"I can't forget, even though there is no war here.

The war is in me. It became stuck on me, on us. On all of us.

I don't know how to be here, in peace."

These are some of the thoughts that director and writer Liisa Isotalo recorded when interviewing Ukrainian berry pickers in the summers of 2022 and 2023. She wanted to give a voice to those whose thoughts and experiences are often left unheard. The stories became the dramatic piece Minun elämäni, Ukraina! ('My life, Ukraine!').

Russia's invasion of Ukraine will have lasted three years in February 2025. How does the war affect Ukrainian refugees living in Finland? The stage performance Minun elämäni, Ukraina! produced by OSIRIS Theatre premiered at Malmitalo, Helsinki, right before the war's two-year mark on 21 February 2024. The performances continue in spring 2025.

The performance produced by a multicultural working group combines documentary theatre, music, song and dance, and video art, and features stories of perseverance, fear, courage, guilt and the search for a good life, based on interviews with Ukrainian refugees and seasonal workers and the personal experiences of the working group. The performance can be understood in both Finnish and Ukrainian.

Taking the stage will be Ukrainian and Finnish professionals in theatrical arts and music: actors Ljubov Yanchukevich, Cécile Orblin, Emmi Kujanpää and Anna Murtola. The choreography is by Vitalii Podhurskyi. Images and video by Ahmed Alalousi, sound design by Lasse Turunen Behind the overarching concept is the writer and director of the performance, Liisa Isotalo, who received he golden badge of merit in theatrical arts in 2022.

Recommended for audiences over 16 years old.

Duration 2 h, including intermission

Minun elämäni, Ukraina!

The event “Minun elämäni, Ukraina! ” has ended