A collaborative lecture-performance exploring the intersections between personal experiences and historical events, featuring fluid exchanges that delve into traumas transcending generations and shaping both human and non-human bodies and landscapes.

How did Soviet ideals of progress reshape both nature and people? Can spaces and communities built on exploitation truly heal? Kolesova's part traces the creation of Soviet-era peat extraction settlements, exploring their impact on community, identity, and the environment. It unfolds through the stories of a mysterious Swamp Spirit and the women who labored in the bogs. Marked by the scars of human intervention, the Spirit recalls how Soviet power reshaped the land for industry and energy, stripping it of its natural state. The torfushkas—female workers who once dreamed of earning money and moving to the city—were left with lifelong injuries and health issues from the grueling demands of peat work.


A collaborative lecture-performance exploring the intersections between personal experiences and historical events, featuring fluid exchanges that delve into traumas transcending generations and shaping both human and non-human bodies and landscapes.

How did Soviet ideals of progress reshape both nature and people? Can spaces and communities built on exploitation truly heal? Kolesova's part traces the creation of Soviet-era peat extraction settlements, exploring their impact on community, identity, and the environment. It unfolds through the stories of a mysterious Swamp Spirit and the women who labored in the bogs. Marked by the scars of human intervention, the Spirit recalls how Soviet power reshaped the land for industry and energy, stripping it of its natural state. The torfushkas—female workers who once dreamed of earning money and moving to the city—were left with lifelong injuries and health issues from the grueling demands of peat work.


Specifications

lecture-performance
60 min
English spoken language
English audio description
English subtitles

2024

Credits

Performance concept: Jeanna Kolesova, Victoria Sarangova, Kira Shmyreva
Accessibility concept: Kira Shmyreva
Performers: Jeanna Kolesova, Victoria Sarangova, Kira Shmyreva
Visuals: Jeanna Kolesova, Victoria Sarangova, Kira Shmyreva
Audio description: Ari Althaus, Kira Shmyreva
Producer: Charlotte Maaß
Technicians: Govoi, Till Eifert
Photography: Toni Petraschk

Supported by

Berliner Projektfonds Kulturelle Bildung

Performed

06/2024 Berliner Ringtheater, Berlin, DE