Oleg Synegubova is asked to make theaters critical infrastructure
Kharkiv Academic Ukrainian Drama Theater named after Taras Shevchenko
From the beginning of a full -scale invasion of Kharkiv state theaters funded by the regional budget, they do not receive enough money to work. From the fall of 2024, executives cannot pay salaries to employees and pay for utilities.
Honored Artist of Ukraine and Shevchenko Laureate, actor Oleg Stefan He turned to the head of the Kharkiv Regional State Administration Oleg Sinogubova and the Kharkiv Regional Council calling for local theaters critical infrastructure.
The appeal of the actor has quickly spread social networks, but there is no reaction from Kharkiv city council and personally Oleg Synigubova. Up. Culture She also sent a request to the regional head and awaits the answer.
”Kharkiv Regional Council, you are the only council in Ukraine that degrades my colleagues with pathetic, poor salaries. Make a solution finally show respect for those who in war, multiply the honor and glory of your city« , – said Stefan.
In January 2025, Kharkiv theaters filed documents for critical infrastructure. However, during this time, representatives of the Department of Culture, City and Regional State Administration did not answer the theaters.
Meanwhile, employees of Kharkiv theaters continue to work, looking for opportunities to talk about a full -scale invasion abroad, as well as to cooperate with other Ukrainian theaters.
In particular, the director of the Kharkiv Puppet Theater Oksana Dmitrieva Together with the artist Constantine Zorkin and composer Catherine Palasova Together they worked on the Medea performance for the Frankish Drama Theater.
In 2024, the production of Dmitrieva’s puppet performance « Giraffe Mons » was recognized as the best children’s performance by the Theater Prize. Its contribution to the development of Ukrainian theatrical art was awarded the Women in Arts. The Resistance. The director was also invited to work in theaters of Lviv, Kiev and other cities.
What happens to Kharkiv State Theaters
Since the beginning of a full -scale invasion, Kharkiv region has been the only one where funding for culture, in particular, has been reduced almost completely for payment of theaters. Theaters are not able to pay salaries and pay for utilities in time.
The situation was tried to improve the mayor Igor Terekhov: “Although these establishments are in regional property, we must support them in these difficult times. They give concerts for our military in hospitals and on the front, perform in the subway, actively supporting Kharkiv residents« .
In February 2025, six Kharkiv cultural institutions released from payment of utilities. State subordination theaters will not pay services accrued from January 1, 2024 until April 15, 2025. It is unknown how the municipal is accrued from the end of the term.
In early 2025 It became knownthat, due to lack of funding, Kharkiv theaters cannot pay wages to their employees for two and a half months.
At the expense of the budget in Kharkiv there are the following academic theaters: puppet theater, Muzkomedy Theater, Drama Theater. Kvitka-Osnovyanenko, Drama Theater. Shevchenko and the young viewer theater.
The Puppet Theater was then reported that they did not receive salaries since September 2024. Last year, this item of expenditures was financed from the budget by only 24%. In order to « earn » the rent of basements, which are allowed to show performances, artists are toured in other cities and abroad. More than 15 theater groups from other cities were collected charity performances for heating the puppet theater before the autumn season.
In the spring of 2023, the Kharkiv Ova forbade mass events in theaters, concert institutions, philharmonic, clubs, museums, libraries and in the open space, if the number of viewers exceeds 50 people. The reason was the constant shelling and the lack of shelters. This prohibition will act until the end of martial law.
Then only 16 objects of the region were included in the list of seats equipped with shelters. Among the cultural institutions, it is, for example, the « Ermilov Center » and had a hall.
Then Kharkiv theaters began to suspend and carry their performances massively. Some still tried to perform speeches on the allowed sites.
In response to this in November 2023, the Regional Council suggested Change work format regional theaters, introducing shows online. Then this statement angered the theater community.
And in December 2023 Head of Kharkiv Regional Military Administration Oleg Synigubov told about possible restoration of the work of municipal cultural institutions, but with Budget reduction twice.
