Ukrainian comedians face war through humor

On October 14, 2023, an unusual event was held in the most prestigious place in Ukraine, the Ukraine Palace in kyiv.

Anton Timoshenko became the first Ukrainian comedian to perform solo there.

“I grew up in a town with fewer people than the Ukraine Palace can accommodate,” he said after the concert. “A lot of people had told me: that’s not going to happen… the monologue hasn’t reached that level.”

It has done so now, largely due to the large-scale invasion launched by Russia.

The invasion alienated many Ukrainians from previously popular and generously promoted Russian acts and sparked renewed interest in Ukrainian culture.

Top Ukrainian comedians say they are now making jokes to help the public deal with the grim reality of war and also help the army by raising funds.

“Stand-up is a cheap version of psychotherapy,” Anton Tymoshenko tells the BBC.

“I like to relieve social tension with my jokes. When that happens, it’s the best.”

Another popular actor, Nastya Zukhvala, says the full-scale Russian invasion in February gave “a boost” to stand-up comedy in Ukraine, albeit for darker reasons.

“The demand for comedy now seems totally natural to me because comedy supports and unites.

“It can also make reality seem less catastrophic. It’s a tool that can help us process this depressing flow of information,” he tells me.

“To stay optimistic or even sane, we have no choice.”

So what are the jokes that make Ukrainians laugh?

This kind of humor is dark, says comedian Hanna Kochehura, but making fun of danger makes it easier to deal with.

“From the outside everything looks even darker and it is clear why. Anyone who is in Ukraine knows that there are no safe places here,” he says.

“You never know if this airstrike will be the last. You never know if a Shahed drone will target your home or your family’s home.

“Of course, all our topics are related to war, because it is our life now. Stand-up is a frank genre in which comedians talk about their own experiences or thoughts,” says Kochehura.

Here’s an example: a joke from Anton Tymoshenko’s performance at the Ukrainian Palace:

“I never worried about a nuclear attack because I know it would mean death for the rich residents of kyiv. I live on the outskirts, but the nuclear weapons will reach the central areas. Before the radioactive fallout reaches me, two changes will have to be made in the subway.

“More realistically, I will be killed by the Iranian Shahed drones. The sad thing is: did you hear the noise they make? They sound very demotivating, like the cheapest kind of death.”

“People can laugh at the news,” Anton tells me.

“If we are not allowed to use (Western) missiles against targets in Russia, yes, that is funny because it is absurd. I rely on this absurd fact and it becomes funny.

“Of course, Ukrainians find it funny.”

Western allies were initially reluctant to allow Ukraine to use its missiles against targets in Russia for fear of escalation. But permission was granted after months of pleading from kyiv: the first short-range weapons in May 2024and then long-range missiles in November.

Joking about war is full of pitfalls.

Anton Tymoshenko says he is trying not to “provoke” his audience or add to the trauma they may already be suffering.

“The monologue in times of war is the most difficult. Making jokes without offending anyone is possible, but it would be like joking in a vacuum,” he says.

But it is usually possible to see where the line is according to Nastya Zukhvala:

“I feel what other Ukrainians feel. If I find something sad or tragic, I don’t see the need to turn it into a monologue.”

The Ukrainian monologue also has a very practical side: helping its army.

“Almost all the comedians I know help the armed forces. We all participate in fundraising (for the Ukrainian army). We organize charity shows and many perform in front of the military,” says Hanna Kochehura.

Some, like Nastya Zukhvala’s husband Serhiy Lipko, also a comedian, are in the army.

“Culture, humor or psychology are very good, but everything must be of practical use to the military. When there are so many missiles on their way to hit you, you are not interested in talking only about art,” says Mr. Timoshenko.

“My main task is to organize concerts so I can raise funds for them.”

It says it has donated more than 30 million hryvnias (£580,000; $710,000) since the start of the large-scale invasion in February 2022.