Two Regimes Projects
About Two Regimes
Two Regimes is a salvaged collection almost lost to history. It is the life’s work of two Ukrainian women: a mother, Teodora Verbitskaya (1900-1994, author) and her daughter, Nadia Werbitzky (1922-2005, artist). Teodora wrote about her family’s life from 1927 to 1945 while living in Mariupol, Soviet Ukraine under the two regimes of Stalin and Hitler. Daughter Nadia who painted from memory with works created decades apart from her mother’s writings, provides an intergenerational experience. Mother and daughter were survivors and witnesses of two genocides: the Holodomor-Ukrainian genocide (man-made Famine 1932-33 under Stalin) and the Holocaust (1933-1945 under Hitler).
The Two Regimes Collection contains 118 paintings, 150 sketches and a manuscript by Teodora Verbitskaya.
About the Book
Two Regimes (A Memoir) by Teodora Verbitskaya as was translated by her granddaughter, Lucianne Vanilar, and published by Kendall-Hunt Publishing (https://he.kendallhunt.com/two_regimes), is the story of Teodora Verbitskaya and her young daughters, Nadia and Lyucia, swept up in the collateral damage of genocide, war and survival- before, during, and after World War II. This true story of Two Regimes is the story of three young women’s love, faith, courage, strength, determination, intelligence, and sheer will to live in the face of the worst adversity! This story of survival is an inspiration to everyone but particularly for girls and women, who must often pick up the pieces after or during devastation and start life anew.
Two Regimes Educational Lessons and Courses
This University Course, written by Kendall Hansen, is freely available to accompany the book “Two Regimes (A Memoir) by Teodora Verbitskaya as was translated by her granddaughter, Lucianne Vanilar. This 50-page course is scalable for high school through graduate level classes.
Flyer for University Course for the book Two Regimes (A Memoir)
University Course by Kendall Hansen for the book Two Regimes (A Memoir)
Additionally, Two Regimes along with the Foundation for Leon County Schools, has created in- depth lesson plans for 5th grade through high school. These robust lesson plans have been approved by the Florida Department of Education for Social Studies and includes the State Standards for each lesson plan and are easily adapted to other State’s requirements.
Two Regimes Films
In 2017 Douglas Darlington of Winding Road Films with the Foundation for Leon County Schools, Two Regimes and a Florida Legislative Grant joined forces to create an educational film. This film was an adaptation from a Reader’s Theater play adapted from Teodora’s manuscript. Doug did a wonderful job filming and editing this film but it stalled due to the cost of music rights.
In 2020, Mimi Shaw, co-owner and founder of Two Regimes saw a 60-minute piece on Francesco Lotoro of Italy who has traveled the world looking for music CREATED in the Labor Camps, Concentration Camps and the Gulags between the years of 1933-1953. Mimi contacted him that night and although he had received 1000 emails, Francesco Lotoro responded to Mimi the very next day and offered his support. He appreciated that like himself, Two Regimes is also striving to salvage a collection of works. With music provided by Francesco Lotoro’s organization, the Two Regimes educational film was launched in 2021.The educational film is limited solely to educational institutions and thus not widely available.
With the help of the Canadian Institute of Ukrainian Studies (CIUS) at the University of Alberta and the generous support of the Helen and Paul Baszucki Family and the Holodomor Research and Education Consortium (HREC), Doug Darlington was able to convert the educational film in to a new and improved commercial film.
Flyer for the film Two Regimes – Two Genocides
Demo of the film Two Regimes – Two Genocides
Demo of the film Two Regimes – Two Genocides with open credits in Ukrainian
Two Regimes Art Exhibitions
Two Regimes offers a number of art exhibitions for museums, universities galleries, schools and organizations. Each exhibition has passages by Teodora that tell of her life’s story of living under the two regimes of Stalin and Hitler as well as both genocides of the Holodomor and the Holocaust in Mariupol, Ukraine. All exhibitions also have two policy boards about the Holodomor and the Holocaust.
