On December 19, Svitlana Oleshko, the Ukrainian director, founder and director of the Kharkiv "Arabesque" theater, passed away at the age of 51. Her death was an unexpected blow to the theater community and to all who knew her personally. Svitlana's ex-husband, the famous writer Serhiy Zhadan, announced the sad news on his Facebook page.
Svitlana Oleshko was a famous director who inspired colleagues and viewers with her energy and talent. Her creative works, such as the performances "Aeneid", "Red Elvis" and "RadioChanson: Eight stories about Yuri Zoifer", have become part of modern Ukrainian theater. The Arabesque Theater, founded by her in Kharkiv, gained popularity thanks to innovative productions and a bright artistic approach.
After the start of the war, Svitlana was in Poland, where she worked in the Polish Theater named after AND. Shifman. Despite the forced emigration, she continued to work devotedly for the benefit of theater art.
Svitlana Oleshko and Serhiy Zhadan lived together for 12 years. During their marriage, a son, Ivan, was born. After the divorce, their relationship remained friendly, as evidenced by Zhadan's sincere grief at the loss.
After the news of Svetlana's death, her friends and colleagues expressed their condolences to the family. Natalia, an acquaintance of the director, wrote:
"Talented, charismatic, bright, she was a source of inspiration for many of us. With her energy and kindness, Svetlana changed the world around her."
Svitlana Oleshko will be remembered as an outstanding figure of the Ukrainian theater and a person who gave love and inspiration. Her creative legacy will continue to live on the stages of theaters and in the hearts of the audience.
