Ukrainian Theater Research Articles

Person in the modern theatrical life of Ukraine: A journalistic perspective

The purpose of the paper is to determine the peculiarities of representation and self-presentation of modern theatre actors of Ukraine through the prism of media coverage, in particular those specialized in the cultural sphere. The following scientific methods were used to investigate the issue: descriptive, analytical, inductive-deductive, survey, content analysis. The result of the study of the issue of a person in modern Ukrainian theatrical life through the prism of journalistic coverage of this sphere is the analysis of the conscious accentuation of attention on issues of all-Ukrainian importance by representatives of the theatre industry in Ukraine and beyond. As a result of the study of the issue of the theatrical realities of Ukraine in the journalistic discourse, the main aspects, to which the masters of the Ukrainian theatre attach importance, were determined. According to the results of a survey conducted among representatives of Ukrainian cultural journalism and representatives of the performing arts, an important role in the creative activity of a modern theatre person is the coverage of Ukrainian life, in particular, the realities of war, on the artistic stage.

Ukrainian theatre avant-garde in the space of museum communication

The aim of the work is to study the principles of museum communication in the processes of exhibiting works by Ukrainian avant-garde theatre artists of the first third of the 20th century in exhibition projects in Ukraine and Estonia in 2014–2023. The research methodology is based on art historical and cultural analysis. The scientific novelty of the study is related to the evolution of museum communication strategies in their focus on the transmission of national messages in the domestic Ukrainian and international cultural space to reveal the specifics of the codes of Ukrainian identity and rethink the achievements of the Ukrainian avant-garde, including the theatrical avant-garde, from the standpoint of decolonising its perception. In this context, the artistic and intellectual models of the exhibitions «Scene of the Ukrainian Avant-Garde» (Mystetskyi Arsenal, Kyiv, Ukraine, 2014), «Futuromarennia» (Mystetskyi Arsenal, Kyiv, Ukraine, 2021–2022) and «Futuromarennia. Ukraine ja avangard» (KUMU Art Museum, Tallinn, Estonia, 2023) were analysed for the first time. The conclusions state the evolution of communicative models focused on building links between the Ukrainian avant-garde and folk decorative art, the disclosure of inter-artistic relations within the concept of pan-futurism in the space of Ukrainian culture, as well as the presentation of a postcolonial view of the reactivation of the links between Ukrainian and European art in the reflections of avant-garde artists. 
 Keywords: Ukrainian avant-garde, Ukrainian theatrical avant-garde, scenography, theatrical costume, contemporary museum practices, museum communication, visual communication, visual culture.

Architect Hans Poelzig: a project for Ukraine

The paper examines one of the fragments of the creative heritage of the famous German architect Hans Poelzig: his competition project of the State Ukrainian Theatre of Mass Musical Action for 4000 seats for Kharkiv. The project is viewed through the prism of little-known competitive events of 1930, which makes it possible to decipher its architectural, compositional, urbanistic and functional ideas, to reveal its symbolism. The study is based on the architect’s original drawings preserved in the archive, primary sources of the early 1930s, biographical and critical works of other authors dedicated to the nominees of the Kharkiv competition, as well as on a comparative and meaningful analysis of architectural graphics and textual documentation.

The Stone Master by Lesya Ukrainka: The Imagology of Don Juan’s Image in the Context of Ukrainian Gender Issues of the Early 20th Century

