Kharkiv State Academic Ukrainian Drama Theatre named after T. H. Shevchenko

The Kharkiv State Academic Drama Theatre. Named after T. Shevchenko, it is one of the oldest theatres in Ukraine. It was founded in 1922. The founders were Kyiv theatre figures led by the well-known director and People's Artist of the USSR, Les Kurbas. At first, the theatre was called "Berezil". Today, one of its stages bears that name.

Photo from wikipedia.org

The theatre's uniqueness lies in its repertoire. Here, the viewer has the chance to look at the historical events in the staged productions from a different, innovative perspective. The directors were not afraid to impress and experiment. This made the theatre unique and well known among the cities of the former USSR. Many well-known actors have performed on the stage of the Kharkiv theatre, including L. Serdiuk, V. Chytsiakova, M. Uzhvii, M. Krushelnytska, F. Radchuk, and others.

Interesting facts:

• The theatre has three stages: a large one, a small one called "Berezil", and an experimental one.
• The theatre's productions under Zholdak's direction won many international festivals. The director himself received a UNESCO Prize for this.
• In 1935, the theatre was named after the famous Ukrainian poet T. H. Shevchenko.
• The theatre has an active museum dedicated to the work of L. Kurbas and to various historical events that tell the story of the theatre itself and its founding.