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“Russian Culture Distracts from Russian Crimes”—Ukrainian Actress Expose Its True Role
As Russia’s full-scale invasion enters its fourth year—and its war against Ukraine stretches into its eleventh—cultural institutions worldwide continue to stage Russian performances.
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![Maryna_kulakova]( "Maryna Kulakova")
-924c3c302c27387e19f6c44aaeb98745.png "Maryna Kulakova")
Productions such as Eugene Onegin at Teatro alla Scala, Three Sisters at Shakespeare’s Globe, and Uncle Vanya at Berkeley Rep are still being performed, despite the ongoing war and Russian atrocities in Ukraine.
Calls to cancel these performances are often met with resistance, and Ukrainians who protest are sometimes portrayed as aggressors, while Russian culture continues to serve as a convenient distraction from the Kremlin’s war crimes.
To challenge this perception, UNITED24 has launched a campaign marking the anniversary of Russia’s bombing of the Mariupol Drama Theater on March 16. The campaign aims to highlight how Russian culture can be used to divert attention from the realities of war.
The campaign’s visuals will be displayed across Europe and internationally, encouraging audiences to reflect on this perspective.
Anti-distraction campaign
The striking imagery features a classic Russian theatrical character, delicately sweeping debris under a rug. But what she is sweeping away is unmistakable—the ruins of the Mariupol Drama Theater, marked with the word “ДЕТИ” (“children” in Russian). The same word was written in massive letters outside the theater on March 16, 2022, in an effort to deter Russian pilots from bombing the building. They bombed it anyway.
The campaign’s message is clear: Russian culture often serves as a tool of distraction, helping to erase the horrors committed by the Russian state. Actress Tetiana Mikhina of Ukraine’s National Academic Theater took on a Russian role for the campaign, knowing the weight of its significance.
“I was born in Mariupol, so you can imagine how difficult this role was for me,” says Mikhina. “But someone has to deliver this message. Because every time a ticket to a Russian performance is bought, Russian crimes in Ukraine are normalized—or even supported. To appreciate the ‘greatness’ of Russian culture, we must always look at the real actions of the Russian Federation. Only then can we see their true ‘greatness.’”
The Mariupol Drama Theater bombing
The Russian bombing of the Mariupol Drama Theater remains one of the most heinous attacks of the war. The theater, which was being used as a shelter, is estimated to have held around 1,200 civilians. The exact number of those killed—believed to be at least 600—remains unknown, as Russian occupation forces have blocked access to the site, preventing independent investigations. The attack was widely condemned as a war crime by the United Nations and Amnesty International, with extensive video and photographic evidence documenting the destruction.
Today, in an effort to erase history, Russia is constructing a new building on the ruins of the theater—rebuilding over the bones of those they killed.
As Russian performances continue on stages around the world, the campaign asks a difficult but urgent question: Are we celebrating culture, or helping to whitewash war crimes?
