Lily Hyde
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Articles by Lily Hyde
Ostukraine: „Wer überleben will, muss die Spielregeln akzeptieren“ – Russlands brutale Unterdrückungsmaschine
Moskau hat die besetzten Gebiete in der Ukraine zum russischen Staatsgebiet erklärt. Ukrainische Pässe, Sprache und Kultur sind damit illegal – Kritik an Putin sowieso. Verstöße werden mit aller Härte bestraft.
Ostukraine: „Wer überleben will, muss die Spielregeln akzeptieren“ – Moskaus brutale Unterdrückungsmaschine
Moskau hat die besetzten Gebiete in der Ukraine zum russischen Staatsgebiet erklärt. Ukrainische Pässe, Sprache und Kultur sind damit illegal – Kritik an Putin sowieso. Verstöße werden mit aller Härte bestraft.
Ostukraine: Unfreier als Nordkorea oder Gaza – Moskaus brutale Unterdrückungsmaschine
Moskau hat die besetzten Gebiete in der Ukraine zum russischen Staatsgebiet erklärt. Ukrainische Pässe, Sprache und Kultur sind damit illegal – Kritik an Putin sowieso. Verstöße werden mit aller Härte bestraft.
Review: English National Ballet’s Rhythm Riot – alternate cast – mixed bill, mixed results
English National Ballet dancers performing Micaela Taylor's Bow Out in Rhythm Riot (c) Photography by ASH Symphony in Three Movements Title Rhythm Riot Company English National Ballet Venue Sadler’s Wells, London Date 25 September 2026 Reviewer Lily Hyde Mixed bill. Mixed results. English National Ballet’s new triple bill, Rhythm Riot, presents one classical ballet and two world premieres. The pieces varied in quality, but the company’s dancing was consistently excellent.
Review: In Birmingham Royal Ballet’s Swan Lake, a great ballet is trapped inside a good one
Swan Lake with Momoko Hirata and Mathias Dingman, Birmingham Royal Ballet, photo Clive Booth Title Swan Lake Company Birmingham Royal Ballet Venue Birmingham Hippodrome Date 23 September 2026 Reviewer Lily Hyde Just as in Swan Lake, the soul of a princess is trapped inside a swan; in Peter Wright and Galina Samsova’s adaptation, the soul of a great ballet is trapped inside a good one.
The least free place on earth: Occupied Ukraine
No political rights. No freedom of expression. No protection from secret detention without access to family, an attorney or a physician. No protection from deportation. Welcome to Russia-occupied Ukraine. For the second year running, U.S.-based democracy tracker Freedom House has listed Ukraine’s occupied eastern and southern territories as the most unfree places in the world — outranking South Sudan, North Korea and the Gaza Strip.
Review: Marianela – Timeless, a love letter to the audience
Marianela Nuñez as Marguerite and William Bracewell as Armand in Marguerite and Armand for Marianela Timeless, The Royal Ballet (c)2026 Maria-Helena Buckley ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Rating: 4 out of 5. Title Marianela: Timeless Company The Royal Ballet Venue Royal Opera House, London Date 29 July 2026 Reviewer Lily Hyde The applause has never rung louder in the auditorium of the Royal Opera House.
Ukraine-Krieg: „Russische Militärpräsenz auf der Krim zerschlagen“ – Putins einstige Bastion wird sein wunder Punkt
Ukraine-Krieg Ein Teil der Kertsch-Brücke, die von Russland auf die Krim führt, wurde von ukrainischen Angriffen getroffen Quelle: HANDOUT/AFP Seit Monaten beschießt die Ukraine russische Einrichtungen auf der Krim. Damit verliert Putins Armee wichtige Nachschubwege. Das ist militärisch ein Fiasko – aber für den Präsidenten steht noch viel mehr auf dem Spiel. Die Krim sollte die Krönung von Wladimir Putins Werk sein.