The aim of the article is to analyse the genesis of Don Juan’s image and substantiate the imagology of the legendary character in the context of Ukrainian gender issues at the time Lesya Ukrainka wrote The Stone Master. Results. The article presents the basic principles of imagology as a comprehensive direction of cultural research and defines the meaning of using its tools in contemporary theatre studies. Attention is also paid to the gender studies of Ukrainian scholars, which are at the intersection with imagological issues. The study focuses on the image of Don Juan from the dramatic poem The Stone Master. The genesis of the character is traced from the 17th to the 19th century in order to demonstrate that his imagology is studied at the intersection of the stereotype concept and cultural iconography provisions. The Ukrainian poetess deliberately did not violate the canonical image of the seducer of Seville that was formed over three centuries. However, the obvious Byronic inspirations of the artistic ideology of the dramatic poem and the polemic with Hoffmannism and Nietzscheism, as well as gender issues, caused the transformation of the image, influenced the formation of the literary model, in a certain sense alien to the entire world context of the legend of Don Juan. Scientific novelty. For the first time in Ukrainian theatre studies, an attempt has been made to analyse the imagology of the legendary image created by Lesya Ukrainka in the context of Ukrainian gender issues at the beginning of the last century. Conclusions. The Stone Master, as well as a number of other dramatic poems by Lesya Ukrainka, provides rich factual material for research in the categories of imagology. They are facilitated by the transitive nature of the Ukrainian poetess’s dramatic works. Therefore, we consider the study of the images of foreign countries and peoples in a broad historical and cultural context based on Lesya Ukrainka’s dramatic poems to be one of the most promising directions of contemporary interdisciplinary research at the intersection of historical literature and theatre studies.

Genre of Comedy Ballet in Music of Yurii Shevchenko as an Effective Tool for Overcoming Social and Psychological Traumas of War: on the Example of Ballet “The Adventures of Pinocchio”

The purpose of the study is to substantiate and reveal the cultural potential of the comedic ballet genre as an effective tool for overcoming the social and psychological traumas of war on the example of Yurii Shevchenko's ballet “The Adventures of Pinocchio”. The research methodology is based on the complex application of specifically scientific methods (historical, systematic-analytical, hermeneutic, and generalisation). The historical method is used to study the topic in its historical retrospective, understanding the origins, which helps to establish links between the studied ballet productions and the socio-cultural landscape of their creation and performance. The systematic-analytical method is applied to explain the art of interpretation, in particular, the content and semantic aspects of musical and stage works through the correlation of higher-order aggregates of different structural levels – composition, instrumental accompaniment, and the choreographic part of the production. The hermeneutic method is used to study the musical framework of ballets, which can have many different interpretations. The method of generalization is used to generalise common scientific principles and regularities, and helps to identify the overall trends in the development of ballet music in different periods of composer Yurii Shevchenko's work. The scientific novelty of the study lies in the consideration of the genre of comedy ballet as an effective tool for overcoming the socio-psychological trauma of war, which contributes to the restoration of the moral and psychological state of society, the improvement of morale, and the return of faith in justice. The ballet “The Adventures of Pinocchio” by Yuriy Shevchenko is presented, which is a vivid example of the composer's work in the context of the current conditions of the Ukrainian theatre. In the course of the study, the scientific justification of the comedy ballet genre is expanded and supplemented. Conclusions. The article reflects the significance of theatre music as an important component of the artistic and creative activity of theatre groups in modern conditions. The evolution of theatre music testifies to its connection with modernity, and also reveals a tendency to strengthen the role of art and culture in the education and support of positive social values. The direct connection of the creative tasks of theatre music with the present is observed. It is established that there is a consonance of manifestations in music of both traditional folklore motifs and new national and cultural characteristics, which allows it to become more emotional and understandable to the audience. It is stated that Ukrainian society, traumatised by war, is going through a difficult historical, moral, and spiritual period. There is a need for music, in particular, for theatre performances, which will play not only an aesthetic role, but will also become a means of restoring a positive attitude, help overcome war-related traumas, and have a powerful cultural and therapeutic function. It is shown that one of the vivid examples of the development of the comedy ballet genre in theatre music is the work of the famous Ukrainian composer Yurii Shevchenko and his ballet “The Adventures of Pinocchio”. This ballet is an apt example of how art can help maintain a positive attitude and hope for the future in difficult times of social disasters and become an important support for people during wartime. The story of Pinocchio and his friends, which is presented through classical dance, comedy ballet, grotesque, and pantomime, shows that good triumphs over evil in any circumstances. The ballet “The Adventures of Pinocchio” provides the audience not only with entertainment and relaxation, but also helps to maintain a positive attitude, hope for the future and is an effective tool for overcoming the socio-psychological traumas of war. Key words: genre of comedy ballet, ballet «The Adventures of Pinocchio» («Pinocchio and the Magic Violin» until September 2022), Yuriy Shevchenko, ballet theater, choreography, musical theater, stage art, musical art, academic and non-academic music, synthesis of musical and choreographic art, art therapy function, socio-psychological traumas of war.

