Petro Tkachenko
Encyclopedia
Petro Fedorovych Tkachenko (December 21, 1878, Syniavtsi – January 3, 1919) was a prominent blind kobzar
.
s of the Chernihiv
region. He was born on December 21, 1878 in the village of Syniavtsi, Sosnytsia
county near Chernihiv. At the age of 9 he became blind. At the age of 16 he began an apprenticeship with the kobzar Andriy Hayduk (Haydenko) and after a short period continued with Tereshko Parkhomenko
under whom he studied for three years. (Kornievsky states that he was partially sighted).
Tkachenko's repertoire consisted mainly of songs. Opanas Slastion
wrote in 1906 that he knew three dumy
(sung epic poems):
These dumy were performed by Tkachenko rarely, and as a consequence some ethnomusicologists state that he did not know any dumy at all.
Regarding his bandura
technique, he played quite well. His voice was not of the most exciting, however he sang with passion and was able to move the listener.
Petro Tkachenko was widely traveled, performing in the cities of Chernihiv
, Nizhyn
, Konotop
, Kharkiv
, Poltava
, Lokhvytsia
, Pryluky
, Pryiatyn, Kremenchuk
, Mykolayiv and others. In 1905 he lived for two months in the home of the director of the Yekaterinoslav Historic Museum – academic Dmytro Yavornytsky
, playing for the visitors of the museum, as an illustration for public lectures by this eminent historian.
Tkachenko died during the prime of his life living only 40 years, after a difficult illness (Typhus
) on 3 January, 1919.
For his noted accomplishments he was included in a list of prominent international cultural figures to be celebrated by UNESCO
in 1977-78.
Kobzar
A Kobzar was an itinerant Ukrainian bard who sang to his own accompaniment.-Tradition:Kobzars were often blind, and became predominantly so by the 1800s...
.
Biography
Petro Fedorovych Tkachenko-Halashko was one of the more outstanding kobzarKobzar
A Kobzar was an itinerant Ukrainian bard who sang to his own accompaniment.-Tradition:Kobzars were often blind, and became predominantly so by the 1800s...
s of the Chernihiv
Chernihiv
Chernihiv or Chernigov is a historic city in northern Ukraine. It is the administrative center of the Chernihiv Oblast , as well as of the surrounding Chernihivskyi Raion within the oblast...
region. He was born on December 21, 1878 in the village of Syniavtsi, Sosnytsia
Sosnytsia
Sosnytsia is a townlet and administrative center of the Sosnytsky Raion of the Chernihiv Oblast in north-central Ukraine. The townlet is located on the west bank of the Ubid' river, a tributary of the Desna river, some from Chernihiv, the province center.Sosnytsia was the birthplace of...
county near Chernihiv. At the age of 9 he became blind. At the age of 16 he began an apprenticeship with the kobzar Andriy Hayduk (Haydenko) and after a short period continued with Tereshko Parkhomenko
Tereshko Parkhomenko
Terentiy Makarovych Parkhomenko was one of the most respected kobzars of the late 19th and early 20th century.-Biography:...
under whom he studied for three years. (Kornievsky states that he was partially sighted).
Tkachenko's repertoire consisted mainly of songs. Opanas Slastion
Opanas Slastion
Opanas Georgievych Slastion was a Ukrainian graphic artist, painter and ethnographer.He was born in the Ukrainian port town of Berdyansk on the Berdyansk Gulf of the Sea of Azov...
wrote in 1906 that he knew three dumy
Duma (epic)
A Duma is a sung epic poem which originated in Ukraine during the Hetmanate Era in the sixteenth century...
(sung epic poems):
- The duma about the brother and sister
- The duma about the widow and her three sons
- The duma about the captives' lament
These dumy were performed by Tkachenko rarely, and as a consequence some ethnomusicologists state that he did not know any dumy at all.
Regarding his bandura
Bandura
Bandura refers to a Ukrainian plucked string folk instrument. It combines elements of a box zither and lute, as well as its lute-like predecessor, the kobza...
technique, he played quite well. His voice was not of the most exciting, however he sang with passion and was able to move the listener.
Petro Tkachenko was widely traveled, performing in the cities of Chernihiv
Chernihiv
Chernihiv or Chernigov is a historic city in northern Ukraine. It is the administrative center of the Chernihiv Oblast , as well as of the surrounding Chernihivskyi Raion within the oblast...
, Nizhyn
Nizhyn
Nizhyn is a city located in the Chernihiv Oblast of northern Ukraine, along the Oster River, north-east of the nation's capital, Kiev. It is the administrative center of the Nizhynsky Raion, though the city itself is also designated as a district in the oblast...
, Konotop
Konotop
Konotop is a city in northern Ukraine within the Sumy Oblast. Konotop is the center of the Konotop Raion , and is located about 129 km from Sumy, the Oblast capital. It is host to Konotop air base.-History:...
, Kharkiv
Kharkiv
Kharkiv or Kharkov is the second-largest city in Ukraine.The city was founded in 1654 and was a major centre of Ukrainian culture in the Russian Empire. Kharkiv became the first city in Ukraine where the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic was proclaimed in December 1917 and Soviet government was...
, Poltava
Poltava
Poltava is a city in located on the Vorskla River in central Ukraine. It is the administrative center of the Poltava Oblast , as well as the surrounding Poltava Raion of the oblast. Poltava's estimated population is 298,652 ....
, Lokhvytsia
Lokhvytsia
Lokhvytsia is a city in the Poltava Oblast of central Ukraine. It is the administrative center of the Lokhvytskyi Raion , and is located on the banks of Lokhvytsia River.The current estimated population is around 21,400 ....
, Pryluky
Pryluky
Pryluky or Priluki is a city located on the Udai River in the Chernihiv Oblast, north-central Ukraine. Serving as the administrative center of the Prylutsky Raion , the city itself is also designated as a separate municipality within the oblast...
, Pryiatyn, Kremenchuk
Kremenchuk
Kremenchuk is an important industrial city in the Poltava Oblast of central Ukraine. Serving as the administrative center of the Kremenchutskyi Raion , the city itself is also designated as a separate raion within the oblast, and is located on the banks of Dnieper River.-History:Kremenchuk was...
, Mykolayiv and others. In 1905 he lived for two months in the home of the director of the Yekaterinoslav Historic Museum – academic Dmytro Yavornytsky
Dmytro Yavornytsky
Dmytro Yavornytsky , was a noted Ukrainian historian, archeologist, ethnographer, folklorist, and lexicographer. He was one of the most prominent researchers of the Ukrainian Cossacks, especially the Zaporozhian Cossacks , and the author of their first general history...
, playing for the visitors of the museum, as an illustration for public lectures by this eminent historian.
Tkachenko died during the prime of his life living only 40 years, after a difficult illness (Typhus
Typhus
Epidemic typhus is a form of typhus so named because the disease often causes epidemics following wars and natural disasters...
) on 3 January, 1919.
For his noted accomplishments he was included in a list of prominent international cultural figures to be celebrated by UNESCO
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
in 1977-78.
Sources
- Mishalow, V. and M.- Ukrains'ki kobzari-bandurysty - Sydney, Australia, 1986
- Polotay, M - Kobzar Petro Tkachenko - Narodna Tvorchist' ta Etnohrafiya, 1978 #5 p.71-2