Ukraine-Krieg: „Russische Militärpräsenz auf der Krim zerschlagen“ – Putins einstige Bastion wird sein wunder Punkt
Seit Monaten beschieÃt die Ukraine russische Einrichtungen auf der Krim. Damit verliert Putins Armee wichtige Nachschubwege. Das ist militärisch ein Fiasko â aber für den Präsidenten steht noch viel mehr auf dem Spiel.
Ukraina depcze święty i nietykalny symbol Rosji. Krym stał się osobistym utrapieniem Putina
Wszystko dzięki temu, że Ukraina przejęła kontrolę powietrzną nad szlakami prowadzącymi na okupowany przez Rosję półwysep, atakuje logistykę zaopatrzeniową oraz dąży do izolacji i osłabienia sił rosyjskich na południu. Ołeksandra już kilka tygodni temu ostrzegła swoich rodziców na Krymie, by zgromadzili zapasy na wypadek kryzysu. Jednak jej matka nie potraktowała tego ostrzeżenia poważnie.
Crimea was Russia’s stronghold. Now it’s a vulnerability.
Oleksandra warned her parents in Crimea to stock up on emergency supplies weeks ago. But her mother didn’t take the warning seriously. Crimea was supposed to be Russian President Vladimir Putin’s crowning achievement — a stronghold in the war against Ukraine, a launchpad to project Russia’s military power across the Black Sea and a domestic symbol of his imperial ambitions.
Interview: Nina Ananiashvili talks about the State Ballet of Georgia’s return to London
State Ballet of Georgia in Swan Lake Lily Hyde spoke with Nina Ananiashvili, director of the State Ballet of Georgia, about the company’s 12-performance run of Swan Lake in London. Nina Ananiashvili needs no introduction. An icon of the Bolshoi Ballet, the Georgian dancer made her way to ballet through figure skating and quickly gained the attention of the Moscow Choreographic Institute.
Review: Mathieu Geffré’s The Monocle at Wilton’s Music Hall in London’s East End
THE MONOCLE by Rendez-Vous Dance photo by Rhiannon Banks Title The Monocle: One Last Soirée Company Rendez-Vous Dance Venue Wilton’s Music Hall Date 16 May 2026 Reviewer Lily Hyde “Enjoy yourselves, because you are not here for long,” is the message given to the audience at the beginning of The Monocle: One Last Soirée – a simple reminder to have fun, or a warning of something more sinister to come?
Review: BalletBoyz’s 25th anniversary show, Still Pointless – lacking evolution
The BalletBoyz at 25 – Still Pointless – Bradley 4 18. Photo by Amber Hunt Title Still Pointless Company BalletBoyz Venue Sadler’s Wells, London Date 12 May 2026 Reviewer Lily Hyde The evolution of ballet has always been fast-paced. Consider that just twenty-three years separate the premieres of The Sleeping Beauty and The Rite of Spring, ballet in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries seems to have maintained this pace, but whether its evolutions last is the sticking point.
Interview: The Royal Ballet’s William Bracewell on his journey to Mayerling
William Bracewell as Crown Prince Rudolf with Leticia Dias as Countess Marie Larisch in Kenneth MacMillan‘s Mayerling (c)2026 Tristram Kenton Lily Hyde talks to William Bracewell on preparing to play Prince Rudolf in The Royal Ballet‘s Mayerling, his acting process, and an unlikely source of inspiration. William Bracewell’s journey to Mayerling was a long one. Born in Swansea, he trained at the Royal Ballet School and joined Birmingham Royal Ballet after graduation.
Review: Carlos Acosta’s Don Quixote with Birmingham Royal Ballet – a frothy delight
Don Quixote with Momoko Hirata (Kitri) and Mathias Dingman (Basilio) – photo (c) Johan Persson, BRB 2026 Title Don Quixote Company Birmingham Royal Ballet Venue Sadler’s Wells, London Date 23 April 2026 Reviewer Lily Hyde Miguel de Cervantes’ sprawling epic Don Quixote does not seem like the most obvious source material for ballet – only two chapters feature as the basis for the ballet’s story, the titular character is a secondary role who mostly struts around the stage with a lance, and the...
