August 17, 14:00Stage
“Aeneid”: A Music and Movement Performance by the Veterans’ TheatreDirected by Akhtem Seitablayev
The Bouquet Kyiv Stage festival will present a preview of the upcoming performance “Aeneid”, created with the participation of veterans of the Russian-Ukrainian war.
Director – Akhtem SeitablayevChoreographer – Olga SemyoshkinaProducer – Andriy RizolProduction designer – Viktor DontsovComposer – Usein BekirovChoirmaster – Ilya RazumeikoAssistant director – Anastasia NechytayloMusical arrangement – Ilya Razumeiko, Roman Hryhoriv
Ethnomusicological consultant – Yulia Vitranyuk
Vocal coach – Oleksandr Chyshiy
Percussion instruments – Oleksandr Yavdyk
This bold theatrical production is based on the immortal poem by Ivan Kotliarevsky, but reimagined as an emotional dialogue about war, memory, and the power of the word.
Every movement and gesture is charged with energy, thanks to the striking choreography by the renowned chief choreographer of the Ivan Franko National Theatre, the brilliant Olha Semyoshkina.
The stage director of this unique production is acclaimed director, actor, and member of Ukraine’s Territorial Defense Forces, Akhtem Seitablayev.
The music for the performance was composed by Usein Bekirov, a Merited Artist of Ukraine and a virtuoso of Crimean Tatar jazz.
Aeneid showcases the strength and resilience of Ukrainian veterans who, despite all challenges, find the power to create and express themselves through art.
This is a performance about a journey — from the front lines to the stage, from pain to recovery, from the past to the present. It gives voice to those who have endured the unimaginable.
Following the performance excerpt, we invite the audience to an open discussion with the creative team about the journey of creating this one-of-a-kind theatrical project.
The participants will share how they reinterpreted Kotliarevsky’s classic text through the lens of today’s struggle, loss, and hope.
Discussion participants include:
- Veteran performers — cast members who embody and shape the narrative on stage
- Olha Semyoshkina – choreographer
- Akhtem Seitablayev – director
- Usein Bekirov – composer
- Andriy Rizol – producer
- Natalia Kryvda – Doctor of Philosophy
- Illia Razumeiko – composer, choirmaster
Together, we will explore the role of art in rehabilitation, theatre as a space of strength and dignity, the embodiment of trauma on stage, the musical dramaturgy of today’s Aeneid, and how powerful a word can be when spoken by someone who has lived through war.
Veterans’ Theatre is a joint project of Tro Media (Communications Department of the Command of the Territorial Defense Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine) and the Playwrights’ Theatre. The project is supported by the MHP-Community Charitable Foundation.
This event is held with the support of the Watch Ukrainian! Association, Crimean House, and the MHP-Community Charitable Foundation.
FREE ENTRYwith a valid ticket to the Saint Sophia of Kyiv museum complex(400 UAH – full price, 200 UAH – discounted).Combat veterans do not need to purchase a ticket.