“You can’t go out there right now,” says my interpreter. “Because of the landmines,” adds my driver. Earlier this month, we were driving through eastern Ukraine as part of a convoy for the NGO I work with (when I’m not writing about Tchaikovsky’s spit or monkey masturbation as it relates to the offstage life of Enrico Caruso) when we passed the historical site of the Battle of Poltava. The 1709 battle’s historical significance extends beyond its role as turning point in the Great Northern War between Sweden and Russia. It’s also a decisive moment in the history of Ukrainian independence: One of Peter the Great’s favorites, the local military commander and Ukrainian separatist Ivan Mazepa, defected to the Swedish side under Charles XII. While the battle was a bloodbath for the Swedes, Mazepa’s defiance of the tsar made him a national hero.
Minefields
A 300-year-old opera gets a world premiere recording
