On June 4, the National Opera of Ukraine hosted the world premiere of Mothers of Kherson, an artistic project about Ukrainian children illegally deported by Russia. The premiere took place with the support of KSE Foundation.
The opera was commissioned by the Metropolitan Opera and the Polish National Opera. The Kyiv concert premiere was produced by KSE alumna Halyna Hryhorenko and Sasha Andrusyk, founder of the UHO Agency.
KSE’s work is grounded in the belief that education should shape professionals and citizens capable of taking responsibility for their country’s future. Mothers of Kherson demonstrates how art can become an extension of advocacy and the pursuit of justice, while culture plays a vital role in national recovery and preserving the truth about the war.
The opera is based on the testimonies of Ukrainian mothers who crossed occupied territories and international borders to bring their sons and daughters back home. The concert version was presented on the Day of Remembrance for Children Killed as a Result of russia’s Armed Aggression Against Ukraine.
“russia is trying to take away our children’s identity, their lives, and their love for Ukraine. But there is one thing it will never be able to take away — a mother’s love for her child. This is what the opera is about. It demonstrates how art and cultural diplomacy can bring the truth about the war in Ukraine to the world,” said Tetiana Berezhna, Deputy Prime Minister for Humanitarian Policy of Ukraine and Minister of Culture.
“You know, great art is born from history, and I believe Mothers of Kherson will stand alongside such artistic testimonies as Schindler’s List and Mstyslav Chernov’s 20 Days in Mariupol,” added Peter Gelb, General Manager of the Metropolitan Opera.
The opera was created by composer Maksym Kolomiiets and librettist George Brant. The premiere was conducted by Keri-Lynn Wilson (Canada/United States), founder of the Ukrainian Freedom Orchestra and Music Director of Kyiv Camerata. The concert premiere was presented by the National Opera of Ukraine in cooperation with the Lviv National Opera, Kyiv Camerata, and the Ministry of Culture of Ukraine.
“Art that bears witness — that is exactly what Mothers of Kherson is. It is a musical story about Russian crimes against humanity, Ukrainian courage and resilience, maternal love, and faith. Bringing the concert premiere to the Kyiv stage was both an honor and a challenge for our team. I am grateful that we were able to build strong cooperation among all partners involved in this project, and that KSE Foundation joined us as a reliable partner in bringing to life a work that will continue to bear witness and call for justice for many years to come,” said Halyna Hryhorenko, producer of the project.
“We supported Mothers of Kherson, produced by our alumna Halyna Hryhorenko, because we believe that science, education, and art create a shared space for understanding the world and driving social change. If we want to build the future, we must not only generate new knowledge but also speak about the experiences that shape us today. Art helps communicate these experiences in a language understood across cultures and is therefore an important tool of cultural diplomacy,” said Svitlana Denysenko, Director of KSE Foundation.
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The opera will be staged in Warsaw this October, and next season it will make its Metropolitan Opera debut in New York.