Ukraine isn’t just defending its territory, it’s defending its culture as well

Museums, galleries and other centres of culture have been heavily damaged by the Russian offensive.

A crowd is gathering outside the historic Ukrainian National Opera House in the center of Kyiv on a sunny Saturday.

Patrons are greeting each other with hugs. Some are clutching fresh flowers to present to dancers after the ballet, scheduled to begin mid-afternoon.

Valeriia Podemok has come with friends to help support the arts even as rockets and missiles land on Ukrainian homes and businesses.

“Russia wants to destroy our culture and our language. We want to do everything to support it and defend it,” she told Global News in an interview.

Another woman became emotional when asked why she was attending the performance.

Tapping her heart frequently as she speaks, the woman explains that her grandson is fighting in the war. She needed a brief escape from the horror and worry, she said.

Since Russia invaded Ukraine in February — attacking homes and businesses and occupying Ukrainian territories — the country has been fighting a second war: defending its cultural identity, which many agree is also under attack.

“They want to steal everything,” said Kateryna Tsimbaliuk, a mezzo-soprano who performs in the opera in Odessa.