartke, Merlinda Akindele, Tessa Wineland, Agnes Enkhtamir, and Tatien Hendricks-Tellefsen. The event began with a musical set by bandura player and singer Anastasiya Voytyuk / Banduragirl.

^{Photo: Anastasiia Krasheninnikova}

According to Daria Kolomiec, even though the full-scale war has been ongoing for a significant amount of time, she continues to garner increasing support for Ukraine successfully.

"Each reading for me is an opportunity to attract new actors and an even larger audience to share significant, real stories about you and me," Daria says. "During this event, 80% of the attendees were American. From the stage, I shared information about the culture of volunteerism in Ukraine. I explained how each of us contributes money to support the defense effort and how we personally purchase items such as cars, drones, and thermal imagers. This event itself is a result of the hard work of many volunteers. We donate 100% of the funds collected to assist combat medics. As the director, actresses, and friends, we all contribute our time and talent. We are fortunate to have received free theater sets specifically for this event, for which I am extremely grateful. But there is endless work that goes on behind the scenes."

^{Photo: Anastasiia Krasheninnikova}

At the end of the readings, Daria Kolomiec told the audience how each heroine's fate developed. Actress Agnes Enkhtamir then read a message from Olha Bulkina regarding the July Russian missile strike on Okhmatdyt, where she continues to aid children in finding solace from their illnesses and the war.

^{Photo: Anastasiia Krasheninnikova}

"Furthermore, every time I share a video that Iryna Tsybukh personally made for me a week before she tragically passed away, in which she speaks about the mission of the Hospitallers and the significance of donating to her battalion, I feel compelled to keep sharing Ira's story and raising funds for her unit, as it is what she would have wanted. Each performance since her passing has been dedicated to her and her fellow soldiers. This will continue to motivate me to carry out my work," Daria shares.

Following the readings, the organizers hosted a charity auction featuring Ukrainian wines, including a scarce bottle of Biologist Orange Blend 2021 and a bubbly ArtWine Rose Brut from Bakhmut. Additionally, a silver print from Julia Galeta's Natura Morta series was included in the auction.

^{Photo: Anastasiia Krasheninnikova}

This time, the readings were done in collaboration with United Help Ukraine. This American charity has been offering humanitarian, medical, and psychological aid to those affected by the Russian war in Ukraine since 2014. UHU also advocates for Ukraine in the United States as a sovereign and democratic nation. United Help Ukraine will assist the Hospitallers volunteer medical battalion as part of their medical aid program.

^{Photo: Anastasiia Krasheninnikova}

The organizers have already tallied up the preliminary results of the event – they estimate that at least $16,000 will be donated to the Hospitallers.

Even though the event is over, the collection is still receiving donations from those who couldn't attend in person but still want to support the cause. The event will donate the profits and 100% of the funds collected to charity.

For reference:

During the second wave of the all-Ukrainian tour, the MUR creative association put on 25 shows commemorating the Executed Renaissance and raised a substantial sum for the needs of Ukraine's armed forces.

Moreover, it was noted that the audio description agency "Slovom" has already begun implementing a solution to enhance the accessibility of theatrical performances for people with disabilities. Rubryka elaborates on the functionality of this system and why it should be adopted throughout the entire cultural realm.

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