The theater group, formed by Ukrainians who escaped Putin’s war in Germany’s former capital Bonn, kicked off with a post-war drama based on Neda Nezhdan’s work “Closed Sky” – stories of four women who survived the horrors of war in the occupied parts of the Kyiv region, Mariupol, and elsewhere.
The group’s aim is to advocate for Ukraine, using cultural diplomacy, and soft power in favor of Ukraine “from below” – not through concerts by stars or podium discussions by politicians, but through communication with ordinary citizens.
These Ukrainians are introducing Germans and foreigners to Ukrainian culture, conveying the terrible realities of war, and convincing them of the need for support.
The theater is undoubtedly operating at a professional level.
Included among its founders and participants are, for example: director and founder of the Konotop People’s Theater Studio “My” Marina Lyushina, Kyiv actress and TV presenter Olena Stets (TV series “The Story of One Crime,” “Paradise,” “Challenge,” “Material Evidence,” “Trail,” etc.), editor and host of TV and radio programs Olga Demydova (Radio Era, Era TV, STB TV, UNN news agency), choreographer Kateryna Kolos (performed as part of the troupe at the National Selection for Eurovision), designer and costume master Nataliya Tsybulko (costume designer for the films “We Will Break Through,” “Surprise Me,” and “The Flight of the Golden Fly”), etc.
Since its first performance, the Mriya Theater has been an active participant in various cultural events. It co-organized the Ukrainian Film Days NRW film festival in Bonn, while its performance at the Bonn Theater Night 2025 drew a full house.
The theater regularly performs at various events, such as Nikolausmarkt, Bonn’s festival of cultures and encounters “Vielfalt!” (Diversity!), Intercultural Weeks, and has established itself as a distinct part of Bonn’s cultural and theatrical world.
However, for the people, the theater is primarily a platform where those who were forced to leave their homeland because of the war can tell their stories and the stories of their ancestors.
We named our theater “Mriya” because we constantly dream of free creativity, justice, and peace.
It is important for everyone involved in the theater that Ukrainian culture does not stop its triumphant progress.
For the theater’s anniversary, on Sept. 24 and 25, it is preparing the premiere of a new play – Irina Feofanova’s social drama “Between Us There is War.” The main characters are young people, Mila and Danilo. Both aged 15 they experience their first love, first date, and first (and last) kiss –because that was on Feb. 23, 2022, and tomorrow there will be war.
Mila’s parents take her to Germany, while Danilo stays with his grandmother in the occupied village. Their love continues at a distance, through messages filled with fear, hope, and the pain of separation.