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"Ukrainian Minstrels: and the blind shall sing" by Natalie Kononenko
Virtual Bandura Museum
More N. Kononenko fotos at U. of Virginia
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Ukrainian Minstrels
by Natalie Kononenko
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The blind kobzar Ehor Movchan with his sister back in his home village Vekykyi
Pysarets, Sumy region; photo taken in 1968. During the Soviet period, traditional performers
were encouraged to develop a Soviet repertory and one of the tasks of folklorists was to help
them do so. Movchan responded to Soviet pressure and composed several songs on new topics,
the most famous of which is Duma pro Lenina, once an obligatory part of any kobzar
performance. According to Pavlo Suprun, Movchan felt that God punished him for complicity
with the Soviet agenda. In his old age, Movchan suffered from a swelling of the fingers which
made him unable to play his beloved bandura. Movchan told Suprun that he interpreted this
condition as retribution.
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