Art is not just about aesthetics or pleasure. We believe that it can have a positive impact on the psychological recovery of veterans. Painting, pottery, sculpture, theater, and dance can help them overcome traumatic experiences and regain a sense of inner strength.

As part of the UNBROKEN mental rehabilitation program, theater therapy has become part of a comprehensive approach to recovery from injuries, captivity, and traumatic combat experiences. This approach is already yielding visible results: participation in theatrical productions helps former military personnel regain a sense of support, faith in their own strength, and hope for the future.

“Something strange happened to me” at the Zankovetska Theater

One of the areas of art therapy is implemented at the Maria Zankovetska Theater in Lviv, where veterans, together with professional actors, go through the entire creative process—from rehearsals to premieres. It is here that the theater becomes a space for recovery, where working with the body, voice, emotions, and new social roles restores people's inner balance.

In collaboration with the UNBROKEN Foundation and the Maria Zankovetska Theater, veterans Vasyl Shpik and Ruslan Kukhta, who are undergoing rehabilitation at the UNBROKEN center, took to the stage. For both of them, it was a difficult but powerful experience. Vasyl, who is recovering from an injury, joined the production of Something Strange Happened to Me, directed by Dmytro Sukholitky-Sobchuk. Participating in the play was a step toward rethinking his own traumatic experience—through his role, dialogue with the audience, and creative teamwork.

The production in which Vasyl played has a structure reminiscent of an inner journey—from the investigator's office to a cozy tea party accompanied by gramophone music. The play gently guides the audience through themes of trauma, memory, recovery, and empathy. Among the professional actors, the presence of a veteran with a crutch is particularly striking—sincere, open, and genuine.

Theater therapy at the UNBROKEN Foundation began in late summer 2024 and has already become an effective tool for helping people. For some, it is an occasional appearance, as in the case of Ruslan Kukhta, for others, it is a new stage in their lives. The stage unites, reveals, and supports, as does every spectator in the hall, who applauds not only the performance but also the courage.

Kotygoroshko at the First Theater

Veterans and families of Mariupol defenders had an incredible therapeutic experience thanks to theatrical art at the First Theater in Lviv during the premiere of a special performance—an updated version of the Ukrainian folk tale Kotygoroshko. At first glance, this children's story became a tool for artistic rehabilitation, a way to talk about war, loss, and hope through the language of theater.

Director Nazar Pavlik's production went far beyond the traditional children's fairy tale. It features not only professional actors, but also veterans undergoing rehabilitation at the UNBROKEN center and women from the Azov Mothers initiative. It is this cast that has brought to life characters that are deeply symbolic for modern Ukraine.

It was while playing the role of Kotygoroshko that veteran Ruslan Kukhta tried his hand at theater for the first time. According to him, this experience helped him reboot and express himself in a new way. His character was a brave young man who sacrificed his leg to save the Tsar's daughter — an image in which veterans see a part of their own history. This approach makes the fairy tale relatable not only to children but also to adults who have survived the war or are waiting for their loved ones to return from captivity.

In general, the project has a special format: the roles of the Tsar's Daughter, Kotygoroshko, and the Mother will be played by new participants every month — military personnel and families of prisoners and the deceased. This allows more people to get involved in the process and makes theater therapy a regular practice.

“The Price of Light” at the Les Kurbas Theater

The therapeutic power of theater is manifested not only through direct participation in the production, but also while watching the performance and empathizing with the characters. Recently, on June 11, a charity performance of “The Price of Light” took place at the Les Kurbas Theater in Lviv — another initiative that combines art with support for defenders. The production, based on the poetry of American author Amanda Gorman, explores the parallels between the African American experience and the Ukrainian struggle for freedom.

The evening was the tenth performance within this project and raised 6,500 hryvnias in donations for the UNBROKEN Foundation, which is engaged in the physical and psychological rehabilitation of military personnel. The presence of the defenders themselves in the hall gave the event special significance — the silence and trust they brought with them turned the performance into a shared experience.

In cooperation with the UNBROKEN Foundation, the theater plans to continue developing this direction because, as the organizers noted, together we can achieve the light that we find within ourselves and for each other.

Plays written by military personnel and veterans at the Lesya Ukrainka Theater in Lviv

Within the UNBROKEN ecosystem, we continue to work with theater arts as part of psychological therapy. Therefore, in collaboration with the Lesya Ukrainka Academic Drama Theater in Lviv, we have implemented a unique project. Thanks to this project, texts written by military personnel and veterans—patients of the UNBROKEN National Rehabilitation Center—were heard for the first time. Volodymyr Zavgorodniy, Andriy Grygoriev, and Mykhailo Fateev told their stories through plays.

The project was made possible thanks to many months of collaboration between UNBROKEN and playwrights Iryna Harets, Nina Zakhozhenko, and Lyubov Ilnytska, who conducted creative practical classes, as well as Lyubko Deresh, who conducted intensive master classes in writing. The theater directors Oleg Oneshchak, Vladislav Bilonenko, and Svitlana Fedeshova worked on the stage production.

“Dreams come true! What was once unattainable and existed only as an idea has become a reality thanks to everyone who believed and joined this incredible initiative,” shared veteran and playwright Mykhailo Fateev.

The presentation of the texts took place as part of the “Theater of the UNBROKEN” project. This is another form of art therapy for military personnel and their integration into the city's theater environment.