The second place we wanted to visit in Odessa, which we knew had been damaged by Russian bombing, was the independent theatre „TEO“ (short for „theatre space“). The theatre building has a checkered history: it was built in the 19th century by the Italians, later it was Madame Troubetzkoy’s wine cellar, and in the 20th century it served as military and food warehouses. It was also the home of the town’s prominent public figure, Osip Chizhevich. Today, its premises pulsate with a brand-new life, having been converted into a modern theatre in November 2017. It is the first, literally underground, theatre in Ukraine. Apparently, it is one of the most fascinating courtyards in the city. You won’t find it on the tourist routes, but Odessans like to bring friends from other cities here to show a piece of the „original“, disappearing Odessa.
From the outside it is an unassuming two-storey building, but inside it opens up its other metamorphoses: a retaining wall covered with wild grapes, clotheslines stretched across the courtyard, an immortal cat following us up the stairs to the attic. A rocket had just hit it, and so the living area had become ruins. We gaze at the ruined historic interior, but the theatre-goers are ready to show off what the destruction hasn’t touched. They grab portable spotlights and lead us underground, where we are amazed by the huge cellars. Their vaulted ceilings reach five metres high in places. Over the course of two centuries, these spaces have been used in a variety of ways – as wine cellars, a warehouse for smuggled goods and also as a meeting place for secret societies. For decades the cellars were abandoned. For years, rubbish accumulated here, and the drains leaked. At first glance, you can see the amount of work that has been done – the formerly gloomy cellars have been transformed into a fully-fledged theatre space. Tatiana and Julie enthusiastically show us around the basement. Thanks to them, a theatre called TEO was created here – the first underground theatre in Ukraine!
The idea to create a cultural space occurred to the leader of the project, Julia Jun, six years ago. „We consciously looked for a place with an interesting history and an unusual architectural feature,“ Julia tells us. „And this is what we found.“ The TEO team spent three years here and put a lot of their own money into the project before they managed to clear the underground space. Now, the basement houses a full-size auditorium with balconies that can seat up to 120 spectators, and a stage with professional music and lighting equipment. On the ground floor, there is an art café with a gallery of works by Odessa artists, sculptors and photographers. Here, too, the explosion damaged the windows, but the glass has been removed, and the working tools in the middle of the floor testify to an effort to return to normal as soon as possible. „The residents of the house didn’t react very well to the underground work at first, but after the constantly leaking sewer was fixed and as the theatre workers explained their plans for the basement, they won them over to their side,“ says Julie. „The neighbors were worried to the last minute that there would be a brothel or a strip club or noisy late-night concerts. But when we explained to them that we were opening a theatre, they took it in their stride.“
The theatre TEO brings a number of non-standard productions. The lucky ones who got to see the first opening night swapped places with the actors and the entire theatre space became the stage for the show. What went on in the secluded corridors, once carved out of limestone rock by the Italians, was broadcast on screens in the main hall. In addition to performances, chamber concerts, film screenings, and lectures are held in the basement. One of the theatre’s projects is a creative lab called „Admission is Free“, where any creative team can materialize their ideas for free, even in front of an audience. The Underground Creative Centre is gradually profiling itself as a kind of hotspot for creative and talented people: „Talented people are leaving Odessa. For those who want to stay to work here, to share creativity with the audience and experience with colleagues, we are the backbone. The most important thing is the preservation and development of culture in Odessa. If culture does not develop in the society, neither the economy, nor social life, nor business will develop“. Julia speaks to us from the soul…
Petro returns from lunch. He is an independent actor who has responded to the war from day one. He became a defender of Ukraine, a volunteer after his first injury. Now, along with others, he helps the wounded. They have formed a group that regularly serves at field hospitals at the front. Even here he did not avoid further injuries, he was wounded four times. From each wound he worked himself out so that he could return to the war repeatedly. „I feel it is my duty. Who else should go to war if not me?“, he asks. „I don’t have a wife, I don’t have children, if something were to happen to me, I wouldn’t hurt anyone, but there is only one Ukraine.“ „Will you go back there again“? Viera asks him. „Of course. I can’t leave the other boys there“. His unassuming self-evident heroism inspires awe. For him, freedom is an unmistakable value worth fighting for. We say goodbye, promising to keep in touch. The famous and beautiful historic city of Odessa hides many more layers and human stories. We definitely want to come back here.