The first capital premiere of the theatrical reading took place on the stage of the Atlas Performing Arts Center. The charity event honored the memory of the deceased paramedic Iryna “Cheka” Tsybukh and raised funds for the restoration of the destroyed base of the volunteer medical battalion “Hospitaliers” in Ukraine. United Help Ukraine partnered with the Washington readings.
This was reported by the event organizers.
"Exactly one year ago, on June 2, the war diaries were first read on stage at the Bedlam Theatre by American veterans. Since then, we have held six different performances in six different cities with six different casts, as well as another workshop based on the diaries," said project author Daria Kolomiets.
The production, created by director and co-producer Musa Gernis, tells the stories of seven Ukrainians whose lives were radically changed by the war. They include Iryna Tsybukh, a medic who passed away; Yulia Kochetova, a photojournalist; Olena Nikolina, the wife of an Azov soldier; Denys Khristov, a volunteer who evacuates people and animals; Yulia Kochetova; , a photojournalist and Emmy and World Press Photo award winner; Olga Bulkina, a clown at the Okhmatdyt Children's Hospital; Marat Shevchenko, an internally displaced person (IDP) from Kupiansk; and Yuriy Marchenko, a journalist and the editor-in-chief of Platfor.Ma.
The testimonies collected in the documentary podcast were voiced by actors from Washington. Holly Twyford, Emily Townley, Tony Nam, Lolita Marie Horne, Drew Kopas, and Renee Wilson and Jeremy Keith Hunter..
In addition to the readings, guests at the event enjoyed a performance by bandura player and educator Olha Perepelytsia, as well as a unique musical interpretation of a Ukrainian folk song by Ukrainian-Georgian singer Sophie Villy. Among the honored guests were representatives of the embassies of Estonia and France in the United States.
The creator and producer of the project, Daria Kolomiets, says that despite the new city and limited preparation time, all tickets were sold out, and the powerful messages deeply resonated with the audience.
“In Washington — the center of political decision-making for the entire world — today we are sharing real stories from the Russian-Ukrainian war. About how Russia destroyed a crucial hub of volunteer medics and has been holding Maksym Nikulin and other Azov defenders captive for over three years — they were not released even in the latest prisoner exchange involving 1,000 people, which was closely followed by the U.S. administration. As long as these issues require broad public attention, we will continue to raise them — because this is not only an artistic project, but also an advocacy one,” – notes the producer.
The Diary of War in Washington was dedicated to the anniversary of the death of Iryna Tsybukh, a Hospitallers paramedic, during a rotation in the Kharkiv area. This tragic event occurred the day after May 29. Tsybukh was one of the authors of the texts that formed the basis of the podcast and stage versions of the project.
"My dear Iryna, I want you to know that yesterday was for you and about you. People flew in from Hawaii, Florida, and New York yesterday to hear these diaries. We raised a significant amount of money for the Hospitallers yesterday. I shed my skin again so that they could feel at least 0.5% of what it's like," Daria Kolomiets shared.
According to reports, all donations collected for United Help Ukraine were matched by an anonymous donor, doubling the total to \$20,000. The funds will go toward the restoration of the Hospitallers' medical base in Ukraine, which was destroyed by Russian forces. The fundraising campaign has already surpassed the \$50,000 mark and is still ongoing to give those who couldn’t attend the event an opportunity to contribute an opportunity to support the fundraiser directly.
Background The project is based on the documentary podcast Diary of War by Ukrainian cultural activist Daria Kolomiets, who was named one of Time Magazine's New Generation Leaders. It has been transformed into powerful stage productions featuring New York's Private Theatre, in which real stories are transformed into a moving theatrical experience.
Since February 2024, charity readings of Diary of War organized by Kolomiets have repeatedly sold out in New York, including at the Bedlam Theater's West End Theater and the Brooklyn Center for Theater Research.
Diary of War is a deeply emotional art project that transports audiences into the real experiences of Ukrainians through voice, text, and presence. The project has already raised over $90,000 in New York and continues its mission in various cities across the U.S. to support those evacuating the wounded on the front lines and female veterans.
United Help Ukraine is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that has provided humanitarian, medical, and psychological assistance to victims of Russia's war since 2014, when Russia annexed Crimea and began occupying part of Donbas. The organization actively conducts an information campaign in support of a democratic and independent Ukraine.
"Hospitaliers" is a Ukrainian volunteer organization that has been saving lives on the battlefield since 2014 by providing medical assistance, evacuating the wounded, and helping with rehabilitation. Since its inception, Hospitaliers has evacuated more than 20,000 people and continues to save lives daily.
Photo: Daria Kolomiets' Facebook page
Author: Inna Mikhno