Interview: Royal Ballet Principal Calvin Richardson on life before and after Mayerling
Calvin Richardson as Crown Prince Rudolf in Kenneth MacMillan‘s Mayerling (c)2026 RBO. Photographed by Andrej Uspenski After his debut in the ballet Mayerling, The Royal Ballet‘s Calvin Richardson spoke with Lily Hyde about his dream role and career as Principal Dancer. Like many male ballet dancers, Calvin Richardson dreamed of playing Crown Prince Rudolf in Mayerling.
Review: Kontakthof – Echoes of ’78, Pina Bausch through the eyes of Meryl Tankard
Pina Bausch, Kontakthof – Echoes of ’78, Image Credit Ursula Kaufmann Kontakthof – Echoes of ’78 ★★★★★ Title Kontakthof – Echoes of ’78 Company Tanztheater Wuppertal Pina Bausch Venue Sadler’s Wells, London Date 7 April 2026 Reviewer Lily Hyde Memory is a monster. It is a capricious thing that both empowers and enslaves us, putting us at the mercy of that which we wish to keep and that which we wish to forget, but may be forced to eventually confront.
Review: English National Ballet’s My First Ballet: Cinderella – moments of real magic
English National Ballet School dancers in My First Ballet: Cinderella (c) Photography by ASH My First Ballet: Cinderella ★★★★★ Title My First Ballet: Cinderella Company English National Ballet Venue Sadler’s Wells East, London Date 3 April 2026 Reviewer Lily Hyde The cast in the photos illustrating this article is different from the one reviewed.
Review: William Bracewell gives a Shakespearean performance in his debut in Mayerling with The Royal Ballet
Leticia Dias as Countess Marie Larisch and William Bracewell as Crown Prince Rudolf in Kenneth MacMillan‘s Mayerling (c)2026 Tristram Kenton Title Mayerling Company The Royal Ballet Venue Royal Ballet and Opera, London Date 2 April 2026 (eve) Reviewer Lily Hyde In 1954, when reviewing John Cranko‘s newest ballet, The Lady and the Fool, the dance writer Clive Barnes made the distinction between two of its dancers, Kenneth MacMillan and Johaar Mosaval: MacMillan is essentially an intelligent...
Review: Covent Garden Choreographics with New English Ballet Theatre
NEBT in Orbital Motion Liudmila Konvalova and Hiroki Takano, photo by Alice Pennefather Covent Garden Choreographics ★★★★★ Title Covent Garden Choreographics Company New English Ballet Theatre Venue Clore Studio, Royal Ballet & Opera Date 21 March 2026 Reviewer Lily Hyde New English Ballet Theatre, now in its fifteenth year, has long established itself as a company whose ambitions far outpace its resources.
Interview: Hannah O’Neill, Paris Opera Ballet Étoile, to debut with The Royal Ballet
Hannah O’Neill and Reece Clarke rehearse Giselle, photo by Andrej Ospenski, RBO 2026 Paris Opéra Ballet Étoile Hannah O’Neill will make her debut with The Royal Ballet in London as Giselle. Lily Hyde talked with her a few days before her first performance.
Review: Mayara Magri’s ‘revelatory’ debut as Giselle with Matthew Ball and The Royal Ballet
Mayara Magri and Matthew Ball in Giselle, photo by Andrej Uspenski, RBO 2026 Title Giselle Company The Royal Ballet Venue Royal Ballet and Opera Date 28 February 2026 Reviewer Lily Hyde There’s a darkness to Peter Wright’s Giselle. In the literal sense, the production’s colour palette is muted, the stage awash with autumnal browns, reds, and oranges. Giselle’s peasant dress, usually frothy shades of blue and white, is a faded yellow and brown.
