National historical and cultural reserve "Bykovnyanskie graves"

National Historical and Memorial Reserve "Graves of Bykivnya" finished a difficult year of 2020 with preparing a photo-documentary exhibition "Names Crossed Out of Posters", dedicated to repressed figures of Ukrainian theatrical art.

The beginning of the twentieth century was quite significant for the Ukrainian theater: a lot of stationary theaters were formed, a new generation came into the profession, which strove for the synthesis of arts on stage and gravitated towards avant-garde searches, serious acting schools arose, both classical and bright experimental productions were performed. However, in the 1920s-1930s, radical changes took place in the theatrical process, which led to the transformation of art in the direction of dogmatization and ideologization. The Soviet government created a special management system, which led to the introduction of the principles of planned management in creativity, the theaters lost repertoire and managerial independence, and the rejection of freedom of artistic expression. In 1937-1938, with the deployment of the Great Terror, the theater as an action influencing the emotional and volitional spheres of a person, in general, found itself under strict control, and its creators and ordinary servants of Melpomene - under persecution. At that time, not only two national theaters disappeared from the theatrical map (the State Polish Theater of the Ukrainian SSR, operating in Kiev, and the Mariupol State Greek Workers 'and Peasants' Theater), but also many names of actors, directors, literary editors and theater directors. A certain part of theatrical figures was shot in Kiev prisons of the NKVD and buried in the territory of the Reserve.