The work continues. We are diving into the fate of Irina Kalina, a woman whose life changed at 19 years old when she was sent to Lefortovo Prison for “anti-Soviet agitation.”
Irina Kalina was born in 1930 in Danzig. Her father, Ignat Kalina, was a general consul and minister of foreign affairs of Belarus. In 1937, he was arrested, accused of espionage, and sent to prison, where he soon died. Irina’s mother was also arrested but was released after 11 months.
In January 1949, first-year student Irina Kalina and her friends were arrested. She was sentenced to five years of forced labor and sent to Steplag in Kazakhstan, where she worked on building the city of Balkhash.
She survived despite unbearable conditions, hunger, and dystrophy. In April 1953, after Stalin’s death, Kalina was released on amnesty.
Today, in rehearsal, we are trying to convey her journey: from arrest to the labor camp, from humiliation to inner freedom. Lydia Boyko continues to explore details that will help the audience understand who Irina Kalina was.
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