As war threatens to erase everyday life in Ukraine, artists have turned to puppetry, one of the oldest forms of storytelling. Light enough to travel, intimate enough to gather a crowd and able to capture the attention of children, puppet shows have become resilient tools of resistance, support and relief for the people of a country at war.

Contemporary Ukrainian puppetry is part of a long tradition, from the 16th-century travelling folk theatre known as vertep, to the establishment of theatres in Kyiv and Odesa in the 1930s. Although later repressed and censored for satirising Soviet leaders, puppetry survived these periods of repression and is now enjoying a comeback in a time of conflict.

Meaning “secret place” or “cave”, vertep historically staged nativity scenes, secular tales and satirical folk performances. It emerged around the time that Ukraine’s early national liberation movement was gaining traction in the late 16th and early 17th centuries, as it sought to gain independence from Poland and Lithuania.

Much of the puppet theatre from this period reflected society at the time, with Zaporozhian Cossacks dominating the stage, portrayed as protectors of the people against foreign powers and enduring symbols of resistance. Later, during the early Soviet rule – which sought to crush expressions of national Ukrainian identity – puppetry faced severe restrictions for popularising folk traditions and political satire.

Today, this legacy continues underground in basements, metro........

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