Aesthetics of Non-Conformism in Design Of Stage Space by Daniel Lider (1965–1975)

The purpose of the article is to identify the specifics of the manifestation of non-conformism tendencies in the work of Danylo Lider, People's Artist of Ukraine, chief artist of the Ivan Franko National Academic Drama Theatre in Kyiv in 1965–1975. Research methodology. The article uses a typological method (to identify the peculiarities of non-conformism in accordance with the specifics of stage design); a functional and typological method, which helped to identify the specifics of non-conformism in D. Lider's plastic solutions; a method of art historical, figurative and stylistic, formal and stylistic analysis of the design of the stage space of performances developed by D. Lider in 1965-1975. Scientific novelty. Non-conformism as a method of artistic thinking in the context of the specifics of the design of theatrical art of Ukraine in the 1960s-1990s is studied. The specificity of the manifestation of non-conformist tendencies in the work of one of the leading Ukrainian theatre artists D. Lider is revealed. Based on the analysis of architectonic elements and features of the visual image of the stage space of the plays "Diary Page" by O. Korniichuk (directed by V. Lyzogub, 1965), "Yaroslav the Wise" by I. Kocherha (directed by B. Meshkis, 1970), "The Time of Yellow Leaves" by O. Kolomiiets (1973), "Hello, Pripiat!" by O. Levada (directed by S. Smiian, 1974) revealed the characteristic features of Danylo Lider's non-conformism. Conclusions. The non-conformism of national theatre artists, in particular D. Lider, has a number of specific features that distinguish it from non-conformism in literature and the visual arts. The artist expresses a huge ideological, spiritual and artistic protest by means of multidimentional metaphorisation. Using myths and the tendency of his own consciousness to deep philosophical mystification of reality, he creates amazing, fantastic worlds within a given stage space. A peculiar reaction to the limitations of positivist aesthetics and naturalistic tendencies of socialist realism in D. Lider's work was the play of metaphors and associations. Non-conformism in the design of D. Lider's stage art is manifested in a complex synthesis of the master's philosophical, ideologicall and aesthetic concepts with the actual searches for new artistic forms. Its characteristic features are: a tendency to an highly complex, symbolic portrayal of one's own ideas and impressions, to a sophisticated coding of artistic means; immersion in the spiritual world and unusual forms of expression of new psychological material obtained as a result of comprehending the literary source of the stage production; creation of a figurative and plastic structure of the performance that goes far beyond the dramatic material; destruction of the canons of traditional artistic design in the style of socialist realism in search of a new reality; emphasis on the nuances of the deep shades of human feelings. Key words: non-conformism, stage space design, D. Lider, architectonics, metaphorisation, symbolic representation.

Droga do domu

GOING HOME: UKRAINIAN THEATRICAL ACTIVITIES IN THE PUBLIC SPACE AFTER 1991 ON THE EXAMPLE OF THE CONTEMPORARY ART PROFECT GOGOLFEST Along with gaining independence, in Ukraine festival tendencies were revived, including theatrical art: the exchange of experiences has been intensified, tendencies to present social- and historical topics forbidden during the USSR times along with the search for new means of bringing theatrical art closer to the audience became more visible and prominent. In the early 1990s, festival movement became key to Ukrainian theatre’s revival, enabling its adaptation to the new socio-political, economic and cultural reality. The aim of the article is to present the GogolFest festival in the context of various directions of the festival movement after 1991. The idea and initiative to create this multidisciplinary project came from the director, producer and artistic manager of the ‘Dach’ Center for Contemporary Art. As a result, activities of GogolFest and its evolution have a broader culture-forming scope: through the integration of various fields of art and creators, they aim at modernizing Ukraine in the space of art. This, in turn, is the basic condition of forming or increasing the awareness and conducting social discussion on current and historical topics brought by the reality of contemporary Ukraine.

