# Mothers of Kherson opera production

> Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/mothers-of-kherson-opera-production
> Updated: 2026-10-24T07:00:00.000Z. Sources: 4. Developments: 2.

The opera ‘Mothers of Kherson’ premiered at the Teatr Wielki - Opera Narodowa in Warsaw. Composed by Maxim Kolomiiets with a libretto by George Brant, the production addresses the forced displacement and abduction of Ukrainian children by Russian forces. The narrative is inspired by real accounts of women attempting to recover children moved to camps in Crimea or Russia.

Following its debut, the opera and an accompanying documentary by filmmaker Jobst Knigge were released for streaming on the ARTE platform. The project is a co-production between the Polish National Opera and the Metropolitan Opera in New York. The work utilizes a ‘docu-opera’ format to document the experiences of women affected by child displacement, an issue currently under investigation by the International Criminal Court.

## Timeline

### 2026-10-24: The Mothers of Kherson opera and documentary released on ARTE

The Metropolitan Opera and Warsaw’s Teatr Wielki have released “The Mothers of Kherson,” a docu-opera and documentary on ARTE detailing the stories of Ukrainian mothers seeking children deported by Russia.

2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/the-mothers-of-kherson-opera-and-documentary-released-on-arte

### 2026-10-17: Mothers of Kherson opera premieres in Warsaw

The opera ‘Mothers of Kherson’ premiered in Warsaw, depicting the struggle of Ukrainian mothers to recover children abducted by Russian forces during the war.

2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/mothers-of-kherson-opera-premieres-in-warsaw

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Cite as: Mothers of Kherson opera production. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/mothers-of-kherson-opera-production