Documentary play of such name became a practical result of 7-daily Workshop «Diversity for peace». Obviously, there we told about genealogical tree, because this play was created on the base of interview with the representatives of different nationalities and personal family stories of participants. 

 

On the request of trainers the participants of Workshop brought old pictures from family archives, which helped to feel how different nationalities mixed in a history of every family and through this feeling to understand that tolerance is not simply popular word but necessary condition of coexistence of people. Many of these family stories became a part of documentary play, and here is one of them:

Iryna Dudnik (Mykolaiv) tells: “My grandmother Melan'ya Skorobogataya was born and lived in a village near Khmel'nickiy city, Western Ukraine. There were 12 children in a family. Three of them died of typhus. Eight were killed by war. When my grandmother was 10 years old, she also was infected by typhus. Her mother came out from the house, stood on street and cried. Local gipsy passed by and saw that woman cries. She asked what is the matter and said: «Let’s go and see». In the house gipsy woman saw my grandmother – she was almost dead. Gipsy gave her mother piece of pork rinds and bread from her bag and said: «Take it. You need it more than I. I will find to myself another food». Due to this fat and bread my grandmother survived – her mother cut off thin piece of this pork rinds and bread every day for her daughter». 

 

Families keep not only photos but also memorable objects. One of the participants – Daryna Kononenko, – moved to Kherson from Lugansk, they are migrants from the territories of armed conflict in Ukraine. She told: «My family survived through two wars – World War I and II, and now the war in Ukraine. Once my the great-grandfather Ivan Feodor steeled a spoon in the army. My grandmother proudly calls it «trophy», and until now this spoon is kept in my family». During the documentary paly Darina sang the song of her father, who is on the conflict territory till now.

 

The final part of the play was the plastic performance «Luggage» by our partners “Insight Dance Group” (Kherson), which also talked about personal and collective memory, but by the language of dance.

 

The opened discussion with audience after the end of presentation resulted with the decision to continue work with the issue of multiculturalism, self-identification and tolerance because the young people told about it very frankly and truly.

 

The project «Diversity for peace» is financed by the EUROPEAN YOUTH FOUNDATION