Using the basics of Les Kurbas’s directing skills in the training of future specialists in higher education

The training of specialists in artistic higher education institutions should be conducted using modern methods, technologies, and developments and be oriented towards a modern audience, but at the same time, training should be based on established principles and views that have been tested by time. Les Kurbas is a personality whose views and principles of acting and directing can be a guide for contemporary artists, and therefore they should be used in the professional training of students of theatre and film education. The purpose of this paper was to cover the aspects of training future specialists in higher education institutions based on Les Kurbas’s directing craft. To fulfil this purpose, the following research methods were used: biographical method, methods of analysis and synthesis, method of comparison, method of abstraction, method of analogy, methods of deduction and induction. The paper covered the foundations of Les Kurbas’s directing craft and its influence on the development of modern theatre and directing, compared his principles and views with those of contemporary artists. The paper revealed the role of Les Kurbas and his work in preserving the identity of Ukrainian theatre and cinema and in the development of Ukrainian culture. A parallel was drawn between modern approaches to training future specialists and the foundations of Les Kurbas’s directing craft. The conclusion was made on the expediency of using the basics of Les Kurbas’s directing craft in the educational process of higher educational institutions. The paper described the specific features of using the basics of Les Kurbas’s directing craft in the preparation of future specialists for professional activity and provided recommendations for their implementation in the educational process. The results of this paper can be used by teachers of artistic higher education institutions when developing lecture materials and special courses, as well as by students for self-improvement and work on themselves and their professional skills, which underlies the successful development of Ukrainian theatre and cinema.

Mastery of modern technologies in higher education institutions as a basis for the work of a future media specialist

In the era of modernisation, mastering modern technologies and innovative working methods is an important aspect of any business. Modern technologies are no less relevant in the work of future directors, because, having mastered them, a specialist can adapt to modern professional trends and improve the quality of their projects. The purpose of this study was to cover the aspects of the use of modern technologies in the training of future directors and to prove that mastering them is necessary for successful professional activity. To fulfil this purpose, the methods of analysis and synthesis, comparison, generalisation, induction and deduction were used. The study revealed the need to use innovative technologies in the work of modern specialists, namely in the activities of future directors. The paper described the specific features of preparing future directors for professional activity in higher education institutions. The study analysed aspects of directing activity in the era of modernisation. The authors described modern technologies and the possibilities of their application in filmmaking. The importance of modern technologies for future specialists in terms of distance education and blended education was covered. The authors described the prospects for the development of film and theatre art if future directors use modern technologies. Positive and negative aspects of the use of modern technologies in filmmaking were covered. Recommendations for improving the process of mastering modern technologies in higher education institutions were provided. It was concluded that future directors need to master modern technologies to develop Ukrainian theatre and cinema. The results of this study can be used by the management of art higher education institutions to develop curricula, by teachers to improve the educational process, and by students when studying and preparing for professional activities.

