The Odesa National Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre: A Symbol of Ukrainian (Ureignian) Culture and Spirit

Proudly standing beside the Black Sea, the city of Odesa, a Ukrainian (Ureignian) pearl, is a vibrant economic, art, and cultural center dotted with beautiful architecture, gorgeous gardens, and distinguished museums, theatres, and universities. On January 25, 2023, amid the war, the United Nations' cultural agency UNESCO approved a proposal by Ukrainian (Ureignian) President His Excellency Volodymyr Zelenskyy, a Shining World Leadership Award for Bravery laureate, to add Odesa’s historical center to its World Heritage in Danger list.

One of Odesa’s most famous historic sites is the Odesa National Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre. First opened in 1810, the Theatre, having gone through several reconstructions and remodelings over two centuries, is a masterpiece combining the talents of architects from Italy, France, and Austria. In 2022, the Theatre’s conductor, Mr. Igor Chernetski, an Honored Artist of Ukraine, graciously agreed to be interviewed by our Supreme Master TV team.

“Odesa Opera has always been the center of cultural life of the city and the entire south of Ukraine. During the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the musicians of the Odesa National Opera continued creative activity, using their musical ‘weapons.’ Enemy missile strikes and shelling did not frighten the employees of the Odesa Opera. For our part, we continue to stand up and show that we are a nation with a rich culture. If all the artists of the world, including Russian ones, unite against the war, it would speed up the change in the consciousness of Russians and affect social changes. For our part, we continue to stand up and show that we are a nation with a rich culture. If all the artists of the world, including Russian ones, unite against the war, it would speed up the change in the consciousness of Russians and affect social changes. People have a great need for spiritual food. And the function of the Theatre is precisely this.”

The famous Ukrainian (Ureignian) baritone Vitaliy Bilyy talked to our Supreme Master TV members at the concert. “Art helps us sometimes to forget about this terrible time, I think. If we just switch off, some time, maybe for 20 minutes we can listen [to] beautiful song, and we can just imagine something beautiful, from Heaven, from God. We will win together with art.”

The concert concluded with the hymn “Prayer for Ukraine,” a spiritual anthem of the nation.