It’s been nearly two years since Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Following that, smaller towns around Kyiv like Bucha, Irpin, and Hostomel fell under occupation, with their residents enduring brutal acts of torture. The world was shocked by the horrific images of dead civilians on the streets of these towns when they were finally liberated in March 2022.
Like many other Ukrainians, the heads of the Compliment Circus Studio in Irpin also found themselves under occupation. Learn exclusively here on Circus Life how Kateryna Saksonova and Ivan Ventsyslavskyi managed to escape from the Russians.
Mr. Ivan, Mrs. Kateryna, before we ask you about the first day of war and how your circus studio managed to recover, could you please share more about how you generally came to the point of opening a circus studio in the past? How long have you been teaching kids?
[Ivan] Our family duo started back in circus college, which is the Kyiv Academy of Circus and Variety Arts nowadays. This was in the early 2000s. I was in the circus department, and my wife was doing her thing in the choreography department. You know how it goes when you’re on the lookout for gorgeous girls in the circus? Well, it’s always the choreography department [smiles].
[Kateryna] Just like a lot of circus couples, we thought, why not team up? Our first act was choreographed for us by the late choreographer Pavlo Vasiura from Bila Tserkva (a small town near Kyiv). Then, the circus director from the Academy, Mykola Baranov (now the Honored Arts Figure of Ukraine), came up with the next act for our duo. It was titled “Lifeline,” and we worked with it for seven years.
Later, we started working on Baranov’s show in Germany at the “Salome” circus theatre. After that, we participated in the “Ukraine’s Got Talent” TV show.
If memory serves me right, it was around 2006. We made it to the live broadcasts, specifically the “Second Chances” segment. So, we’ve been working as artists since 2003, and in 2008 we opened our studio.
At our studio, we are focusing on creating circus shows, trying to more or less avoid a classical approach to creating circus performances. We’re talking about combining choreography, circus stunts, and actors. You can spot this approach in quite a few studios these days.
We’re now at your studio in Irpin. This city endured the occupation, and you both live here while running your studio. How did you survive this terrible period, and how did you manage to recover after the occupation?
[Kateryna] We’ve been living in Hostomel, which is a town nearby. I had a class on the eve of the full-scale invasion, and though I was anxious, some people around me reassured me that nothing would happen, and we were needlessly nervous.
On February 24, we woke up at 5 a.m. because of loud explosions. In a hurry, we quickly got ready and went to our parents’ house; they live nearby. Later, we went to one of our studios; we had two in Irpin and one in Kyiv. Enemy aircraft were already circling over the city, dropping troops.
The studio we’re in now, on the basement floor, served as a shelter for the building’s residents from day one. The town already had huge traffic jams, and people were trying to escape as soon as possible. As we stepped out of the car, we didn’t know what to do — run or hide in the shelter – when we heard another jet above our heads. It was terrifying.
Damaged buildings in Irpin. Photo: presidency.gr, president.gov.ua
Then we ran to our studio, finding around a hundred people already there. Some stayed until the occupation’s end. The residents tried to protect the windows with some staff found around – to secure people from being injured if the window is broken. We had water and electricity until it got cut off. We handed out sports mats, so people had something to sleep on.
[Ivan] I came back in April, right after the liberation of Irpin, and everything was intact at the studio – we found no missing sports mats or equipment that could be potentially used by military servants or civilians.
Oh, and we offered up our Kyiv studio for the Territorial Defense Forces. They returned all the sports mats and even washed them. When I asked, “Why didn’t you keep them?” their response was, “We can’t take it – that’s your kid’s staff.”
[Kateryna] We were hiding in our basement in Hostomel on February 24-25, and just as enemy tanks entered the town from one side, we decided to make our exit from the other. We had to get out because we’ve got a young son. It must have been our lucky day, as those who couldn’t leave on February 25 had to wait for those “green corridors” until March 5.
As we drove that day, we reached a crossroads and turned left. Those who went right were shot by Russians. I can’t explain how we managed to escape. Our second studio, where we trained aerial gymnastics, was completely destroyed by a Russian bomb. Luckily, no one was there, and no people died or were injured. We have lost the studio and all the equipment in it.
[Ivan] After we managed to escape Irpin, I decided that I had to secure my wife and kids, so we decided to make them flee to Poland. I wanted to return to the town, but I was informed that all entrances were blocked, and the bridges were blown up.
I went to Khmelnytskyi (a city in western Ukraine) and stayed with my friends for about a month or so. As soon as I got there, I went to the military enlistment office. Once they learned where I was from, they simply asked me to wait. After the liberation of the Kyiv region, I visited the military enlistment office in Hostomel. When they discovered I worked as a teacher, they told me the same.
We decided to resume our class (online) when I was in Khmelnytskyi city. It all started because parents contacted me, wanting online classes for their kids. I teamed up with a local school and started teaching children who had fled to countries like Norway, Poland, Germany etc.
In June, I came back, fixing up the apartment and the studio. First 5 or 6 kids came to that studio in Irpin when it was reopened. But soon after, everyone who had returned called us and asked for classes. Simultaneously, I was working with kids in Kyiv. We had a wave of new kids joining, so I organized two beginner groups.
You know, Ukrainian kids went through a lot of stress, and they were seriously lacking in connection. The ones in Irpin witnessed their peers getting shot. They needed something to pull them out for at least a few hours a day from the severe reality.
[Kateryna] We’re trying to do something positive for these kids because this situation is incredibly tough for all of them. We teach our kids to support each other, stick together, and share the experience – to make sure that no one is alone.
[Ivan] Unfortunately, we have kids whose parents, fathers, and loved ones died defending our country on the front line. It’s really tough. Even finding the right words to talk about it is a challenge. But kids come back to us and restore their psychological and emotional state at least a little bit.
That was a tough time, no doubt about it. Thank you for finding the strength to resume your activities and continue working with children.
Every year, you put on an annual finale show with your students. What’s your plan for this year?
In the past, we rented a big stage with a high ceiling for aerial gymnastics because, before the full-scale war, we had up to 200 kids. Now there are somewhat fewer of them – 110.
On the studio’s 10th anniversary, we held a show at the Center for Culture and Arts of the National Aviation University (NAU). The studio will celebrate its 15th anniversary this year, and while we would like to rent this site again, we are still deciding.
The “Last Battle” and “Unbreakable” performances at the Bright Arena festival in Lviv, 2023
When you announce the show, how can we get there? Do you plan to offer some tickets for those interested outside the studio circle?
[Ivan] Yes. But last year it was a charitable contribution, aimed at paying for the rent of the hall. We transferred the rest of the money to the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
For the 15th anniversary, we want to surpass our last anniversary show. At that time, we had a great design, artists appeared on the stage from the screens, and the video editing was at a high level.
The NAU hall can accommodate about 1,500 spectators, but there were so many people that some had to stand. You know, at first, some of the dads didn’t think it was a very interesting show. But after the show, these fathers came up to us asking when the next show would be and where to get more invitations to bring their other family and friends because they needed to see it.
We will eagerly await an invitation to the annual finale show of the Compliment Studio, and, as always, we will be the first to inform our readers about everything.
Read the full story of the Compliment Studio in Ukrainian here.
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