Diary of War: Benefit Reading for Ukraine

About This Event

Diary of War is a powerful benefit reading highlighting the harrowing and inspiring experiences of Ukrainians affected by the full-scale Russian invasion. Join us for this moving performance and hear acclaimed Irish actors use their voices to share true stories of Ukraine resilience. All proceeds from this one-night-only event on 23 February, the eve of the full scale invasion four years ago on 24 February 2022, will go to the volunteer combat medics of Hospitallers, working to save lives on Ukraine’s front lines, through our partners at Ukrainian Action in Ireland.

Rooted in the Diary of War documentary podcast by Ukrainian cultural activist and Time Magazine Next Generation Leader Daria Kolomiec, the project developed into impactful performances, transforming true stories into profoundly moving theatrical experiences. The project captures the raw and emotional stories of Ukrainians during the full-scale Russian war, providing a window into the personal impact of the ongoing invasion.

Since February 2024, Diary of War benefit readings produced by Kolomiec have repeatedly sold out venues across New York City and Washington, D.C., raising over $150,000 for Ukrainian volunteer organizations, such as Hospitallers, conducting frontline medical evacuations, and supporting female veterans.

Directed and co-produced by Musa Gurnis, the reading at City Assembly House will share the testimonies of seven Ukrainians whose lives were irrevocably changed by war:

• Iryna Tsybukh (call sign Cheka), a film producer and a project manager in civilian life, shares her work as a combat medic in the Hospitallers volunteer battalion, evacuating soldiers in hot spots on the front line. In May 2024, she was killed during her rotation.
• Olena Nikulina, the wife of Maksym Nikulin, a soldier of the Azov Regiment, describes learning about her second pregnancy while her husband was at the Azovstal factory surrounded by Russians.
• Denys Khrystov, a former TV host, evacuated hundreds of people and animals from the war zone; some of the towns he visited with his evacuation assignments no longer exist.
• Julia Kochetova, a photojournalist who regularly works in Ukraine's most dangerous places, reports about Russian war crimes. She was awarded an Emmy in 2023 and a World Press Photo Award in 2024 for her work.
• Olha Bulkina describes her work as a clown at Kyiv's Ohmatdyt, the largest children's hospital in Ukraine, struck by a Russian missile in the summer of 2024.
• Marat Shevchenko is a stagehand and DJ who had to flee his occupied hometown of Kupiansk on an old motorcycle with his Ukrainian vinyl records and traditional  embroidered shirt.
• Yurii Marchenko, a Ukrainian journalist, storyteller, and editor-in-chief at Platfor.ma, a media and creative agency for social projects, tells about losing his pet pug because he could not get timely veterinary assistance during the first weeks of the full-scale war.

The reading features a stunning cast of beloved Irish actors, including Derbhle Crotty, Mark Huberman, and Emmet Kirwan.

Attendees will be welcomed with traditional music by Ukrainian bandura player Vikalira, followed by a rare folk song performed by singer Kateryna Horbenkova, a Kyiv native now residing in Dublin. The night will culminate in a live charity auction with unique items that Kolomiec herself will bring from Ukraine, including personal treasures donated by the individuals whose war diaries will be heard in the benefit reading.

Auction Items:

1. A rare 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon from the Ukrainian winery Fathers Wine, made from grapes grown in freedom in the currently occupied Kherson region.
2. Unique patch designed by Iryna Tsybukh. The patch was part of a small batch that Iryna ordered herself for her volunteer combat medics serving at Hospitallers. When Daria visited Iryna’s family in Lviv this winter, Iryna’s mother gave her this patch as a keepsake. Now, Daria is donating it to support the Hospitallers volunteer medics – Iryna’s battalion.
3. Photographic print from a benefit exhibition by award-winning war journalist Julia Kochetova in New York, January 2025. This powerful image, taken in July 2023, shows a soldier from Ukraine’s 68th Brigade and is signed by the photographer herself. The photo became the cover of her acclaimed project War Is Personal, which was awarded the World Press Photo Award in 2024. The print includes her original moving caption: “Only the brave will be happy”
4. Memorial fragments of the An-225 Mriya plane with a companion book “Antonov An-225 Mriya (Now That's Big)” by Quinn M. Arnold. Mriya was the world’s largest outsize cargo aircraft designed and produced by the Kyiv-based Antonov Design Bureau. The An-225 held several records, including heaviest aircraft ever built and largest wingspan of any operational aircraft and was commonly used to transport objects once thought impossible to move by air. The only completed An-225 was destroyed by Russian forces in the Battle of Antonov Airport in Kyiv in 2022 during the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
5. Azovstal steel bracelet presented by Olena Nikulina and her husband Maksym. A bracelet made from the last batch of steel from Azovstal, combined with paracord and engraved with the words “Stronger than steel.” Azovstal was a metallurgical plant located in Mariupol in eastern Ukraine. As the Russian forces advanced into Mariupol, Ukrainian forces withdrew to Azovstal, and by late April 2022 it became the last pocket of Ukrainian resistance in the city. The battle of Azovstal occurred on the site, culminating in the capture of the remaining Ukrainian defenders, including Olena’s husband Maksym, after over a month of resistance. The plant was almost completely destroyed by Russian bombardment over the course of the battle.

All proceeds from the Dublin performance of Diary of War will be donated through Ukrainian Action in Ireland to Hospitallers, a Ukrainian volunteer organization of combat medics providing frontline medical care and evacuation under fire.

One of the central figures of Diary of War is Iryna Tsybukh, a combat medic who served with Hospitallers. She was killed by Russian forces in May 2024, days before her 26th birthday. Posthumously awarded the country’s highest honor, “Hero of Ukraine,” and mourned nationally, Tsybukh was a close friend of Kolomiec. Since Iryna’s death all readings of Diary of War have been dedicated to her memory, telling her story and raising funds for the medics of Hospitallers.

Donation Details:

All funds raised from the event will be donated through Ukrainian Action in Ireland, which will transfer 100% of the proceeds to the volunteer medical battalion Hospitallers.

Attendees will have the opportunity to make further donations to Hospitallers through Ukrainian Action in Ireland at the venue. There will be a live auction following the reading featuring precious cultural items from Ukraine.

Why Attend?

This reading provides an opportunity to engage with profound personal stories while supporting a significant cause. By attending, you will aid those who provide critical care and support in the wartime – the brave volunteer combat medics of Hospitallers to whose specific needs the proceeds of this event are dedicated.

Can I donate if I can’t attend the event?

Yes! You can donate directly to Ukrainian Action in Ireland in support of Hospitallers – select Donation for Hospitallers among ticket categories on this page or donate via project's iDonate.