For many Dundonians, the upcoming performance of Bizet’s opera Carmen at the Caird Hall will simply be a nice night out.
But for the city’s displaced Ukrainian community, the opportunity to see their national opera company in their adopted home could mean so much more.
Varvara Mishyna, the daughter of an actor, grew up steeped in the theatrical life of her home city Dnipro.
But she was forced to leave Ukraine when the war broke out.
Varvara feels like part of Dundee community
“We arrived in Dundee six months after the start of the war in July 2022,” explains Varvara, whose husband Serhii Kuzminov is now working here as a professor of economics.
“We chose Dundee because our hosts Mary and Richard Laird lived here. They kindly invited us into their home and have become our family.
“My husband got a job a month later, and the children went to local schools. We began to feel part of the Dundee community.”
Now, two years after the start of the war, the Ukrainian National Opera are bringing a rare performance of live opera to Dundee with Carmen.
The opera pivots round the relationship between passionate scheming femme fatale Carmen, a cigarette worker, and naïve, lovestruck soldier Don Jose.
It is a much-loved piece of opera – the Habanera and Toreador’s Song are two of opera’s best-known arias – and no doubt will provide all in audience with an evening of much needed escapism.
Father’s possessions came over with opera
But Varvara’s own experience stands as a stark reminder that when art is coming from a war-torn country, there is more than just art at stake.
“From the very beginning of the war, theatres in our country worked as shelters,” she explains.
“Refugees lived in them, received help and escaped the bombings. That is why, for any Ukrainian, the Ukrainian theatre is a symbol of courage, heroism, wisdom of kindness and an inexhaustible source of inspiration and faith.”
Last year, when the Dnipro opera company came to Dundee, Varvara received many items from her father and in turn sent back items of her own.
She also entertained some of her father’s students, showing them the ways of Dundee life.
“My dad Olexander Mishyn is a famous dramatic actor, and I spent my entire childhood in the theatre behind the scenes”, she says.
“When we lived in Dnipro, I saw almost all the performances of the Opera House. I don’t break with this tradition now I’m in Scotland as I try to attend local theatre productions and go to concerts at the Caird Hall.”
Carmen at Caird Hall is chance for Dundee Ukrainian community to feel ‘at home’
And for Varvara, the upcoming performance of Carmen represents an opportunity for the city’s Ukrainian community to feel “at home” for an evening.
“I think that for all Ukrainians, visiting productions from their homeland is an opportunity to feel ‘at home’, she says.
“Ukrainian art is valued all over the world. Countries gladly invited Ukrainian companies so that their audiences could enjoy the highest examples of the art of opera.
“Before the full-scale invasion, the troupe of the Dnipro Opera and Ballet Theatre had toured Bulgaria, Poland, France, Ireland, Lebanon, China, Jordan, Israel, the USA, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Belgium and Germany.
“Of course, now this is accompanied by a demonstration of unbending will and faith in the victory of our country.
“Musicians and artists who rehearse under bombing to please the audience set an example of courage and faith in life and art.”
Opera company learned ‘to work in conditions of war and missile attacks’
Indeed, Carmen conductor Ihor Puchkov is proud that the Ukrainian National Opera company have been able to “maintain our cultural front” after rehearsing while literal bombs have gone off around them.
His life motto, he explains, is: “Do what you have to do, and come what may.”
It’s this attitude that has seen the company through the last two years.
“At first it was very difficult, because the first missile explosions early in the morning of February 24, 2022 destroyed the world in which we lived,” admits Ihor.
“Now we have learned to live, create and work in conditions of war and missile attacks. We learned how to give performances, premieres and fill the halls.
“We understand that art has special value in war conditions. And we try to maintain our cultural front.”
Carmen, by Georges Bizet, presented by Dnipro Opera, Ukraine, will be at the Caird Hall, Dundee, on March 16. For tickets, go to www.dundeebox.co.uk or phone 01382 434940.
Conversation