Ukrainian National Opera puts best foot forward in Cork

Ukraine has been in the news recently because of political strife, but this week we can see a different side to the country — its artistry and cultural heritage, embodied in the Ukrainian National Opera of Kharkiv, which is performing a stunning production of La Bohème at Cork Opera House on Friday, March 28.

This rare experience is due to Ellen Kent, to show us how high are the standards of opera and performance on the far fringes of Eastern Europe. Once Ellen got an inkling of just how good the Kharkiv company was, she went to that city, and achieved the difficult task of bringing over a top-level production on minimal resources. It was minus 25 degrees when Kent was there, but she worked with Ukraine’s top opera company for three weeks.

Those of us at home who know nothing of the region might wonder what it is like there. “It’s rather a nice place, actually” she says. “Really good restaurants, the largest square in Europe, big-name shops like Marks and Spencer, Monsoon and Debenhams. I was a bit surprised by the city having all that, and the hotels are pretty good too. Not a bad experience, except for the cold.”