Panic and black humor in Kiev and Odessa, shame and helplessness in Moscow: Ukrainian and Russian artists try to put their horror into words.
By Moritz Baumstieger, Christine Dössel, Dorion Weickmann,
Ekaterina Kel and Sonja Zekri
Those who try to get the voices of authors, directors, actresses and dancers from Russia and Ukraine these days often hear silence on the phone at first. And after a pause, the answer: “I can’t, I’m in shock. What else can I say about all this?”. A little later, however, there are commitments: Because writing is better than doing nothing. Because they want to reassure Ukrainians that not all Russians think like Vladimir Putin. Because you want to show colleagues from Russia, with whom you have worked well and for a long time: Despite war and destruction, we will not let ourselves be torn apart. Because writing helps sort your thoughts. And while Putin’s troops are advancing from several directions into Ukraine and the capital Kiev, the cultural workers from both countries living in Germany are of course also thinking about their homeland. To relatives who still live there, to the horrors of the war – but also to the time after. Will cultural exchange and dialogue get another chance?