Ammo Boxes Become a Manger in Wartime Ukraine Nativity

A recent nativity play in Kharkiv opened with a stark symbol of war: ammunition boxes on stage. They unfolded to reveal figurines of angels and the infant Jesus. The performance at the city's puppet theatre mixed carols with poetry by local writer Serhiy Zhadan. The audience watched, gripped by its emotional force. Director Oksana Dmitrieva, 48, said theatre in Ukraine cannot ignore reality. "We can't just put on comedies and escape," she stated. "The stage is a mirror. We have to live through our emotions again, but this time from outside ourselves, together with others," Dmitrieva explained. The play shows how four years of conflict have shaped all aspects of Ukrainian life, even its art.