„Kateryna“ from Odessa National Academic Opera

The first Ukrainian opera production since the outbreak of war, premiered in September 2022, is now available for licencing in an international version.

The spectacle "Kateryna" is more than an opera production. It is at the same time a project that speaks of Ukrainian cultural and musical emancipation and self-recognition. The underlying story is short, simple, and tragic. A woman who was seduced and later abandoned by a Russian soldier is ostracized from her family and from society when it becomes known that she is carrying his child. In an act of desperation, she leaves her baby in the winterly forest and drowns herself in a lake. The story, composed and written by Oleksandr Rodin and choreographed by Oleksiy Sklyarenko, is told from the perspective of traveling artists who continue to tell this story to their tribes and families. This structure reflects the combination of Christian and pagan beliefs in Ukrainian culture to this day. Society, environment, and community are represented by the choir, which determines the sound of this music and this opera.

The project “Kateryna” was started in 2021 and fell victim twice - at first to the Covid pandemic and then to the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February of 2022. In May of 2022, against all odds and in the face of the ongoing Russian aggression, the Opera House in Odesa and its artists resumed work on “Kateryna” and scheduled the premiere for September. The costumes were made in occupied Kharkiv and many materials were destroyed in Mariupol and even Odesa. The choreographer had to be brough back from service in the army and the rehearsals were interrupted by air raids and blackouts. It was almost a miracle that the premiere could take place uninterrupted and with a full audience – a symbol of Ukrainian resilience and emancipation similar to the one told on stage.

In October 2022, Ukrainian broadcaster Suspilne TV was filming the opera; Accentus produced an international version which is now available for distribution.

For any licencing requests or further inquiries, please get in touch with Yukie Bürkner-Damm, y.buerkner-damm@accentus.com