An immersive art attraction featuring work by Ukrainian painter and poet Taras Shevchenko will be coming to San Francisco as a benefit for the Red Cross and National Bank of Ukraine Fund, Lighthouse Immersive announced Wednesday, March 2.
“Immersive Shevchenko: Soul of Ukraine,” produced by Ukrainian-born Valeriy Kostyuk, will open March 15 in San Francisco at SVN West for one day only. That same day, Los Angeles, Boston, Chicago, Denver and Toronto are also expected to host the projected attraction.
The event comes asUkrainehas been under invasion by Russian forces since Feb. 24, with several major cities under attack.Ukraine’s State Emergency Serviceestimates more than 2,000 civilians have been killed so far.
“Having a large Ukrainian diaspora, San Francisco couldn’t have been a better city to host this special showing of ‘Immersive Shevchenko: Soul of Ukraine,’ ” Kostyuk told The Chronicle. “Our intention is not only to acquaint Americans with Ukrainian culture but also to raise funds to help Ukraine counteract the challenges presented by Russian aggression.”
“Immersive Shevchenko: Soul of Ukraine” was created by Ukrainian companies RockNLight Studio and First Theatrical Foundation, and it is presented by Lighthouse Immersive, the Toronto company behind the popular “Immersive Van Gogh” and the forthcoming “Immersive Frida Kahlo” (opening March 12) also at SVN West. Tickets, priced from $45 to $90, also include admission to “Immersive Frida Kahlo.”
Ticket buyers will be able to select which of the two charities to allocate their admission to, with 100% of the proceeds going to the Red Cross and National Bank of Ukraine Fund.
Shevchenko (1814-61) was a Ukrainian poet, political figure and artist who was considered the father of Ukrainian literature. Born into serfdom, he bought his freedom while a student at the Academy of Arts in St. Petersburg, after which he returned to Ukraine.
As a painter and poet, his work frequently looked to Ukrainian subjects and advocated for Ukrainian independence from czarist Russia. Among the paintings and etched prints of Shevchenko’s to survive are portraits and interiors as well as landscape and architectural views of Ukraine and Russia.
In 1847, Shevchenko was convicted of promoting Ukrainian independence and writing poems in the Ukrainian language and was exiled to St. Petersburg. Although forbidden to write or create art by Czar Nicholas I, he continued to do so until his death in 1861 at age 47.
“Immersive Shevchenko” made its debut in Odessa, Ukraine, in 2021. It was produced by Kostyuk, working with creative a team based in the country, in collaboration with the National Museum of Taras Shevchenko in Kyiv, who gave the production team access to its painting collection. Currently, the museum is using the same crates to secure artwork that it used in 1941 to hide works from invading Nazi forces, according to Lighthouse Immersive.
“Throughout his life, Taras Shevchenko has demonstrated courage and resilience in his fight for freedom of the Ukrainian people,” Kostyuk said. “This is exactly what this European nation is going through today, once again.”
“Immersive Shevchenko: Soul of Ukraine”2-8 p.m. March 15. $45-90. SVN West, 10 Van Ness Ave., S.F.www.lighthouseimmersive.com/immersive-shevchenko