Mōdraniht. Songs of Winter War

About the event

Mōdraniht. Songs of Winter War — a new opera from the laboratory of contemporary opera Opera Aperta, combining music, performance, theater and political reflection. The performance is defined by the authors as «opera practica» — a kind of manual for creating an opera during wartime, which gradually turns into a requiem for destroyed bodies and landscapes.

The name Mōdraniht in Scandinavian mythology means «Mothers' Night» — the longest night of the year, when people perform ritual dances to drive away darkness and welcome the birth of a new sun. The performance travels through different times, wars and geographies — from the Ukrainian Carpathians to the Aral Sea and northern Spain, exploring the human voice in the midst of global catastrophes and destruction.

The project is the final part of the «ecological trilogy» Opera Aperta after Chornobyldorf and GAIA-24. Opera del Mondo. All these works are united by the themes of environmental tragedies caused by totalitarian regimes and war.

The artistic team

• Ilya Razumeiko — concept, dramaturgy, spatial solution
• Roman Grigoriv — music, musical direction, performance
• Katerina Markush — costume designer
• Valeria Vinogradova — live-electronics
• Svetlana Zmiyeeva — lighting designer
• Olga Dyatel — creative producer
• Yulia Parish — artistic collaboration
• Iryna Onishchuk — artistic collaboration

Performers

• Marichka Shtyrbulova
• Yulia Vitranyuk
• Yulia Alekseeva
• Sofia Pavlichenko
• Olexandr Chishiy
• Kateryna Gordienko
• Daria Bohdan
• Karolina Muzychenko
• Akim Zvarych
• Ihor Boychuk
• Anne Bennent

Performance information

• Genre — rhizomatic theatrical essay / opera practica
• Duration — about 100 minutes
• World premiere — May 2026, KЇ FEST, Kyiv

Age restrictions and warnings

The performance is recommended for viewers aged 16 and over.

The performance contains scenes of nudity, uses stroboscopic effects and loud sound, which may cause discomfort to sensitive viewers.