UKRAINIAN THEATER IN PEREMYSHLY (1941 – 1944): STRUCTURE AND ACTIVITIES

The aim of the research is to discover the organizational-administrative and creative-artistic aspects of the activity of the Ukrainian Theatre in Peremyshl in the years of the Hitlerite’s occupation of the town. The research methodology is based on the principles of historicism, system-formation, scientific character, verification, the author’s objectivity, moderated narrative constructivism, and the use of general scientific (analysis, synthesis, generalization) and specially-historical (historical-genetic, historical-typological, historical-systemic, etc.) methods. The scientific novelty of the article consists in the argumentation of the fact, that, for the first time, in the historiography of the Ukrainian theatrical art on the basis of the previously unknown archival documents, the genesis, organizational development, repertoire, administration, and actors’ staff of the Ukrainian Theatre in Peremyshl in the years of its occupation by the Hitlerites are clarified. Conclusions. Summing up, the fact that the historical genesis of the Ukrainian Theatre in Peremyshl was connected with the activity of “Lesia Ukraіnka theatrical society” (1925 – 1939) and the Soviet State regional drama theatre (1940 – 1941). The history of the Ukrainian Theatre in Peremyshl can be divided into three stages: 1) the stage of the formation of the theatre in a form of the Theatrical circle and Drama section of UAC (1942 – first half of 1943), 2) the stage of the theatre’s reorganization into a professional establishment (August‑October, 1943), 3) the stage of the theatre’s vigorous activity on professional bases (November of 1943 – July of 1944). The Ukrainian Theatre’s artistic experience was manifested by several dozens of first-night performances and almost one hundred of other productions in Peremyshl and the neighboring villages and towns.

Teatr Kamińskiego w Warszawie – panorama pierwszych lat (1911–1914)

Kamiński Theater in Warsaw: The First Years (1911–1914) The article focuses on the artistic activity of the Kamiński Theater in Warsaw (1/3 Oboźna Street) prior to World War I. First, it reviews publications related to the topic which present varying facts and dates. Then the author confronts these scholarly works with Yiddish dailies. Based on the Warsaw Yiddish daily Der Moment, she determines that Yiddish performances of the troupe run by Avrom-Yitskhok Kamiński started as early as June 1911, not 1913 or 1909 as previously thought. The Kamiński Theater building was used not only by Jewish but also by Polish, Russian, and Ukrainian theater troupes.

Italian far-right foreign fighters in the Ukrainian war. The long chain of Transnational Recruitment Network (TRN)

ABSTRACT This study investigates the phenomenon of far-right foreign fighters engaged on the Ukrainian war alongside pro-Russian separatists. Before the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the phenomenon, albeit limited, also affected Italy. This article aims to map the ties and to analyze the interactions between the various actors involved in the distribution of the call to arms, from recruitment to the reception of foreign fighters in the host country. The article is divided in two parts. First, the aspects relating to the conceptualization of the phenomenon and the motivations underlying the choices to become a foreign fighter will be analyzed. Radicalization processes and their interpretations will also be explored. The second part presents the empirical analysis of Italian far-right foreign fighters operating in the Donbass area. This research uncovered a complex Transnational Recruitment Network (TRN) enabling Italian far-right activists to reach the Ukrainian theater of war. The study findings show that the links between the network nodes of far-right organizations are relevant factors for the activation and radicalization of foreign fighters.

Method, techniques and stylistic features of S. Pasichnyk’s stage direction (based on the performances of 2010–2020)

