An opera titled "Mothers of Kherson," composed by Ukrainian Maxim Kolomiiets, premiered in Kyiv in early June 2026. It tells the story of mothers who traveled 3,000 miles to Russian-occupied Crimea to rescue children abducted by Russian forces during the four-year war [1, 2].
The mothers circumvented a 750-mile frontline, traveling through Poland, Belarus, and Russia before reaching a camp in Crimea where the children were held [1, 2]. Ukraine says around 20,000 children have been forcibly abducted by Russian forces. Only 1,343 have been returned home so far with aid from the charity Save Ukraine [1, 2].
Yulia Radzevilova, one of the women featured in the opera, undertook the journey to retrieve her 12-year-old son Maxim. He was taken on a supposed two-week trip to Crimea in October 2022 but detained there for four months, during which he was prohibited from speaking Ukrainian [1, 2]. Radzevilova said, "The journey was very difficult and long. Seeing her story on stage reduced her to tears. 'I was transported back to those times and emotions. It sounds so beautiful.'" [1]
A UN commission has declared the deportation and enforced disappearance of Ukrainian children by Russia a crime against humanity. The Kremlin denies wrongdoing, stating it evacuated children for their safety [1, 2].
Peter Gelb, general manager of New York’s Metropolitan Opera, which co-commissioned the production, said the opera aims to bear witness to war crimes and evoke a powerful emotional response beyond typical news coverage. He said, "It's just an incredibly emotional story that these mothers would basically sacrifice everything, including their lives if necessary, to get their children back. It has the capability of doing something that watching the news can't possibly do, or reading a newspaper, which is to elevate our souls." [1]
Following its June Kyiv premiere, a full production of "Mothers of Kherson" is scheduled for October 2026 at the Polish National Opera. A run at the Metropolitan Opera in New York is planned for April 2028 [2].
