Remembering Iryna Cherkaska
Iryna Mykytivna Cherkaska, an Honored Artist of Ukraine, has passed away in Odesa at the age of 86. Her funeral will be held on February 21. Cherkaska dedicated 60 years of her life to the stage, performing at the Odesa Academic Ukrainian Music and Drama Theater named after V. Vasylko. She died on February 18, leaving behind a significant legacy in the development of theatrical art.
Born in Odesa, Cherkaska graduated from the acting department of the Kyiv Institute of Theatrical Art named after I. Karpenko-Kary in 1962. Her first role at the Odesa Ukrainian Theater was as Sofia in the play 'Beztalanna' based on the drama by I. Tobilevych. Throughout her career, she performed many notable roles, including:
- The gypsy Mavra in 'On Sunday Morning She Gathered Herbs'
- Adele in 'Tevye the Milkman'
- Nina in 'The Threshold'
- Inna in 'Murlin Murlo'
Her final performance was in the play 'The Night Before Christmas'. Cherkaska's awards included the Order of Princess Olga and the 'Labor Glory' medal. In her personal life, she was married to fellow theater actor Volodymyr Cherkasky. The Odesa Academic Ukrainian Music and Drama Theater expressed profound sorrow at her passing, noting that the theater was not just her workplace but her entire life.
Funeral Arrangements and Recent Losses
A farewell ceremony for Iryna Cherkaska will take place on Saturday, February 21, from 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM in the foyer of the Ukrainian Theater. This loss is another blow to Ukraine's theatrical community, coming just days after the death of People's Artist of Ukraine, Lyudmyla Volodymyrivna Yurchenko, on February 15 at the age of 83. Yurchenko was a singer at the Taras Shevchenko National Opera of Ukraine, with a repertoire of over 30 operatic roles.
Cherkaska's death represents a major loss for Ukrainian theatrical art, given her long career and influence on the nation's cultural development. The passing of two such distinguished artists in quick succession underscores a difficult period for the country's cultural community. Honoring their memory highlights the vital importance of their contributions to preserving and enriching Ukrainian culture.