A Brief History (and Present) of Ukrainian Theatre — with Mayhill Fowler episode artwork

EPISODE · Oct 17, 2025 · 45 MIN

A Brief History (and Present) of Ukrainian Theatre — with Mayhill Fowler

from Explaining Ukraine · host UkraineWorld

What do we know about theatre — the most ephemeral of the arts — in Ukraine? What role did Ukrainian theatre play in Soviet times? How is the heritage of the Executed Renaissance generation still alive today? And why are women in theatre so important — and yet so often ignored? *** The Explaining Ukraine podcast is produced by UkraineWorld, an English-language media project about Ukraine run by Internews Ukraine. Host: Tetyana Ogarkova, a Ukrainian literary scholar at Kyiv Mohyla Academy and journalist at Ukraine Crisis Media Centre. She also runs a French-language podcast, “L’Ukraine face à la guerre”. Guest: Mayhill C. Fowler, historian and associate professor in the Department of History at Stetson University. Her first book, “Beau Monde on Empire’s Edge: State and Stage in Soviet Ukraine” (Toronto, 2017), tells the story of how theatre in Soviet Ukraine was formed, through a collective biography of young artists and officials in the 1920s and 1930s. *** This episode is produced in partnership with the Kyiv-Mohyla Academy and the project Heritage Ukraine, supported by the European Union’s Erasmus programme. Special thanks to the Ukrainian History Global Initiative for helping organize this conversation. *** SUPPORT: UkraineWorld is an English-language media about Ukraine run by Internews Ukraine You can support UkraineWorld on https://www.patreon.com/c/ukraineworld We rely on crowdfunding to continue our work. You can also support our regular trips to the frontlines, where we provide support to both soldiers (cars) and civilians (books): PayPal, [email protected]

What do we know about theatre — the most ephemeral of the arts — in Ukraine? What role did Ukrainian theatre play in Soviet times? How is the heritage of the Executed Renaissance generation still alive today? And why are women in theatre so important — and yet so often ignored? *** The Explaining Ukraine podcast is produced by UkraineWorld, an English-language media project about Ukraine run by Internews Ukraine. Host: Tetyana Ogarkova, a Ukrainian literary scholar at Kyiv Mohyla Academy and journalist at Ukraine Crisis Media Centre. She also runs a French-language podcast, “L’Ukraine face à la guerre”. Guest: Mayhill C. Fowler, historian and associate professor in the Department of History at Stetson University. Her first book, “Beau Monde on Empire’s Edge: State and Stage in Soviet Ukraine” (Toronto, 2017), tells the story of how theatre in Soviet Ukraine was formed, through a collective biography of young artists and officials in the 1920s and 1930s. *** This episode is produced in partnership with the Kyiv-Mohyla Academy and the project Heritage Ukraine, supported by the European Union’s Erasmus programme. Special thanks to the Ukrainian History Global Initiative for helping organize this conversation. *** SUPPORT: UkraineWorld is an English-language media about Ukraine run by Internews Ukraine You can support UkraineWorld on https://www.patreon.com/c/ukraineworld We rely on crowdfunding to continue our work. You can also support our regular trips to the frontlines, where we provide support to both soldiers (cars) and civilians (books): PayPal, [email protected]

NOW PLAYING

A Brief History (and Present) of Ukrainian Theatre — with Mayhill Fowler

0:00 45:28

No transcript for this episode yet

We transcribe on demand. Request one and we'll notify you when it's ready — usually under 10 minutes.

The Cleveland Ukraine Podcast The Cleveland Ukraine Podcast Capturing the impactful stories of the Cleveland Ukrainian population at home and abroad. Sikkerhedsudvalget 24syv Siden 1946 har den amerikanske præsident hver dag modtaget den såkaldte PDB ‘The President’s Daily Brief’ om de aktuelle trusler mod verdens og USAs sikkerhed. 24syv giver nu alle lyttere - politikere, beslutningstagere og embedsmænd - et dagligt sikkerhedsbrief. I programmet ‘Sikkehedsudvalget’ vurderes alle aktuelle trusler mod rigets sikkerhed. Vid alt om terrorisme, Ukraine, Mellemøsten, cybertrusler, kritisk infrastrutur - og mød landets mest vidende eksperter og beslutningstagere. The Fight: A podcast on life & war in Ukraine. The Cipher Brief The Cipher Brief team brings you a brand new podcast that examines the war in Ukraine, and the impact it has on the world. Ukraine - History in the Making Emil Juhler When I started the conversation series ”Ukraine - History in the Making” I could have never imagined where this journey would lead me. It all started in March 2023 after I got home from an exchange stay in Chile and felt, that I had to do more for Ukraine, than what I did on my social media accounts and on the streets in the spring and summer of 2022. I think most of us remember that initial period after Ruzzia’s the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Speaking from a European/Danish point of view it was a time of big fear, desperation and uncertainty, but also a time of high hopes, energy and big solidarity. In the very first conversation of the show with Veronika Netrebenko, she says the following about the feelings of Ukrainians during the Maidan Revolution: ”We understood we gotta fight for it, and it was something totally different, we felt different, we felt that we need to fight for it”. To a certain degree I believe you can say the same about what happened within the hearts and mi

Frequently Asked Questions

How long is this episode of Explaining Ukraine?

This episode is 45 minutes long.

When was this Explaining Ukraine episode published?

This episode was published on October 17, 2025.

What is this episode about?

What do we know about theatre — the most ephemeral of the arts — in Ukraine? What role did Ukrainian theatre play in Soviet times? How is the heritage of the Executed Renaissance generation still alive today? And why are women in theatre so...

Can I download this Explaining Ukraine episode?

Yes, you can download this episode by clicking the download button on the episode player, or subscribe to the podcast in your preferred podcast app for automatic downloads.
URL copied to clipboard!