What is Theatre of Gulags?

Theatre of GULAGs is a theatrical installation exploring the dark history of USSR labor camps, and the full-scale theaters that were built inside of them. Theaters behind the fence were filled with artists from distinct theatrical and ethnic backgrounds – all prisoners. 

Walk through the camp corridor to discover the stories of four prisoners behind the hessian fabric curtain. A Queer Roma man, a Ukrainian theatre revolutionary, a Jewish puppetry maker, and the first woman to direct an Opera, all trapped inside the gulag walls. They will tell you about their journeys – from their homes, to the black NKVD cars, to the train carriages with no windows, to barracks, and onto the stage. Continue walking through the corridor, until you find your seat in a GULAG theatre, and the show of truth will begin.

We need your help!

A work-in-progress of the project will be presented at the VAULT festival 2023, February 26th. We are an independent student production, where 90% of the creative team and cast are young, migrant creators from underrepresented communities. We really hope to be able to pay our artists and creators for their work to support them in their journey in the competitive and marginalized world of art. 

This project is the first in the UK - if not the world - to focus on artists in Sovet labour camps through a theatre production. It’s impossible to create this project in the creators’ native countries: Russia and Ukraine, however the chance to present to global audiences in the UK, London would be an incredible opportunity for us to share the forgotten history of a massive genocide committed by the Soviet Union. Russia has been erasing such stories of Les Kurbas, Hava Volovich, Natalia Sats, and Vadim Kozin for years to make people forget, to never let the world know of crimes against humanity. That’s why it’s so important for us to be able to share this project with people right now when Russia is committing mass genocide of Ukraine once again! 

The Creative Team

Director: ANYA OSTROVSKAIA

Producer: AMY SZE

Scenographer: JOCK MAITLAND

Sound designer: JACK CLEARWATER

Lighting designer: MAX JUAN-BALCH

Stage manager: MIHA GRIGOREAN

Movement director: MARIANA CAMILOTI

Performers: DANIEL GRIMSTON, EVA MASHTALER, JANEKS BABIDORICS, LILIT LESSER

Illustrator: OLGA YURASOVA

Videographer: EMILE SCOTT BURGOYNE

Anya Ostrovskaia - Lead artist / director

Anya was born in Moscow in a family of Ukrainian Jews, due to her identity and positionality, Anya’s focus has always been on political art, exploring the history of the USSR, and current Russian War crimes. She relocated to London due to the suffocating political climates in her country and found herself passionate about presenting narratives of freedom and justice to play her part in calling for solidarity and effecting change. She is currently studying MFA Advanced Theatre Practice at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama. With a combined skill set in producing, directing, scriptwriting and filmmaking, she is interested in creating truthful and multidisciplinary work. Anya has been active in both theatre and film productions, including projects with the Museum of GULAG, RIJA FILMS Studia, directing a documentary animation “Birthday Story”, and has written, translated and directed a theatre piece The Heart. Anya presented her collaborative London debut piece “Rooms Left Behind”, a theatrical installation about the Russian Invasion of Ukraine and Hong Kong protests with Amy Sze at LIFT Festival on 25 June 2022, as part of the UPLIFTERS program.