Evgenina Berkovich

Evgenia Berovich, born 1985, is a theatre director, playwright and poet. In 2023, she and her colleague, Svetlana Petriychuk, were arrested and charged with “justifying terrorism” relating to their 2020 documentary play, Finist the Bright Falcon. In 2024, they were sentenced to six years in prison each.

Finist the Bright Falcon is based on true stories about women from Russia, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan who travelled to join ISIS fighters in Syria after being groomed online. The play criticises radicalisation and coercion, not extremism. Nevertheless, the women who attended the performance were later investigated by authorities, and the production was banned.

Finist the Bright Falcon exposes the dangers of online radicalisation, condemns terrorism, and serves as a warning to those who may be vulnerable. It was praised by critics and audiences alike, winning multiple awards before the play as a whole was banned.

Evgenia has been publicly speaking out against the war in Ukraine since the beginning. In 2022, she was arrested for an anti-war performance and fined by the authorities. During house searches, her adopted daughters, who are disabled, were separated from her and placed into care.

During her imprisonment, Evgenia tried to continue with her theatrical practice, but she was soon prohibited from doing so. While in prison, she organised theatre workshops and adopted two children who were abused by their foster families. Both children have health issues and were traumatised by the prison system.

“We are not allowed to receive books and I am banned from practising my profession here in any form. But I can survive all of this. However, not being able to eat or sleep properly and not having access to my medicine could have really bad consequences for me, and I really don’t want that. Aren’t there more powerful enemies of the Russian state than a 90 years old lady, two sick orphans, and two women in poor health? Can’t you find someone else to fight against? Isn’t time to stop? Some of those responsible are officers who should have at least some morals. I ask you, Your Honour, to stop.”

Evgenia Berovich.