The pain of war — death, captivity, long waits and the longing to return home — has taken centre stage in Kyiv through a new adaptation of Homer’s ancient epic The Odyssey.
The play, titled “Odysseus, Maeotis,” is set to premiere in the Ukrainian capital, retelling the story of the legendary Greek hero through the experiences of Ukrainians living through Russia’s war.
The production features professional actors alongside active-duty Ukrainian soldiers, including serviceman Daniil Mireshkin, who plays Odysseus.
Mireshkin said the combination of ancient mythology and modern war allows the production to explore the importance of returning home — whether it is soldiers returning to civilian life, occupied territories returning to Ukraine, or Ukrainians reconnecting with their national identity.
The premiere has been delayed several times because of repeated Russian attacks on Kyiv.
Staged at the Ivan Franko National Academic Drama Theater, the production presents a dark and disturbing vision of war. The mythical monsters from Homer’s story, including the Cyclops and the sirens, have been replaced with buzzing drones and robotic war machines.
The story follows two parallel journeys — Odysseus’ difficult path home and the painful wait of his wife Penelope.
Director Ivan Uryvskyi said the play was written from scratch, with only the central idea of Odysseus’ return home taken from Homer’s original epic.
The title also refers to Maeotis, the ancient Greek name for the Sea of Azov. The sea borders Mariupol, the Ukrainian port city captured by Russia after a devastating siege in 2022.
The play draws on the experiences of defenders of Mariupol from the Azov brigade, now part of Ukraine’s 1st Corps Azov under the National Guard.
Mireshkin and playwright Oleksii Dorychevskyi are members of the corps. Dorychevskyi spent a year interviewing former prisoners of war while developing the production. According to the corps, about 600 Azov servicemen remain among thousands of Ukrainians held in Russian captivity.
For actress Daryna Leheida, who plays Penelope, the character reflects the experiences of countless Ukrainian women waiting for their loved ones to return from the war.
She said the story is about women who continue to wait, hope and believe, even as they struggle with feelings of helplessness and despair. It also reflects occupied Ukrainian land, children and families waiting for reunion, and the heavy emotional toll of war.