In New York, the Brooklyn Center for Theater Studies presented the documentary play "War Diary: Women. The performance included first-hand accounts of Ukrainian women who suffered during the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The project featured American actresses recounting the horrific experiences of these women and included a special performance by the famous Ukrainian singer and bandura player Maryna Krut.
This was reported by Daria Kolomiets, one of the organizers of the event and the author of the project.
"We are sincerely grateful to the actors who brought these powerful stories to life... Their performances resonated deeply with the audience and highlighted the voices of Ukrainian women by telling real stories of their lives. We are grateful to the volunteers who helped organize the event...", the statement reads.
"War Diary: Women" was directed by Musa Gurnis and is based on the documentary podcast "Diary of War" by Ukrainian cultural activist Daria Kolomiets, who collected raw voice messages from Ukrainians affected by the full-scale Russian invasion in 2022 into a podcast and brought them to the theater stage.
The event highlighted the stories of Iryna Tsybukh (Cheka), a combat medic with the Hospitaller Battalion who tragically died during her rotation in May 2024; Tetyana Kuzmenko, who spoke about life under Russian occupation in the Kyiv region; Olena Nikulina, whose story told of finding out she was pregnant during her husband's capture at Azovstal; and Yulia Kochetova, a well-known photojournalist who spoke about Russia's war crimes.
The stage also featured the stories of Anastasia Shevchenko (STASIK), a singer and veteran who rejoined the army as a combat medic, Olga Bulkina, a clown at the Kyiv Children's Hospital Okhmatdyt who was hit by a rocket attack, and Valeria Mykhailovska, who told about her dangerous journey to save her mother from Mariupol.
""The decorum of our duet was the same as on the Donbass field. I played with an empty chair beside me. You should have sat beside me. You should have sung with me, but this war had its own plans for you. I looked at the empty chair and everything inside me cried. I thought that now I would sing the saddest Lesya in the history of my performance..." - the singer Krut, who told the story of the combat medic Iryna Tsybukh, shared her impressions of the event.
As part of the event, the organizers managed to collect $12,717.33 through ticket sales for the benefit and Marina Krut's performance, two charity auctions and donations from fundraising on social media. All funds will be donated to the Hospitallers Volunteer Medical Battalion, which provides support to military personnel at the front lines.
Author: Inna Mikhno