The orchestra of the National Theater played the Ukrainian anthem on the eve of the anniversary of the start of the war in Ukraine, February 23, 2023, Prague.
Prague – Just like a year ago, when Russian troops invaded the territory of Ukraine, today the Orchestra of the National Theater in Prague played the Ukrainian anthem in support of the country in the war. In addition to the first Czech stage, many other theaters across the country decided to support the war-torn Ukraine on the eve of the start of the war. Today's meeting on the piazzetta of the National Theater was attended by Minister of Culture Martin Baxa (ODS), chargé d'affaires of Ukraine Vitaly Usaty and director of the National Theater Jan Burian.
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Several dozen people, including actors and other artists from ND, came to the meeting. Some of those present had Ukrainian flags with them. In addition to the Ukrainian anthem, the Czech anthem was also played and people chanted the slogan Glory to Ukraine!
“Ukraine perceives and feels that the Czech Republic is our reliable friend,” Usatyj said, thanking the Czech government, parliament, municipalities and non-profit organizations and citizens for standing by Ukraine and will be with it until joint victory, “the victory of light over darkness and good over evil”. He also thanked the Czech state for its help both in the supply of weapons and in the provision of humanitarian aid. “Thank you, dear Czechs, we will never forget the hand you gave in the most difficult times of Ukrainian history,” he said.
Today, the call of the Association of Professional Theaters was joined by theaters from all over the country, for example the Naivní divadlo Liberec, the East Bohemian Theater Pardubice, The Moravian-Silesian National Theater in Ostrava or the Dejvické Theater or the Na Zábradlí Theater in Prague.
The South Bohemian Theater in České Budějovice, the Municipal Theater of Mladá Boleslav, the Experimental Theater Center in Brno, the Ostrava Puppet Theater or the Moravian Theater in Olomouc illuminated their building today. Ukrainian consul Anna Proshko will give a speech on the Music Stage of the Brno City Theater after the Lakomec performance. Today, the Moravian Theater Olomouc is showing Ukrainian films in the foyer.
Since last week, the photo exhibition Year with Ukraine has also been taking place on the piazzetta near the National Theatre. The author of the large-format images is Philipp Spalek, a young German photographer of crisis areas. During the year, he went to Ukraine several times and documented life and the transformation of the social atmosphere in the Polish border towns of Medyka, Przemyśl, Korczowa, Dorohusk and the Ukrainian cities of Lviv, Šegyni, Irpiň, Buča and Novovolynsk. In his photographs, he mainly captures the effects of war on the civilian population, through them he tells touching human stories, but also the fact that hope and joy in life, especially among young people, can be present despite all the surrounding chaos.
Year the duration of the war will be remembered by people in the Czech Republic especially on Friday, when many meetings, concerts and anti-Russian events will take place.
