On Wednesday night, Riga hosted an Estonian theater production of "I Left Ukraine 2022," while further south, Ukrainian veterans performed in a production of "I Did Not Leave Ukraine" in their hometown.

That night, Karusoo also accepted the Cultural Endowment of Estonia's top performing arts award for "Who am I?" — a documentary series featuring both productions that bring to the stage the voices of Ukrainians who fled and those who remained.

Speaking on ETV's "Ringvaade" Thursday, Karusoo acknowledged that the constant focus on the war is hard.

"But we cannot actually grow tired of this war," she said. "It's hard to keep going, of course, but if we grow tired of this war, that means we're waiting for Ukraine to lose. It's that simple."

The director said to think of what lies ahead for Ukrainians.

"We were occupied for 50 years," she said. "We didn't tell those stories; we weren't allowed to. We weren't even allowed to remember our own past. They, however, know very well what awaits them when this war ends."

In telling these stories, Karusoo said her focus is not only on trauma but on what comes next. Ukrainians, she noted, are already thinking about the future.

The two sides present in Ukraine have to come together, she emphasized, "or — as they themselves say — this could last 100 years."

Rather than framing people as patriots or traitors, Karusoo said Ukrainians increasingly see the division as between veterans and those who dodged the fighting.

She also noted that many understand that those who left Ukraine will still be needed to help rebuild the country.

"But they have no mechanisms whatsoever for reconciling those two halves," the Estonian director noted. Her productions aim to place those two worlds side by side and force audiences to reflect on that tension.

'Someone is listening and really hears them'

Based on her conversations with Ukrainian veterans, Karusoo said they aren't interested in peace on the terms that peace talks seem to be heading toward.

"At the same time, they know that the parts of Ukraine that are occupied have produced a new generation that would no longer welcome Ukrainian forces as liberators," she continued. "It's a tragedy. They know this."

Despite the heaviness of the subject matter, Karusoo emphasized that her productions aren't totally devoid of hope. Many participants, she noted, are relieved just to be heard.

"That they can speak, and share their thoughts, and someone will compile them," she said. "That someone is listening and really hears them, and leaves that person the right to their own life story, and without passing judgment."

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