About the Show
SpaceBridge brings together Russian refugee children—who fled to the U.S. due to their families’ anti-war stance and now live in NYC shelters—with American peers to build a more welcoming world where their new friendships can thrive and grow.
Created by Irina Kruzhilina, the piece centers children we seldom consider: Russian youth affected by the war in Ukraine. It follows their efforts to integrate into American society, where they often encounter suspicion, bullying, and a lack of empathy.
SpaceBridge draws its inspiration from two significant historical events: the 1983 peace mission to the USSR led by 11-year-old American activist Samantha Smith, who bridged the gap between American and Russian children during the Cold War; and the satellite-mediated “citizens’ debates”, known as “spacebridges” between the US and the USSR, which prompted unfiltered and uncensored conversations between ordinary people from both cultures.