Review: Ballet Nights – The New Year’s Day Concert with dancers, musicians and opera singers "of an incredible standard"
Ballet Nights New Year’s Day Concert, GARETH HAW and LIUDMILA KONOVALOVA photo by Deborah Jaffe The New Year’s Day Concert ★★★★★ Title The New Year’s Day Concert Company Ballet Nights Venue Cadogan Hall, London Date 1 January 2026 Reviewer Lily Hyde Since its inception in 2023, Ballet Nights has produced 11 programmes, which have been performed both in the UK and abroad.
Valentino Zucchetti's The Nutcracker for New English Ballet Theatre
New English Ballet Theatre in The Nutcracker, photo by Andrej Uspenski Title The Nutcracker Company New English Ballet Theatre Venue Sainsbury Theatre, LAMDA Date 18 December 2025 Reviewer Lily Hyde A couple of weeks ago, I interviewed Valentino Zucchetti – First Soloist of The Royal Ballet – about his production of The Nutcracker for New English Ballet Theatre.
As queer male representation in ballet soars, queer female representation stays firmly on the ground
Ballet has long served as a haven for queer people. From composers such as Pyotr Tchaikovsky to choreographers like Frederick Ashton and Jerome Robbins, impresarios like Sergei Diaghilev, and, of course, dancers like Vaslav Nijinsky and Rudolf Nureyev, the art form would not exist as it does today without its queer contributors.
If Trump recognizes Crimea as Russian, he risks blowing a hole in war crimes cases
Russia stole Crimea from Ukraine, and if U.S. President Donald Trump recognizes Moscow’s land grab as part of a peace deal, he will risk destroying war crimes investigations, weakening the rule of law and setting a dangerous precedent for other aggressive powers. In April, the Trump administration floated the idea of recognizing that Crimea is legally Russian as part of an agreement ending the war in Ukraine.
If Trump recognizes Crimea as Russian, he risks blowing a hole in war crimes cases
Russia first conquered Crimea in 1783 under Catherine the Great and held it until it was gifted to Ukraine in 1956 by Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev — a decision Russian President Vladimir Putin has denounced. Crimea, along with the rest of Ukraine, voted in favor of independence in a 1991 referendum, and had the status of an autonomous republic within Ukraine until it was seized by Russia in 2014 following street protests that ousted a pro-Moscow government in Kyiv.
HIV patients in Ukraine face treatment ‘apocalypse’ as US funds in limbo
Ukrainian HIV patients are worried their life-saving drugs will run out amid uncertainty over U.S. funding. President Donald Trump’s massive ax in January to projects funded by its international development agency USAID hit NGOs and government-run projects in Ukraine working to tackle one of the largest HIV epidemics in Europe.
Les prisonniers de guerre ukrainiens et la crise du droit international
L’année dernière, le Comité international de la Croix-Rouge (CICR) a publié un important rapport sur l’état du respect du droit international humanitaire dans le monde, avertissant que sa légitimité était menacée par le mépris, les violations délibérées et les interprétations opportunistes risquant de le transformer en « justification de la violence plutôt qu’en bouclier de l’humanité ».
Ukrainian prisoners of war and the crisis of international law
This story was originally published by The New Humanitarian. By Lily Hyde LASTyear, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) published a major report on the status of global compliance with international humanitarian law, warning that its legitimacy is at risk due to a lack of respect, deliberate violations, and expedient interpretations that threaten to turn it into “a justification for violence rather than a shield for humanity”.
Ukrainian prisoners of war and the crisis of international law
Republish this article Last year, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) published a major report on the status of global compliance with international humanitarian law, warning that its legitimacy is at risk due to a lack of respect, deliberate violations, and expedient interpretations that threaten to turn it into “a justification for violence rather than a shield for humanity”.
