Anton Telbizov from Mariupol has been engaged in theater and performance art since 2010. In Mariupol, he is well known as the manager and director of the Teatromania folk theater, which participates in many international residencies and cultural initiatives in the city and national levels. In 2020, he became the artistic director of the Center for Contemporary Art “Hotel Continental” in the very center of Mariupol. Anton’s creative potential was developing, and he had ambitious plans for future projects…
After February 24, Anton lost everything: his home, favorite job, friends, and hometown. Anton was abroad when the full-scale invasion started, and by the will of fate, after several months of moving, he began to build his life from scratch in Hanover while not speaking German or English. “The only resource I have is myself. And also, those friends and connections that have appeared over the years,” says Anton. He no longer has any fear, he has the desire to show modern Ukrainian culture to the world. Therefore, he is currently actively working on theater projects with Ukrainians in Germany: he created a theater school, stages plays and performances, his online show for children from Mariupol is shown all over Ukraine.
We talked with Anton about the past and future, Mariupol, the role of culture today, and human values. We also saw his poignant performance about what people in Mariupol were going through in the first weeks of the full-scale invasion.
Anton wants Ukrainians to be proud of their culture so that the world knows about it. Only Ukrainians will decide how long and how Ukrainian history and culture will live.
“You should not feel sorry for yourself. Every person should understand: even if you feel bad, you should pull yourself together and make it through. Regardless of how difficult it is for us; culture should motivate and see the future.” Culture is one of the most important mouthpieces of the Ukrainian narrative in the world.