Good day! My name is Olesia Shliakhtych. I am a stage director, choreographer, a patriot of Ukraine, and an ultranationalist.
The most valuable thing I own is my grandmother’s fur coat, which I got when I was about fifteen. Actually, it’s not even a proper coat — it’s the lining of a German overcoat that was gifted to my grandmother from Lviv by her German friends. I found it in the attic and begged for it because I thought it was incredibly stylish. Of course, my parents forbade me from wearing it — understandably, due to its extravagant appearance. After all, I was a young lady and was expected to look accordingly. But the coat stayed with me.
Unfortunately, my grandmother is no longer with us, but after her passing, I came to see this coat as a memory of her from a whole new perspective. She was the person who opened the door of patriotism to me. She condemned those who spoke Russian — as I do now. Whenever I feel cold in the dressing room, or need a spark of inspiration and warmth before a performance, I put this coat on and I immediately feel better. It has traveled with me to festivals in Kropyvnytskyi, to the stage of the October Palace, and been part of productions… It has even been stolen — all kinds of things have happened with it. There have been many awkward moments. Most recently, on the night of February 24, I found myself in a thin jumpsuit — but I always keep this coat in my car trunk. I ended up living in it for two months as we moved from place to place around Kyiv, trying to avoid the occupation. That’s when I realized that this coat and I are bound forever. So, my object may not be elegant or obviously symbolic — but for me, it carries deep meaning.