The art of nations 🖌️

In ancient Ukrainian history, a well-educated noble could entertain guests with poetry and musical accompaniment ad hoc. Poetry is particular important to the foundation of Ukraine as a nation.

Poetry creates nations

To the Ukrainian people, poetry is very important. Famous poets from history such as Shevchenko, Franko and Lesya Ukrainka wrote in the Ukrainian language and thereby contributed to the establishment of the Ukrainian nation. Texts read by the same people, bind those people together. Poems by those famous poets were among those crucial texts that co-established the Ukrainian people, by their shared understanding of those poems.

In Lviv, there’s a district named after Shevchenko. Franko is on the 20 hryvnia bill, Shevchenko on the 100 bill and Lesya Ukrainka on the 200 bill. Franko has his former villa in Lviv turned into a museum, and a university named after him. There’s statues of Shevchenko in Lviv and around the world. Lesya Ukrainka has a drama theater in Lviv dedicated to her.

I’m eager to see if I’ll ever read (and understand) poetry during my classes — so far I’m already struggling with children’s books.

Pagan rituals and folk songs

For a folk holiday celebration called Ivana Kupala we will have to perform some songs. One of them is a cheerful playful flirty folk song about a young woman ‘Marusya’ and suitor ‘Ivan’. The song is called “Ой чорна я си чорна” (“Oh, I’m dark, so dark”) referring her dark hair.

On Sunday I was in the restaurant with a friend and we heard a lot of traditional songs in the restaurant, performed by both artists with instruments and groups celebrating someone’s birthday. Music and singing in this culture definitely goes beyond just singing “Happy birthday to you”.

We’ll have singing and music sessions every Wednesday. To me, singing and dancing is highly uncomfortable — for reasons I can’t fully explain — but I can’t really say no to this cultural enrichment. I’m still a long way away from being a proper noble…

A performance by the “Draga” band

One of the Ukrainian co-organisers of the language (Yura) is in a band (“Draga“). They would be performing at the Plav wine bar to celebrate the wine bar’s birthday. This wine bar is particularly important, as Yura explains:

This restaurant was created by member of UCU community, Dmytro Paschuk that went to the war and was killed by russia 2 years ago, so that’s quite important place to me and my friends.

Celebrating life while commemorating the dead — that’s reality here in Ukraine. Thanks, Yura and Draga band — great job. And for my friends — please witness this nice folk music.

Acknowledgements

The history class was given by Yaroslav Hrytsak, Ukrainian historian and publicist. Also: Doctor of Historical Sciences; Professor at the Ukrainian Catholic University in Lviv; Director of the Institute of Historical Research at the Ivan Franko National University of Lviv, visiting professor (1996–2009) at the Central European University in Budapest, and first Vice President (1999–2005) of the International Association for Ukrainian Studies.

The music workshops are led by Mariia Koshelinska-Martyniuk – conductor of the youth choir Divino Amore, co-founder of the Lviv-based acoustic multi-instrumental band Three Steps into the Night, and a music educator. Mariia is passionate about singing and plays a variety of musical instruments, including piano, bandura, guitar, ukulele, and mandolin.