In Ukraine's Kharkiv, ballet company dances among the ruins

Since the start of Russia's invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, the war and its relentless, inescapable proximity have weighed on many people in the city of Kharkiv — physically and psychologically. But there is one place in the metropolis where the war — for a few fleeting hours — ceases to exist. That place is this basement room, home of the Opera East dance company.

It's difficult to escape the war in Kharkiv. A lonely swing in the rubble of bombed-out apartment buildings tells the silent story of the insecurity that people have been exposed to for more than three years now. On some days, when the wind blows from the right direction, you can hear the fire of artillery shells from the front, some 30 kilometers (about 18 miles) away.

Antonina Radiievska, artistic director of the Opera East ballet company, peeks out from behind the curtain of the stage in the dark, brick basement of the Kharkiv National Academic Opera and Ballet Theater. A space has been created here, protected from drones and bombs, where people can escape bitter reality for a few moments.

Radiievska and her ensemble frequently leave their safe accommodation in a Slovak refugee home to return to Kharkiv and dance. "In spite of everything - the fact that bombs are flying, drones and everything else — we can give a gift of something wonderful to people," Radiievska told Reuters. Here, she rests after rehearsing for the revival of "Chopiniana," created by Russian dancer Michel Fokine.

Chopin's piano pieces were orchestrated by the composer Alexander Glazunov (1865-1936). The first performance in Kharkiv's "ballet bunker" took place in April. Despite the makeshift setting, the performance was staged with classical pomp — a special moment for Kharkiv's cultural life, as it was the first complete performance of a classical ballet since February 2022.

Despite the outstanding achievements of classical ballet in Ukraine, this world of pirouettes, pas de deux and chiffon tutus seems a far cry from the everyday lives of Ukrainians in wartime. An average day often consists of checking apps for drone alerts, sleeping on the floor of a subway station during a bomb scare or searching for relatives on the front.

Just one day before the start of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the National Opera and Ballet Theater of Ukraine in Kharkiv performed the classical masterpiece "Giselle." When Russian troops reached the outskirts of Kharkiv on February 27 and threatened to take the city, the theater closed and most members of the ballet troupe left. The ensemble returned in 2024.

It all began with a rehearsal room in the basement. In October 2023, piano rehearsals restarted in the depths of the theater building. In the spring of 2024, the theater received permission to accept an audience, and smaller ballet performances and children's concerts took place. The return of the ballet ensemble took place in small but steady steps.

The performance of a classical piece today once again sends a signal that Ukraine is still standing, said Igor Tuluzov, director-general of the Opera East company. "We are demonstrating to the world that we really are a self-sufficient state, independent, in all its aspects, including cultural independence," he told Reuters.