“Darnychanka” folk choir has been performing on stage for 60 years. Three generations of performers have been paving the shortest path to hearts with a song.
“Darnychanka” is an honored folk song and dance ensemble of Ukraine, founded in 1962 at the House of Culture of the Kyiv Artificial Fiber Plant (now Kyiv Khimvolokno JSC). Already in two years – in 1964, the team was awarded the title of national, and in 1967 – “Darnychanka” received the status of the honored song and dance ensemble of the Ukrainian USSR.
For 60 years, the collective was managed by legendary personalities: Kim Vasylenko, Anatoly Pashkevich, Hryhoriy Kulyaba, Valentin Shvidenko, honored and people’s artists and artists, researchers of folk art and folklorists.
“THE GLORIFICATION OF SOVIET REPUBLIC WAS NOT HERE”
Since 1992, he has been managing “Darnychanka”, which became a folk choir Petro Andriychuk, Honored Worker of Culture of Ukraine, Professor of the Faculty of Music of KNUKiMsenior researcher of the Ukrainian Center for Cultural Studies, secretary of the National All-Ukrainian Music Union.
“The history of the collective during the Soviet era was quite typical, because it was practically mandatory for large enterprises to have their own ensembles or choirs,” Mr. Petro recalled in a conversation with “Vechirny Kyiv”.
“It corresponded to the ideology of the time – especially if you look at the repertoire,” he explains.
Golden voices came to work in factories and plants. After standing a shift near the machines, they went to rehearsals, where their souls broke free. You could sing, sing, sing…
It so happened that the repertoire of the ensemble during the Soviet times was carefully and tastefully chosen by its leaders.
“The Ukrainian song is truly sincere, created by the people – it was the basis of all the performances of “Darnychanka”. There was never any glorification of the “Soviet state” here,” the group’s music director shares his memories.
It was after gaining independence that a new history of the ensemble began. After all, he no longer had guaranteed stable support from the artificial fiber plant. So it would have disbanded like thousands of others across the country – if its members did not have an irresistible desire to sing together in the future. And this new history of independence and independence has been going on for thirty years.
ART LAWS FOR PROFESSIONALS AND AMATEURS ARE THE SAME
On its 60th anniversary, “Darnychanka” gave a concert on the day when there was a long blackout and several alarms sounded. Such are the realities of the war winter…
Women wore make-up and concert costumes near the windows, through which the meager winter light filtered through. Nothing stopped them. After all, they survived the crisis of the 90s. No matter what the conditions were, people who wanted to listen to them gathered in the halls. Therefore, these performances gave the team members energy and a sense of the endurance of their own history.
No matter where the ensemble performs, those who distinguish it from others and like to listen are always in the audience. Moreover, these are not only people for whom the song “Darnychanka” is a reminder of youth. It is precisely the young generation who enthusiastically supports the choir of the Ukrainian song.
“They awaken the memory of the family with these songs. I am 24 years old, I listen to them and remember my grandmother’s stories about her native village in Chernihiv region. She told me, as a child: “Remember, we are from the Hetman region!” — Artem from Kyiv shared his impressions of the concert with “Vechirny Kyiv”.
Petro Andriychuk spoke about his conclusions, made during 30 years of work with an amateur ensemble:
“Ukraine produces much more talent than professional teams can accommodate. We are amateurs. We have fewer works, but it’s not about quality. There are no compromises here. Artistic laws are the same for everyone.”
How did they resist? Why didn’t they break up, when many of them didn’t have salaries at work, and here – an amateur team?
CITIZENS DO NOT COME TO “DARNYCHANKA”.
“Darnychanka” has a few songs left from the Soviet repertoire. “Oh, whose horse is standing” in the treatment of Valentyn Shvydenko, as well as “Roars and moans the Dnieper is wide”, in the treatment of another former leader, Anatoly Pashkevich. And everything else is a new repertoire.
“In the 90s, I had to look for a new repertoire style. I am Ukrainian in spirit and my mother spent 10 years in exile, in the permafrost, in Norilsk…” says Petro Andriychuk.
He managed to select works that opened up new facets of the amateur team’s performance skills.
“We called the program “Unite, native family”. Recruit songs, Cossack songs, we love zeal,” says the artistic director.
Of course, all the stories of “Darnychanka” are its performers. Their desire to keep the singing team.
“Everybody doesn’t come to “Darnychanka”. Here, people are talented, who need to realize themselves, as well as show their position. Here are the participants of two Maidans. We are also volunteers — one of our singers collected UAH 180,000 for an SUV in 6 days and sent it,” said Mr. Andriychuk about the soloists.
Products, vitamin mixtures, everything that can be used to support the military at the front – the singers of “Darnychanka” collect and hand them over. Not only golden voices gathered here, but primarily responsible citizens.
“OUR SINGER DIED UNDER BAHMUTH…”
According to Pyotr Andriychuk, “Darnychanka” — this is a kind of model of society, there are 50 people, men and women of three generations. Different voices, born in Ukraine and outside it.
“They are going to be united by one idea. We unite a creative team and conduct educational work with our creativity. We perform in all regions of Ukraine — from fields, performances in front of the military to opera houses. In Europe, we performed at very prestigious venues, now we carry the Ukrainian spirit,” says its director about the choir’s mission.
Here is the fate of every singer, like the history of any Ukrainian. Ye Kateryna Ivanivna Sulima celebrates 60 years in “Darnychanka” next week.
And recently, a young man who was not taken to the front joined the team. And he said that he had to serve society.
“And right now we are experiencing a heavy loss – our singer Oleksandr Chornyi died near Bakhmut…” Mr. Petro shared.
He says that those who left Ukraine cannot forget their time in the singing team, because here they experienced very bright moments of their lives. One singer specially came from abroad to take part in the concert.
There is also a performer who travels 70 kilometers from Baryshivka to all rehearsals. This is how the man likes to sing. People come to rehearsals from Glevakha, Gostomel and Brovary, from all the suburbs of Kyiv.
“People love songs and love to hone them. We study for a long time, we pass them through the soul and heart, and this is a musical picture. We were told that we were doing no less than diplomats. A song is a shorter way to hearts than words,” the group’s artistic director told “Evening Kyiv”.
According to him, Ukraine is a singer and this strength must be preserved.
“Choirs were, are and will be. We have to pass on the choir to the descendants, which they will modernize, but we have to pass on something to them that they would grab hold of,” says Petro Andriychuk about the mission of “Darnychanka”.
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All photos by the author
Olga SKOTNIKOVA