Said Ismagilov: Ukraine’s former mufti prays for victory
A Ukrainian Muslim spiritual leader who swapped his religious robes for fatigues has spoken of his dismay at the direction of US-led peace talks, which could see his hometown permanently surrendered to Russia. Since taking office, Donald Trump has blamed Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy for the invasion and said Russia should not have to give back any captured territory — which would include the disputed Donbas region in eastern Ukraine, where Said Ismagilov grew up.
Knock Knock
Continuing with our Ukraine series this month our fiction newsletter is excerpted from Lily Hyde’s extraordinary forthcoming book. Hyde is a British journalist based in Ukraine. Hyde’s upcoming book, which is not yet titled, looks at Crimea after its annexation by Russia and is based on Hyde’s extensive research interviewing Crimean Tatars, a largely Muslim Turkic group indigenous to the region.
SG Fiction: Knock Knock
Our SG Fiction newsletter features an original short story from a different author around the world. It’s part of our set of expanded offerings. At least once a month, you’ll receive an original short story from a different part of the world, introduced by a member of our fiction advisory board. Today’s selection is by Lily Hyde presented by Stranger’s Guide Editor in Chief, Kira Brunner Don.
‘My people and country need defending’
It was a moment that many in Ukraine, and especially Crimea, had hoped to see for almost three years: on 28 June, with the help of the Vatican, 10 Ukrainian civilians were released from captivity in Russia and its ally, Belarus. Among them was Nariman Dzhelyal, the Crimean Tatar leader and outspoken opponent of Russia’s 2014 annexation of Crimea. The group’s release was a significant breakthrough for Ukrainian authorities struggling to free more than 1,700 civilians currently held by Russia.
Alone and unwanted: Millions of displaced Ukrainians hope to go home as the war rages
KYIV — Yana Kraschuk has fled twice from Russian invaders with her young son but she still refuses to move far from the frontlines — fearing the cost and isolation that comes from seeking a home in a new and safer city. She’s not alone. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine caused the biggest forced movement of people in Europe since World War II — 9 million fled abroad or to safer places inside the country — creating growing social, economic and political problems.
Mobile screening for Ukraine's wartime tuberculosis epidemic
Conflict is driving up tuberculosis cases in Ukraine, while displacement and damage have put many health facilities out of action. Lily Hyde reports. This article is available free of charge. Simply log in to access the full article, or register for free if you do not yet have a username and password. Already registered?
Soviet-era attitudes to disability hinder Ukrainian fighters’ recovery
LVIV, Ukraine — The last thing 20-year-old Ukrainian serviceman Ivan Kosyuk remembered before he woke up in a hospital was medics bandaging his eyes as they evacuated him from the front line. A missile had hit the bunker where he’d been snatching a brief respite. “I could still see then,” he recalled. “Then I came round and I couldn’t see, I was tied to a bed, I had a tube down my throat... I thought: I’m a prisoner.
Ukrainian refugees with HIV adjust to care abroad
When Anna Aryabinska fled from Kyiv in March 2022 with her ex-partner’s children, she had little idea that she would end up supporting not only his family, but many HIV-positive Ukrainians in Poland. Until Russia’s full-scale invasion, Aryabinska had been an activist for the Ukrainian organisation Positive Women, supporting women with HIV.
What Russia’s treatment of Crimea’s Muslim minority reveals about its plans for the rest of Ukraine
In late November, Leviza Dzhelyalova finally heard from her husband. She had lost all contact with the Crimean Tatar leader Nariman Dzhelyal when Russian authorities removed him from Simferopol pre-trial prison in Crimea on 2 October. After six weeks with no news, a letter arrived in which he explained he is being held 5,000km away in a high security prison in Minusinsk, Siberia.
Two Thousand Miles From Home
By Lily Hyde The Atavist Magazine, No. 144 Lily Hyde is a writer and journalist based in Ukraine. She has written for The Guardian, Politico, the Times of London, and Foreign Policy. She is the author of Dream Land, a novel about Crimea. Editor: Jonah Ogles Art Director: Ed Johnson Copy Editor: Sean Cooper Fact Checker: Olena Goncharova Illustrator: Andriana Chunis Published in October 2023.