Two Regimes School Exhibition
Contains:
- 12 double-sided PVC boards that are 18” x 24”
- Laminated on both sides.
- Each board has a passage by Teodora with an image of one of Nadia’s paintings.
- On the reverse side is a large 18” x 24” image of the same painting as on the front.
- Each board has a QR code of Teodora’s passage as narrated by her granddaughter, Lucianne Vanilar.
Excellent for students in history/social studies, language arts, and art classes.
Flyer for the Two Regimes School Exhibition
Video of student comments about the exhibition
Two Regimes Mini Exhibition
Contains:
- 12 framed text boards that are 18” x 24” with wires for hanging.
- QR Codes narrated by Teodora’s granddaughter, Luci Vanilar
- 2 policy boards; one for the Holodomor and one for the Holocaust
Flyer for the Two Regimes School Exhibition
Video of student comments about the exhibition
Two Regimes Giclee (canvas print) Exhibition
Contains:
- 16 framed Giclee prints of similar sizes as to the originals
- 16 framed text boards that are 18” x 24” with wires for hanging.
- QR Codes narrated by Teodora’s granddaughter, Luci Vanilar
- 2 policy boards; one for the Holodomor and one for the Holocaust
Flyer for the Two Regimes Giclee Exhibition
Video about the Two Regimes Giclee exhibition
Two Regimes Original Paintings Exhibition
Contains:
- 22 original paintings by Nadia Werbitzky (1922-2005) all restored and beautifully framed
- 2 original paintings by Nadia Werbitzky framed but unrestored to show the original condition
- 22 text boards that are 16” x 20” with passages from Teodora Verbitskaya
- 4 framed original sketches of the painting “Hell’s Threshold” by Nadia Werbitzky
- 2 policy boards; one for the Holodomor and one for the Holocaust
- 1 opening board for the exhibition “Two Regimes – Two Genocides”
- The beautiful frames were repurposed from donated frames from Goodwill Industries – Big Bend, Tallahassee, Florida, USA
Flyer for the Two Regimes – Two Genocides Exhibition
Video view of some of the original paintings in this exhibition
TEODORA a musical drama
Teodora, the musical drama play, consists of several scenes tracing the life and relocation of Teodora Verbitskaya. The play is driven by the questions asked of Teodora by the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration (UNRRA) official. Her responses result in the dialogue and songs. The songs trace her life from the beginning with her husband, Dmitriy Dimitri and her daughters, Nadia and Lyucia, to the moment she hopes to board the ship USS General Sturgis for a new life.
TEODORA play package consists of:
- Scripts for Director, Assistant Director, Actors, Choreographer, Lighting and all projectionist
- Lead sheets for all musical numbers
- Pronunciations for all Ukrainian words
- Audio package also includes: all recorded music – instrumentals, all recorded music songs sung by Debra Brigman, Film Two Regimes – Two Genocides by Douglas Darlington of Winding Road Films, Film recording of the play “TEODORA” as a reference.
Two Regimes Documentary and Docuseries
Douglas Darlington of Winding Road Films has been with Two Regimes since 2002 and even met Nadia Werbitzky, the artist. Nadia asked Doug to film her life and Doug is planning on doing that and so much more. There are so many twists and turns that in the stories of Teodora,’s story, Nadia, ’s story, and Two Regimes, story that theyit truly lends itself to a docuseries. Below is an early glimpse of the docuseries:
Eps. 1 -Teodora’s Story: 1921-1933
Life under Stalin and the Holodomor
Eos, 2 -Teodora’s Story: 1934-1945
The Great Terror and WWII in Mariupol, Ukraine then Nazi camps
Eps. 3 – Family History 1900-1921
Czars, Revolution and Ukraine’s short independence
Eps. 4 – Family History 1945-Present
DP Camps, emigration, and generational survivors
Eps. 5 – Nadia’s Story
Through an artist’s eyes
Eos. 6 – The Two Regimes Collection
Rediscovering, restoring and revitalizing for a new generation
Eps. 7 – Ukraine’s History: Then and Now
Lessons Unlearned