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CALSCALE:GREGORIAN
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BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:180118@gayout.com
DTSTAMP:20260816T054816Z
DTSTART:20260905T190000Z
DTEND:20260905T203000Z
SUMMARY:I Didn't Leave Ukraine
DESCRIPTION:News of the war in Ukraine reaches us through many channels: 
 social media\\, news services\\, the press\\, television\\, the internet.
  Yet we rarely have the chance to listen directly to those who have lived
  through it. In the unique project I Didn't Leave Ukraine (which is part 
 of the broader project Who Am I? )\\, Estonian director Merle Karusoo –
  known for her biographical theatre works – gives voice to veterans of 
 the war that still rages just beyond our border\\, even as we increasingl
 y try to look away. This performance does not allow us such comfort. A fa
 ce-to-face encounter with veterans speaking about their experiences shake
 s the audience to the core. The protagonists bear witness to their courag
 e and sacrifice\\, sharing their memories with brutal honesty and immedia
 cy. Colliding in their stories are helplessness and determination\\, and 
 degradation and pride. In Karusoo’s drama\\, “Slava Ukraini!” – t
 he cry resounding all over the world in expression of solidarity with the
  people fighting in Ukraine for freedom and democracy not only for their 
 own country – is shouted by those who have irretrievably lost their hea
 lth and physical strength in that war. A shocking theme in this theatrica
 l encounter is desertion\\, refusal to participate in war. When such an a
 ttitude is condemned by politicians speaking from the safety of their off
 ice armchairs\\, we may be inclined to consider them right. But it takes 
 on a wholly different meaning when the right to preserve your life and sa
 fety is discussed by those whose lives were truly jeopardized. I Didn't L
 eave Ukraine compels us to ask difficult questions about life after war\\
 , the trauma that has become a collective experience\\, and about solidar
 ity – whether with those who fight\\, or those who choose to give up th
 e fight. Merle Karusoo's dramatic text I Didn't Leave Ukraine – Origina
 l Drama Award 2026\\, Special Award nominee 2026 Director: Merle Karusoo 
 Director's assistant: Sergei Poljatšihhin Video designer: Laura Romanova
  Producer: Märt Meos On stage: Ukrainian war veterans Andri Usach\\, Vik
 toria Shinkarenko\\, Dmitro Polovian\\; actress Eva Karpjuk Duration: 1 h
 our and 25 minutes\\, no intermission. Premiere: August 16th\\, 2025 at t
 he Freedom Theatre Festival in the studio hall of Vaba Lava Narva centre 
 Co-production of R.A.A.A.M. and Rivne Academic Ukrainian Music and Drama 
 Theatre #tallinnfringe2026\\nhttps://www.gayout.com/europe/estonia/tallin
 n/events/i-didn-t-leave-ukraine-2026-09-05
LOCATION:fringe.ee
URL:https://www.gayout.com/europe/estonia/tallinn/events/i-didn-t-leave-ukraine-2026-09-05
STATUS:CONFIRMED
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