Why Zelenksy has appointed Ukraine’s first Muslim minister
With its new minister of defence, Ukraine has appointed its first Muslim minister. Rustem Umerov takes over at a key moment in Russia’s invasion, when international support for Ukraine is at risk of flagging as the war grinds towards its third year, and the status of Crimea, the Ukrainian Black Sea peninsula illegally annexed by Russia in 2014, is increasingly understood to be key to any resolution.
Inside the desperate effort to keep healthcare alive on Ukraine’s front line
Russia’s war has had a devastating impact on healthcare provision in Ukraine. The World Health Organization (WHO) has recorded more than 1,100 attacks on its healthcare system since the invasion began on 24 February 2022, and more than one in 10 Ukrainian hospitals have been directly damaged by the war. In some areas occupied by Russia, people have had little or no access to medicine since late February 2022.
"Wszystko, co mogę zrobić, to zadzwonić i zapytać: czy żyjesz?". Wojna, o której się nie mówi. Tak agresja Putina dotyka dzieci
Według Ministerstwa Edukacji od początku rosyjskiej inwazji ponad 3 tys. placówek oświatowych w Ukrainie (10 proc.) zostało uszkodzonych lub zniszczonych przez Kreml Te, którym udało się przetrwać, są nieustannie zagrożone ostrzałem i przerwami w dostawach prądu, co utrudnia prowadzenie zajęć Fizyczne zniszczenie to jednak nie wszystko.
War in Ukraine has another front line: the classroom
Press play to listen to this article Voiced by artificial intelligence. KYIV — When the Russians first came to the school where Larysa taught history in southeastern Ukraine, they asked for all the history and Ukrainian language textbooks. The director refused to hand them over. The school closed — but then reopened virtually on September 1, with up to 80 percent of its 700 pupils attending online.
Forced to fight your own people: How Russia is weaponizing passports
Press play to listen to this article Voiced by artificial intelligence. KYIV — Imagine being Ukrainian and yet possessing only a Russian passport. And then being drafted into a war to fight your native country. This is a reality currently facing thousands of Ukrainians. And some say it constitutes a war crime. After Russia invaded Ukraine this past February, European countries welcomed Ukrainians seeking refuge. But when Russia announced its partial mobilization in September, thousands fled the draft.
Ukraine fights back, as Russia aims to rub out its history
KYIV — In late April, Tetiana Buliy, head of the Arkhip Kuindzhi art gallery in Mariupol, was living near Kyiv when her phone rang. It was the gallery’s caretaker, who had remained in Mariupol, asking where the keys were. Buliy had locked the building on February 25, the second day of Russia’s massive bombardment of the southern Ukrainian city. By late April, Mariupol was almost entirely under Russian control. The gallery keys were in Buliy’s Mariupol flat.
"Ważne jest dla mnie tylko to, by widzieć swoje dziecko żywe". Poruszające relacje kobiet, walczących o swoje szczęście i ukraińską demografię
Eksperci szacują, że do 2030 r. liczba mieszkańców Ukrainy spadnie do 30 mln, wobec 44 mln w 2020 r. Wobec ciągłego zagrożenia życia i stałej niepewności jutra, Ukraińcy coraz częściej decydują się na małżeństwa i powiększanie rodziny Maleje również liczba rozwodów — w ciągu sześciu miesięcy ich liczba spadła o 42 proc.
Make love, not war: Ukrainians bid to reverse plummeting birth rate
Press play to listen to this article Voiced by artificial intelligence. As the Russian bombs began to fall on Ukraine in February, Tetiana was already conscious of her deep attraction to an old friend, Petro. The single 36-year-old writer from western Ukraine knew she had feelings for Petro, a media professional eight years older than her. There was just one big problem: Petro was already married — albeit unhappily — to another friend.
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