ТВОРЧИЙ ШЛЯХ В. Г. МАГАРА (до 90-річчя з дня заснування Запорізького академічного українського музично-драматичного театру)

Abstract

The article is devoted to ninetieth anniversary of Zaporizhzhya Regional Academic Ukrainian Musical and V. G. Mahar Dramatic Theatre. The relevant research is the organizational and creative activity of V. Mahar. Today, unfortunately, even in hometown, where the artist worked, the activity of theatre founder is little known. The main purpose of the article is to explore tendencies of the activity of Volodymyr Mahar, who was stage leader, actor, stage director, manager. The principle of theatre development from the dramatic circle to the serious professional theatre with its own building in industrial region of the country was determined. The relevant observation is the interrelation between the effective work of V. G. Magar and theatre activity flourishing in Zaporizhzhya region.Material is considered with the use of source study, historical as well as cultural methods. The theatre in Zaporizhzhya is named after Magar, who was the honoured artist of theSoviet Union. At the time when Magar worked, the theatre was named after Shchors. In the city, in which the theatre activity was not popular, there was always a tendency to draw audiences. In the days of Magar the concept of the own creation was denied and controlled. Magar differed from other stage directors. He was the founder of heroic and romantic style, which drew attention of the audience. V. Haidabura, Y. Yahnych, N. Yhnateva devoted their publications to research in the sphere of the theatre named after Shchors and personality of V. Magar. The peculiarities of theatre culture development in different regions ofUkraineare discussed in the scientific publications of O. Antonenko, O. Volosatykh, V. Honcharova, P. Denysovets, R. Hutsal, L. Vaniuha, N. Kosaniak, S. Stepaniuk, P. Chupryna, L. Shylova, etc. In view of this theatre culture of Zaporizhzhya region is considered as a poorly studied issue. Insufficient study of theatre culture development history of Zaporizhzhya region as the important component of not only regional, but also national culture on the whole, account for the rationale of the chosen topic of research.In 1923 Magar was involved into the process of social and political life formation, he brought the youth together, and established the first dramatic circle in the volost. He received education in Kyiv M. Lysenko Music and Drama Institute, undertook his internship in the I. Franko theatre. After graduating from institute he held the position of director of Kyiv theatre of health education. In 1936 at the beginning of the theatrical season Volodymyr Magar was appointed as an artistic director of Kyiv regional theatre named after KORPS (Kyiv Regional Council of Trade Unions), which was located in Zhytomyr.For the first time V. Magar was awarded Honored Artist title of the UkSSR in1939. In1943 V. G. Magar became People’s Artist of the republic.In 1960 he was awarded People’s Artist of theUSSR. He also received the award for theatre performance “Shchors” in 1960, which brought glory to Zaporizhzhya theatre at the festival of Ukrainian literature and art inMoscow. This theatre performance was staged by him three times at various times in different variants.The artist had his own understanding of the role and value of art, but he was forced to create art under the conditions of specific mental atmosphere and develop the art activity not conflicting with the ideological convictions and art preferences. The great obstacle in formation of theatrical art was the ideological method of socialist realism. Magar’s theatre embodied almost impossible characteristics for its time: it was faithful to political ideology and at the same time it conformed to the laws of high aesthetics, but the main thing was that the theatre appealed to audience. Over the 40-year period of the creative activity Magar devoted almost thirty years to the theatre named after Shchors, in the course of his work he included Ukrainian, Russian classics into the repertoire, against which it was more difficult to make censorship claims, he also invited the best actors to join the theatre group. Name of V. Magar ranks with the names of the outstanding national artists, such as Hnat Yura, Marian Krushelnytskyi, Borys Romanytskyi, Borys Tiahno, Vasyl Vasylko. These personalities influenced the formation of the theatre activity inUkraine.Currently work of the artist is continued by other generation of stage directors. For ninetieth anniversary T. Leshchova, the main stage director, prepared the concert Viva Flamenсo for audience. At present the theatre activity is focused on preserving national values based on cultural traditions, satisfying society’s interests in art as well as on aesthetic education and improvement of spiritual one.