Le Monde: In Ukraine, art, war and identity collide
Creatives in Odessa flout air raid sirens and Russian drones. Call it an act of resistance: ‘As artists, this is our front line’
By Glen Johnson, Le Monde Diplomatique
In a courtyard beside Odessa’s philharmonic theatre, people sipped cups of tea and perused stalls showcasing locally made trinkets, abstract art and books, including the prominently displayed work of Ukrainian realist-turned-impressionist author Mykhailo Kotsiubynsky. Nearby, the local experimental band Potreba Group ran through their set, a mix of ambient soundscapes, moody trip-hop and frenetic electro. As the group’s performance — part of an event called “Cultural Restoration” held at the end of August — began to culminate in a dissonant, big-beat freak-out, an automated government alert made smartphones ping. Air-raid sirens blared across the city. The performance shuddered to a halt. The crowd filtered quietly out onto the street — past posters and homemade clothing, beneath the origami figurines hanging at the entrance, twisting gently as the late summer breeze winnowed its way through them.
In Ukraine, death can come from above at any moment. “We were just trying to have fun, play some music and make people happy,” said the group’s drummer, Yaroslav Prokhorov. “Why are these fucking Russians doing this to us?”
Life in Ukraine has been turned upside down the past seven months. Yet everyday people have done their best to adapt, in the most unnatural of environments. In the vibrant south-western city of Odessa — where naval mines litter the Black Sea, a curfew cuts nightlife down to its bare bones, and the blare of sirens is a constant reminder of the violence being wrought around 150km away in Mykolaiv — the arts scene has persisted, with events continuing this past summer.
In a nation which Russian president Vladimir Putin claims is indistinguishable from his Federation, creative expression is as much a refusal to allow the Kremlin’s war to determine the pulse of daily life as it is a statement of Ukrainian independence. …
