The Reckoning

Welcome to IWPR’s Frontline Update, your go-to source to hear from journalists and local voices at the front lines of conflict.

 THE BIG PICTURE 

A vivid and powerful new play based on witness testimonies from Ukrainians about war, survival and trust premiers in London this week.

The Reckoning is a unique production combining drama, documentary storytelling, music, movement — and even cooking. Each performance ends with the audience having the chance to share some Ukrainian food and hear from an invited guest - a journalist, activist, lawyer or someone with lived experience of conflict. 

 VOICES FROM THE FRONTLINE 

"The Reckoning brings to light the real-life testimonies of Ukrainian civilians affected by the Russian war in Ukraine,” explained Ukrainian playwright Anastasiia Kosodii, who created the script together with director Josephine Burton.

“By dramatising these stories, the play ensures that the experiences of those who endured the conflict are acknowledged and remembered. Furthermore, the production fosters a deeper understanding of the human cost of war, encouraging audiences to reflect on issues of justice, resilience, and the power of storytelling in the face of adversity.”

The Reckoning follows the meeting of a journalist and a man who stayed in his village of Stoyanka, just west of Kyiv, during heavy fighting and the Russian occupation. He becomes both a witness and, eventually, a protagonist in a story recorded for courts, archives and future generations.

“They told me to shut my mouth, shut up, keep silent,” the man tells the journalist in one scene, describing his torture at the hands of the Russians. “But I couldn’t any longer because I understood that I was an undesirable witness. I said, ‘Am I going to die too?’”

 WHY IT MATTERS 

The Reckoning Project, launched and incubated by IWPR in its first year of operation, is a groundbreaking initiative that brings Ukrainian journalists, filmmakers and human rights researchers together to collect testimonies from survivors.

As well as creating a future resource of potential war crimes evidence, these testimonies form the basis of articles and multimedia packages published in national and international media.

And artistic initiatives such as this play, produced by the Dash Arts company and running at London’s Arcola Theatre until June 28, ensure that the war in Ukraine does not fade from public attention and that the search for accountability continues.

 THE BOTTOM LINE 

IWPR has worked in Ukraine since 2014, with current projects including providing in-depth coverage of unprecedented efforts to see those responsible for war crimes brought to trial.

We continue to support holistic efforts to ensure justice for Ukraine; from memorialising key crimes in the conflict to combating public fatigue and supporting grassroots efforts for accountability.