TEHRAN – Tehran-based publisher Amareh announced on Saturday that a publishing house in Ukraine will publish the Persian World War II drama “Women’s Auschwitz” bilingually in Persian and Ukrainian.

This decision to publish the play in Ukraine is part of an Iranian troupe’s plan to perform this play in Ukraine and a cultural exchange between Iran and the country, the publisher said in a press release.

Written by Ali Safari, “Women’s Auschwitz” was published in 2019 and Segane, a group directed by Raha Hajizeinal, performed it at Tehran’s City Theater Complex afterwards.

“Women’s Auschwitz” is about three women who are spending the last moments of their lives in the Auschwitz concentration camp operated by Nazi Germany in occupied Poland during World War II and the Holocaust.

Amareh has recently released the second edition of the play as the first part of a trilogy by Safari.

Segane is preparing to give performances of the play and “Holodomor”, the final part of the trilogy about a famine planned by Joseph Stalin in Soviet Ukraine from 1932 to 1933 that killed millions of Ukrainians, in Ukraine in September and October.   

“Berlin 10:10” was the second episode of the trio, which was performed by Segane at Da Theater in Tehran in August 2020. This play also recounts a World War II story.

The Segane’s Ukrainian performances have been arranged after Ukraine’s ambassador to Iran, Serhii Burdyliak, and a number of his colleagues attended a performance of “Holodomor” at Tehran’s Neauphle-le-Chateau Theater in February.

The troupe will first perform “Holodomor” and “Women’s Auschwitz” at the 23rd edition of the Melpomene of Tavria International Theater Festival, which takes place in Kherson, Ukraine, from September 3 to 11.

The play will then be staged at the Theatre On Pechersk in Kiev from October 4 to 6.

Photo: A poster for the second edition of the Persian play “Women’s Auschwitz” by Ali Safari.

MMS/YAW