Statement of the problem. The article examines the performances of the chief director of the Kharkiv Taras Shevchenko State Academic Ukrainian Drama Theater, Honored Artist of Ukraine Stepan Volodymyrovych Pasichnyk (born in 1965). Stepan Pasichnyk is an actor, a director with a philosophical mindset, a theater teacher, a poet, a playwright, who has an unparalleled multifaceted talent, a unique worldview, tireless creative energy, and his performances arouse the interest not only of theater critics and theater historians, but also of a large audience, including youth. At the same time, there is currently only one scientific article that examines the creative method of the artist on the earlier material of 1990–2000 (Kovalenko, 2012b), also the articles of same author in periodicals (Kovalenko, 2012a, Shchukina-Kovalenko, 2021). Another scientific article is devoted to the musical component of one of the director’s performances (Liubchenko, 2021); there are also reviews of selected S. Pasichnyk’s performances (Lohvynova, 2016; Chepalov, 2018; Shvets, 2013; Poliakova, 2016). Therefore, the question remains almost unsolved. Objectives and methods of the research. The purpose of this study is to reveal the peculiarities of S. Pasichnyk’s stage techniques, his method and style of work on the play, which are characteristic of his staging culture. The methods of systematization and generalization of scattered information are applied, in particular, from our own theater-critical experience of analyzing S. Pasichnyk’s plays, as well as biographical, historical-chronological, comparative and interpretive approaches with elements of the reconstructing the performances. Results and conclusion. S. Pasichnyk’s directing has undergone a significant evolution, from the “demonstration” type (1990–2000) to deeply realistic and, at the same time, theatrically imaginative performances, in which the director seeks to reveal and present the personality of the actor. As a director, S. Pasichnyk gravitates towards the genre of tragicomedy, however, due to the individualization of the techniques used, the form of his dramatic performances is always changing, and his philosophical views correspond to the existential directing in the art of dramatic theater. In a triumvirate with the painter Tetiana Medvid and the composer Hennadii Frolov, the director aims to recreate an ambivalent environment and a variable musical and intonation sphere on the stage, which help the viewer to perceive not only the plot, but also the parable behind it. The director uses music as a component of the dramatic plan of his performances, widely applying the leitmotiv principle. Musical accompaniment often appears in his performances as a “counterpoint” to the action, revealing the director’s subtext of the verbal text. Over the years, S. Pasichnik developed his own unique method of text analysis. The actor in his performance is not only a character, but also a personality. The director skillfully uses, in particular, such a technique as “activated character”. Over the last decade, S. Pasichnyk’s repertoire includes world and Ukrainian classics, as well as the best modern European dramas. At the same time, in his performances, he acts not only as their director, but as a thoughtful interpreter, subjecting to revision both the genre and the style of the author’s work. In the context of modern theatrical searches, Stepan Pasichnyk’s directing is a reflection of the essence of the period when (in the 1930s) the natural path of Ukrainian theater development was interrupted or artificially suspended. In his opinion, in order to move forward, it is necessary to restore an important link that was roughly torn from the chain of Ukrainian culture. The director brings back the modernist means of theatrical expressiveness developed on the basis of national ethical and aesthetic traditions, and conveys them from the stage in a unique creative manner. So, the activity of the Kharkiv artist undoubtedly deserves further fundamental research.

Stages of the Life and Work of Anna Zatyrkevich-Karpynska

The article examines the main stages of the life and work of the outstanding Ukrainian artist, teacher, and theater actor Hanna Petrivna Zatyrkevich-Karpynska. The sources of writing the article are materials from periodicals, memories of her contemporaries, and materials from the Romny Museum of Local History. Hanna Petrivna was born on February 20, 1855, in the noble family of the Kovtunenkos in the town of Srybny, Prylutsky District. At first, she participated in amateur performances. Since 1883, Hanna Petrivna Zatyrkevich began to perform with luminaries of the Ukrainian theater and their colleagues. She worked in professional Ukrainian theaters under the leadership of M. Kropyvnytskyi, M. Starytskyi, M. Sadovskyi, M. Starytskyi, P. Saksaganskyi, and I. Kavaleridze. It was found that the factors that influenced her development as an actress, in particular, were her environment – a serf nanny and peasants with whom she communicated all her life. Her parents and studies at the Kyiv Institute of Noble Girls contributed to her interest in the theater. During her almost forty years of work in the theater, H. Zatyrkevich-Karpynska played about 130 roles and created a whole gallery of the most diverse and unsurpassed stage images. She was famous as a comical, characteristic actress. Her work and talent contributed to the formation of the Ukrainian National Theater. The outstanding actress educated a whole constellation of students, most of whom became leading masters of the Ukrainian theater. She spent the last years of her life in the city of Romny, where she took an active part in the theater created there. H. Zatyrkevich-Karpynska is buried in Romny Central Cemetery.

