Ukrainian artists to present Bortnyansky's opera Creonte in Europe

This was discussed at a round table at Ukrinform, where participants of the premiere of this masterpiece of Ukrainian music, as well as state and public figures from Ukraine and Europe gathered.

I consider it my mission to promote this masterpiece of European classics in the world, - said the author of the project, UNESCO Artist for Peace, conductor of the National Opera German Makarenko.

He emphasised that the opera was first staged in Italy 250 years ago. It is a work about freedom, against tyranny, but later the notes were lost. In the early 2000s they were found in Europe by the Russians and during Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine they suddenly decided to stage this performance in Europe.

It was important for us to bring Dmytro Bortnyansky, a Ukrainian genius with Polish roots, back to European culture. We managed to gather artists from all over the country, we called them the opera team of Ukraine - my almost 39 years of experience at the National Opera helped. We found an opera house in Chernivtsi that almost completely reproduces the baroque stage of the Italian theatre of the 1770s, where the premiere took place during the composer's lifetime. Our Ukrainian premiere took place in October 2025 in Chernivtsi and resonated internationally. We aim to present this work of European classics in the theatres of Europe as a common cultural heritage, - said German Makarenko.

He added that this is already his sixth international project supported by UNESCO, which shows the appreciation of Ukrainian musical tradition.

Ernesto Ottone, UNESCO Deputy Director General for Culture, in his address to the participants of the round table noted:

"The revival of Creonte has allowed us to rediscover this cultural gem. This has been possible thanks to the extraordinary dedication of the artists, the support of public authorities and the international community. It is a great honour for UNESCO to grant patronage to the project, making this masterpiece come back to life. He emphasised the role and efforts of the project's author, Herman Makarenko, who "has been part of the UNESCO family for many years," said Ottone.

Art has the power to promote dialogue and peace, and UNESCO remains deeply committed to preserving and protecting cultural heritage," Ottone stressed.

Sergei Dvornik, Director of the Department of International Organisations at the Foreign Ministry, stressed the importance of cultural diplomacy in times of war, when Russia seeks to destroy Ukrainian identity.

This is exactly the case when the return of one work means the discovery of an entire tradition. We at the Foreign Ministry are convinced that the international tour of this opera will be a significant artistic event and a powerful diplomatic act to promote our culture and our identity," the diplomat said.

He added that returning "Creonte" to the world as a Ukrainian work restores its true historical context and is an initiative that demonstrates the strength of Ukrainian diplomacy.

Anglo-American writer and TV presenter Marcel Raymond Theroux noted the unique role of Ukrainian culture.

As someone who has studied the former Soviet Union for a long time, it is obvious to me that we were unfortunately persuaded in every possible way that Ukraine was the younger brother of Russian culture. Watching Maestro Makarenko's work on the production of the opera Creonte allowed me to appreciate the importance of the Ukrainian composer and the uniqueness and originality of Ukrainian culture," Teru emphasised.

Stefan Burianek, founder of the Austrian edition of OPERN NEWS, emphasised that the publication regularly reports on Russian cultural propaganda in the West. He noted that the "soft power of culture" significantly influences public opinion and that the promotion of the opera Creonte is an important initiative for the future of Europe itself.

German reviewer Willy Patzelt said that he was unable to get to the premiere in Chernivtsi due to the paralysing of Munich airport by Russian drones, which is also telling. Culture is one of the key sources of values that unite Europe, he said.

"Creonte is a very European work, created by a Ukrainian composer in Italy and filled with the spirit of the Age of Enlightenment. It is important to bring it to Europe and show what values Ukraine defends and the importance of freedom from totalitarian and dictatorial lifestyles," he said.

Reference: The Ukrainian premiere of the opera "Creonte" took place on 3 October 2025 at the O. Kobylianska Music and Drama Theatre in Chernivtsi. The project, initiated by Herman Makarenko, received the patronage of UNESCO and Europa Nostra, as well as the support of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Humanitarian and Information Policy and the communities of Bukovyna. Ukrinform became the general media partner of the project.