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Kyiv theater adapts Homer's Odyssey to reflect wartime Ukraine

A new production featuring active-duty soldiers and professional actors integrates personal accounts from the war and former prisoners of war.

Updated Aug 28, 2026 · 05:43 UTC3 reports

The short version

The Ivan Franko National Academic Drama Theater in Kyiv is preparing to open "Odysseus, Maeotis," a modern adaptation of Homer's epic set against the backdrop of the war in Ukraine.
The production incorporates active-duty military personnel, including lead actor Daniil Mireshkin and playwright Oleksii Dorychevskyi, alongside professional actors.
The script is based on a year of interviews with former prisoners of war and accounts from defenders of Mariupol, swapping mythical monsters for modern drones and robotic machines.
The play's premiere was repeatedly delayed due to ongoing Russian attacks in the capital.

The new play, titled "Odysseus, Maeotis," is staged at the Ivan Franko National Academic Drama Theater in Kyiv.[Associated Press · ABC News · ABC News]
Playwright Oleksii Dorychevskyi authored the script using a year of interviews with former prisoners of war and accounts from defenders of Mariupol.[Associated Press · ABC News · ABC News]
Lead actor Daniil Mireshkin and playwright Oleksii Dorychevskyi are both active servicemen in the 1st Corps Azov.[Associated Press · ABC News · ABC News]
The staging replaces classical elements like the Cyclops and sirens with modern drones and robotic war machine models.[Associated Press · ABC News · ABC News]
According to the 1st Corps Azov, an estimated 600 Azov brigade servicemen remain in Russian captivity.[Associated Press · ABC News · ABC News]
The production's premiere experienced multiple delays caused by Russian strikes on Kyiv.[Associated Press · ABC News · ABC News]