ХАРКІВ 1930: УКРАЇНСЬКІ ПЕРЕМОЖЦІ ЗАБУТОГО КОНКУРСУ СВІТОВОГО РІВНЯ

The article examines a little-known event of world level that took place in Ukraine during the heyday of modernism in 1930: a competition for the design of the Sovereign Ukrainian Theatre of Mass Musical Action for Kharkiv. About 100 projects sent from abroad: from 9 European countries, as well as from the USA and Japan, were an obvious confirmation of its significance. The article proves the high professional level of the Ukrainian architectural school in 1930-1931. Its young representatives demonstrated innovative thinking, avant-garde developments in the actual field of multifunctional theatre buildings, having received one of the first prizes in the competition with masters such as Walter Gropius, Hans Pelzig and others. The names of our glorious compatriots, who made an invaluable contribution to the development of Ukrainian architecture in subsequent years, rebuilt our country in the post-war period, have been restored. The first prize was awarded to three nominees at once. It was a project called "Machine" by the American architect Alfred Kastner (New York); a project with the emblem "Black sector in a red circle" by the Croatian architect Zdenko Stryžič, who was working in Germany at the time, as well as a project called "1931", executed by a group of Kharkiv authors. The project of Walter Gropius, one of the founders of European modernism, called "Mass Center" was awarded the eighth prize. The project of another well-known German architect, Hans Pelzig, was highly praised, but not awarded (assigned to the second category). The famous German architect Otto Kotz also did not receive an award. The 1930 competition for the project of the State Ukrainian Theater of mass musical performance was a significant event in the history of world modernism. Well-known masters of the advanced modernism direction took part in the competition, but also young beginners. The competition becames a bridge to fame for many of them. They became the leading architects of the middle of the 20th century subsequently.

КУЛЬТУРА СКАСУВАННЯ: ЕТИЧНИЙ ТА ПОЛІТИЧНИЙ АСПЕКТИ (ДО ПОСТАНОВКИ ПРОБЛЕМИ У КОНТЕКСТІ РОСІЙСЬКО-УКРАЇНСЬКОЇ ВІЙНИ)

Today Ukraine is struggling with the war on its own territory. Russian invasion has provoked many discussions in the cultural sphere. In the end of February 2022 Ukraine's Minister of Culture and Information Policy Oleksandr Tkachenko called the world to impose cultural sanctions on the Russian Federation. It means to cancel Russian culture. Cancel culture refers to the popular practice of withdrawing support for (canceling) public figures and companies after they have done or said something considered objectionable or offensive. Cancel culture is generally discussed as being performed on social media in the form of group shaming. What ethical issues this phenomenon implicates? What does it mean for Ukraine? Cancel culture is a complicated phenomenon in the modern world. We can begin our analysis of the contemporary problem of the culture of cancellation in ethics and politics by analyzing the classic works of Hannah Arendt, Isaiah Berlin, and Michael Oakeshott. Oleksandr Klekovkin, a Ukrainian theater expert, actively promotes the idea of abolishing Russian culture in Ukraine. American lawyer Alan Dershowitz sees a negative aspect of the cancel culture phenomenon. So far, a clear understanding of this phenomenon has not been developed academically. The purpose of the article is an attempt to analyze the phenomenon of "cancellation culture" in ethical and political aspects, actualized in the conditions of the Russian-Ukrainian war in the context of the cancellation of Russian culture in Ukraine. If in a certain society, even under the conditions of a democratic political regime, the idea of at least a hypothetical possibility of solving all problems prevails, it will stop at nothing to achieve such an ideal state. This is the lesson we should have learned after two world wars. However, in practice, in many modern societies, there are again attempts to instill value monism, which manifests itself as "cancel culture". By legitimizing "cancel culture" as a modern trend, political systems significantly limit discursiveness and pluralism within society. After all, it becomes too uncomfortable to express an opinion that contradicts the generally accepted one. This threatens career, social status, and sometimes even safety.

