Mariupol Theatre in Exile is a youth-driven, progressive international theatre founded on the revived team of the Mariupol Puppet Theatre, established in 1993 by Iryna Rudenko, and joined by actors and artists from other Mariupol theatres as well as from Poland, Bosnia, and Hungary.
The theatre traces its roots to the association “Arlekino” and the Mariupol Puppet Theatre.
For many years, it survived under unstable conditions — moving from one location to another, enduring a fire and eviction, yet never ceasing its creative work. For the youth of Mariupol, it became a second home and a space of artistic therapy and emotional healing.
Iryna Rudenko, the founder, director, and educator, built not merely a stage, but a community — a place where every child could feel support and believe in themselves. Her words became the moral foundation of the theatre:
“Many see Mariupol only as a springboard, but I always wanted us to stay here and build our future right here.”
In 2021, during the GogolFest festival, the theatre was joined by Evangelos Kosmidis (MFA) — a Greek director, playwright, and actor, who has served as the artistic director of Mariupol Theatre in Exile since 2021. He is a partner of Dakh Theatre (Kyiv) and GogolFest, Ukraine’s largest cultural forum.
For his artistic work in Ukraine, Kosmidis was honoured with the Intercontinental Biennale Award (2023) and the European Theatre Convention Award. Throughout his career, he has taught and directed performances in France, Ukraine, Switzerland, Hungary, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Slovenia, the Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Portugal, Cyprus, Germany, and Greece.
IIn collaboration with Rudenko, Kosmidis created the play “Alaska”, which became the last premiere before Russia’s full-scale invasion — and later, the symbol of the theatre’s rebirth. After the occupation of Mariupol, the theatre building was destroyed, its actors scattered across different countries, and Rudenko passed away after a long illness. Before her death, she asked Kosmidis to continue her mission — a promise he fulfilled.
Together with Mariupol actress and co-founder of GlumTheatre, Maria Boiiko, Kosmidis revived “Alaska” in Europe. Many of the original performers returned to the stage. The renewed version premiered in Berlin in 2022. In 2024, the theatre received a Perform Europe grant, and in 2025 it embarked on a European tour with performances in Poland, Bosnia, and Hungary. This tour marked the beginning of a new chapter — with a young, international ensemble and an expanded artistic vision.
After a residency in Bosnia in June 2025, the theatre underwent a transformation — evolving from a puppet theatre into a multidisciplinary contemporary company, blending documentary theatre, physical performance, and new media. It was then that Mariupol Theatre in Exile was officially formed in its current shape.
The permanent team now includes:
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Vladyslav Piatin-Ponomarenko — performer and media artist, awarded Best Documentary Director at the Irish National Student Media Awards 2025 (SMEDIAS);
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Madzia Modrzyńska — actress and manager;
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Piotr Burdzel — actor and social media coordinator.
Together with Evangelos Kosmidis and Maria Boiiko, they form a creative core that defines the theatre’s new aesthetics and direction. For 2026, a new European tour of “Alaska” is already in preparation, while the second original performance by the company is scheduled for the end of 2025.
In October 2025, the renewed theatre was presented in Romania and Ireland. Today, the ensemble includes young Mariupol actors who once performed before the war, as well as new participants from across Eastern Europe.
Mariupol Theatre in Exile continues to tell the stories of Mariupol’s youth — stories of loss, resilience, and hope. The company preserves the cultural heritage of Mariupol while becoming a platform for emerging European artists, united by art, morality, and truth.
Exile is not always about escape. Sometimes, it’s about a new energy that connects souls.