On October 14, 2023, an unusual event took place at the Ukrainian Palace in Kiev, the most prestigious venue in Ukraine.

Anton Tymoshenko became the first Ukrainian stand-up comedian to perform a solo show there.

“I grew up in a village where the population was smaller than the Ukrainian palace could accommodate,” he said after the concert. “A lot of people told me: It’s not going to happen… Stand-up comedy isn’t at that level yet.”

Now, it’s largely because Russia has launched a full-scale invasion.

The invasion turned many Ukrainians away from previously popular and much-hyped Russian performances and sparked a new interest in Ukrainian culture.

Leading Ukrainian comedians say they now make jokes to help the public cope with the harsh realities of war and to help the military by raising funds.

“Stand-up comedy is the economical version of psychotherapy,” Anton Tymoshenko told the BBC.

“I like to use jokes to ease social tensions. When that happens, that’s the best thing.”

Nastya Zukhvala, another popular performer, said Russia’s full-scale invasion in February gave stand-up comedy in Ukraine a “boost”, albeit for darker reasons.

“The need for comedy seems natural to me now because comedy supports and unites.

“It can also make reality seem less catastrophic. It’s a tool that can help us process this barrage of upsetting information,” she told me.

“We have no choice in order to remain optimistic or even sane.”

So what are the jokes that make Ukrainians laugh?

Comedian Hanna Kochehura said the humor was cruel, but making fun of the dangers made it easier to deal with.

“From abroad, the situation is much darker, for obvious reasons. Anyone who has been in Ukraine knows that there is no safe place here,” she said.

“You never know if this airstrike will be your last. You don’t know if a Shahd drone will target your house or your family’s house.

“Of course, all of our themes are related to war. Because that’s how we live now. Stand-up comedy is a candid genre where comedians talk about their own experiences or thoughts,” Ms. Cochejula said.

Here is an example – a joke from Anton Tymoshenko’s performance at the Royal Palace of Ukraine:

“I never worried about a nuclear attack because I knew it would mean death for the wealthy residents of Kiev. I live in the suburbs – but a nuclear weapon would hit the center. Two changes must be made to the metro before the radiation affects me .

“More realistically, I would be killed by an Iranian Shahd drone. The sad thing is – do you hear the noise they make? They sound very depressing, like the cheapest way to die.”

“People will probably laugh at the news,” Anton told me.

“If we’re not allowed to use (Western) missiles against Russian targets – yes, it’s funny because it’s ridiculous. I build on that ridiculous fact and it becomes funny.

“Of course Ukrainians find it funny.”

Western allies were initially reluctant to allow Ukraine to use missiles against targets in Russia for fear of escalation. But Kiev gets license after months of pleading: first short-range weapon May 2024and then long-range missiles in November.

Joking about war is fraught with pitfalls.

Anton Tymoshenko said he tried not to “trigger” viewers or add to the trauma they might already have suffered.

“Wartime stand-up comedy is the hardest genre. It’s possible to make a joke without offending anyone, but it’s like making a joke in a vacuum,” he said.

However, according to Nastya Zukhvala, it’s usually possible to tell where the line lies:

“I feel the same way as other Ukrainians. If I find something sad or tragic, I don’t see the need to turn it into stand-up comedy.”

In Ukraine, stand-up comedy also has a very practical aspect – helping its military.

“Almost all the comedians I know help the armed forces. All of us are involved in raising money (for the Ukrainian army). We do charity shows and many people perform in front of the army,” Hanna Kochehura said.

Some serve in the army, such as Nastya Zukhvala’s husband Serhiy Lipko, himself a comedian.

“Culture, humor or psychology – these are all good, but everything must have a practical use for the military. You are not interested in talking about art alone when so many missiles are coming at you,” said Tymoshin Mr. Coe.

“My main thing is to put on concerts and raise money for them.”

He said he had donated more than 30 million hryvnias (£580,000; $710,000) since the full-scale invasion began in February 2022.