Playwright Anna Yablonskaya is among the dead at Moscow’s Domodedovo airport today. We heard it from her family.
This photo of Anna was taken by my husband a few years ago – back when he wasn’t my husband. As you can see, Anna was very beautiful. She left behind her husband – and a little girl.
One of my favourite plays by Anna is called “Семейные сцены” (“Family scenes”) – and it’s one of my favourite plays in general. It’s about a modern Ukrainian family – the husband comes home after serving as a mercenary overseas, and has zero interest in his wife. The wife is sleeping with their son’s teacher. They neighbours all have a lot to say about the situation. It’s a hilarious and heartbreaking play – I first saw it read at the Dakh theater in Kiev, Marat Gatsalov directed the reading. At the reading, I felt as though I had been transported out of my life and temporarily placed into a bullshit-free world. I was too shy to approach Anna then – I got to know her much later. It was my husband, back when he wasn’t my husband but already my lover, who formally introduced us.
I think I’m able to write everything I have written here because I’m in shock.
P.S. About a month ago, Anna wrote the following on her blog: “It seems to me that I have very little time left.” She was right. Maybe she felt something – I’m sure that a person as sensitive as Anna was capable of such a thing.
Natalia A. 
I’m sorry to hear of your loss, and of all the lives lost in this tragedy.
The thing I hate about this whenever it happens is waiting to see who I know has been affected and how badly.
Well that and general horror for the victims.
I am sorry.
Вечная память.
I happened to read Anna’s plays. One of my loved ones is a “video-camera”.
Why the best of us depart this life…
RIP.
I’m so sorry. This is so horrific.
That’s awful. (For you, close after the wedding ,for everyone else associated with this person, just in general.)
Not much else to say, really.
Another attack!
But was this a terrorist attack?
Or A planned attack by a powerful crime family who origins into Europe come thru the Ukraine a few hundreds years ago?
In the animal world when a Predator is hunting it’s prey, the predator always wants remain invisible or not noticed by the prey.
I think it is the same for the world of Humans,cleaver people doing bad things.
My condolences to the all the victims and the family of Anna Yablonskaya.
My thoughts and prayers are with Anna’s Loved ones, and with all the families of victims of this act of terror. Also the victims themselves, So sad to fall in such a sensless way! Though I knew you not my heart grieves for you!
I am so sorry that you have lost your friend and that her husband and child have lost a wife and mother. It’s unbearably sad.
Also in the name of many colleagues writers and poets of PEN International belonging to the Group PEN international on Facebook I would like to express my condolences to the family and to the friends of Anna Yablonskaya. We knew of this sad event by Wladimir Sergijenko of the Russian PEN.
Oh, no. So very terribly sorry for your loss, and her family’s loss. What a terrible tragedy.
I`m so sorry about Anna`s misfortune depart and Your loss!
I happen to read Your article in Gardian. And Anna`s blog and answers after. There is so beautiful and smart words…
I`ll think of Anna with all my love. Thank You to let me know her. Be brave.
It’s just horrible. Such a waste and for what? What could ever justify such horror?
My deepest condolences to her loved ones.
My niece passed through Domodedovo just the day before, enroute St Petersburg from India.
I’m very sorry, Natalia. My condolences to her family.
I am sorry to hear of Annas horrific death. She was a great talent for Russian Theatre. бесчеловечный
I’m sorry.
I think a good memorial would be to make her work known, and perform it in her memory and the memory of those killed. Is it available in English? I could ask around the theater community here to see if we could put on a memorial show.
There has definitely been at least one translation already. I just can’t, for the love of me, remember what play. Check out the fact that the Royal Court will be doing a Yablonskaya reading this April (I THINK it’s this April, I’m not 100% sure of this).
My sympathy to all family and friends and friends of Theatre.