悲劇のブチャの生き残り、ウクライナ人指揮者 オクサーナさんとの出会い

オクサーナさんから送られてきた手記（原文）

Dear Maestro,

From the very beginning, I would like to express my gratitude for your support and sympathy. I was deeply touched by your concern for what is happening in our country. I am also grateful that you offered practical help by providing instruments for the Ukrainian orchestra. It means a great deal to me as a Ukrainian and as a person. And I will be more than happy to collaborate finding practical solutions.

Let me tell you my story in short. Two and a half years ago, on the first day of the war, I went to my mother who lives in Bucha. Nobody understood that the war had just broken out and russian aggressors had entered our country from neighboring Belarus. The russian army wanted to reach Kyiv in three days. To make this impossible, Ukrainian defense forces demolished all bridges to prevent the russians from advancing. This stopped the Russians from taking Kyiv in three days. There were so many russian soldiers stuck in Bucha that we could see an uncountable number of tanks from my mom’s apartment. The resistance of the people, many of them who were not even military, stopped the enemy from entering our capital, which at the same time resulted in the occupation of Bucha (as it is situated very close to Kyiv). We had little possibility to leave, considering that my mom could hardly walk.

People who took the risk to leave, trying to pass russian tanks, were just killed. I remember very well when we took just a small case with the most important things. At my mom’s home, we were sleeping with our clothes on. In the morning at 6 o’clock, our friends told us to be outside our apartment in just 20 minutes. This was probably our only chance to stay alive. My Lithuanian friends had already prepared everything; the only thing we needed to do was to leave Ukraine. At the same time many friends from around the world were calling and offering their help, which warmed a lot. 

And we succeeded in escaping, which many others didn’t. We were a line of 5 cars who took a risk. We used the only way out that existed at the moment. Firstly we planned to get out in Irpin and take the evacuation train. But as we were already in the car, we decided to go to Lviv, where transport to Lithuania was already waiting. We made the right decision, as that train was stopped as the railway was destroyed and the train was attacked by the russian an air force. Maybe you have seen the famous picture of people hiding under the remains of the bridge while observing military planes dropping bombs.

I have no idea how to physically stop the war, but I know that if I have a chance to stay alive, I have to do something so people would remember that the war is not over, that it is still ongoing. And it is very near by, any country could be involved, anyday! Ukraine faced the wild beast, which earlier seemed to be a country with "great Russian culture” (as they always called themselves, while no other country with an ancient culture did). It is unthinkable, that genocide and extermination of a whole nation could be someone's plan in the 21st century!

You are absolutely right that people must not forget the price at which the rest of the world can sleep well, have water, electricity, and no bomb alarms, just stay living their ordinary lives. And I am making it the highest priority of my life right now to CONSTANTLY REMIND everyone! In my case, through culture!

I left the National Academic Theatre of Operetta in Kyiv after twenty years of work in March, 2022, leaving behind my whole life. I came to Kaunas State Music Theatre, where I received part-time employment as a conductor. Before the war, we had collaborative projects with the Kaunas theatre, both in Ukraine and in Kaunas, including theatre productions such as G. Rossini's "The Barber of Seville" and the annual festival "Operetta in the Castle." Colleagues helped me a lot. They found a place for me and my mother to stay and supplied us with all the necessities, from kitchen aids to clothes and some furniture, as we fled the war with only a few basic things.

During those two and a half years at Kaunas Theatre, I had the opportunity to conduct  Verdi’s "Nabucco”. It was a very symbolic event at that time. I also, for the first time, succeeded in putting on the stage of Kaunas musical theatre and anchoring in the repertoire of the European theatre the ballet written by a Ukrainian composer, namely "Aladdin.” I also participated in the production of S. Leway musical "Mozart!”.

Additionally, I was involved in various concerts and festivals in Lithuania, including the one you are attending now, presenting musical pieces of Ukrainian composers from Baroque to contemporary music. However, as the theatre has its own conductors, my current assignments are very scarce, and I feel that I cannot reach my full potential. Additionally, being a female conductor presents its own challenges. These are the main reasons I am looking for new possible assignments.

Nevertheless, I do not give up and independently look for other possibilities. During this time, I was invited to conduct several productions in Macedonian Theatre of Opera and Ballet in Skopje, returned to Ukraine a few times for support concerts, and served as a jury member at the Kodály Conductor Competition.

Dear Maestro, I do not want to bore you with long stories of my life, which has been turned upside down by this terrible war that kills Ukrainian people, including some of my dearest colleagues. But as you probably already understand, I seek contacts that could help me find new openings. I am ready to meet new challenges, I have extensive conducting experience, but I am also open to learning. Therefore, I would be extremely grateful if something interesting came to your mind and you could share it with me—whether it be theatre productions, concerts, or festivals. And of course, I would be delighted and proud if I could promote Ukrainian music.

Attached, you will find my CV and a link to my homepage, which contains the history of my activities. Additionally, I have included few links from my YouTube channel, where examples of my work as a conductor are presented.

Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any further questions. Your help would be greatly appreciated!

Once more, thank you for your cordial support, and I hope for possible future collaboration. And as for today, I wish you success at the Kaunas festival!

Respectfully,  

Oksana Madarash