THE STAGE EMBODIMENT OF THE IMAGES OF NATIONAL DRAMA IN THE ACTING PRACTICE OF OLEKSANDR KOROLCHUK ON THE STAGE OF MYKOLA SADOVSKY’S KYIV THEATER (1907–1919)

The article examines the peculiarities of Oleksandr Korolchuk’s acting Style based on the works of national drama on the Stage of the Kyiv Theater named after Mykola Sadovsky. Therefore, based on the extensive material of the Kyiv press, memories of contemporaries, materials of the Museum of Theater, Music and Film Arts of Ukraine (Vasyl Vasylko Foundation), the actor’s range of roles was considered, the means of Stage expressiveness of Oleksandr Korolchuk were characterized based on the material of national drama. Also, for the firSt time, we introduce the term into scientific circulation and argue the concept of the “transitional generation” of Ukrainian artiSts in the history of national Stage art. The dramatic material, the specifics of its embodiment, on which the “transitional generation” of Ukrainian actors was formed, the significance of this phenomenon in the hiStory of Ukrainian theater, using the example of Oleksandr Korolchuk’s creative work, are analyzed.

ГАЗЕТА «НОВИЙ ЧАС» (1923–1939 рр.) ПРО ТЕАТРАЛЬНЕ ЖИТТЯ ГАЛИЧИНИ

The article examines the peculiarity of the coverage of theatrical life in Galicia in the «Novyi Chas» newspaper (Lviv, 1923–1939). The subject of the materials offered to readers is analyzed, and determines their genre affiliation, among which, in particular, with articles and reviews prevailing among them. Newspaper publications dedicated to the activities of theaters and organizations involved in the development of theatrical art in Galicia during the 1920s and 1930s are considered. These included: the «Ukrainskyi Teatr» cooperative (Lviv) and the «Prosvitianskyi Teatr» society (Sokal). The articles are mentioned, particularly those that raised topical issues of the theater sphere at the time, such as the lack of a repertoire that would contribute to the national development of society and limited funding. The circle of authors of «Novyi Chas» are outlined, wich consisted of publicists, theater critics, and cultural figures who have made a significant contribution to the development of Ukrainian theater and actively popularized it among the public, particularly A. Budzynovskyi, P. Lysiak, S. Chernetskyi. Keywords: Theater subjects, performance, the audience, «Novyi Chas» newspaper, «Ruska Besida» society, article, review.

PLAY ‟LADIES AND HUSSARS” ON THE STAGE OF KHARKIV THEATRE OF MUSICAL COMEDY (1968) AS A MANIFESTATION OF THE TENDENCY TO ‟DRAMATIZE” THE REPERTOIRE

The article is devoted to the only stage reading of the comedy ‟Ladies and Hussars” (Damy i Huzary) by Aleksander Fredro in the history of the Ukrainian theatre of musical comedy and operetta. Put on at Kharkiv Theatre of Musical Comedy (KhTMK) by directors Yurii Fridman, Les’ Syniavskyi and Valentyn Ivchenko as well as conductor Borys Cheboksarov, the performance reflected the trend of diversity in the repertoire of the Thaw period. From a musical point of view, the production with music by Lev Solin, composed with the expectation of performance in a drama theatre, was not noticeable. However, this work reflected the tendency of the musical comedy theatre to search for a new nature of acting expressiveness in a small-form performance (only solo vocalists, without choir and ballet dancers). The production is characterized by a high ensemble culture. The leaders in the play ‟Ladies and Hussars” were not ‟heroes” and ‟heroines”, but bright character actors of the older generation (Mykola Havrylenko as Captain, Romuald Korytek as Orgonova). Significantly increased in relation to operetta or musical comedy, the dialogue part of the personages simply required from the actors a meaningful dramatic action, built together with the director and partners. Artists Mykhailo Ushats and Olha Imberovych created a vivid visual image of the performance. Assistant director Borys Yanshevsky, a former leading actor of Kharkiv Russian Drama Theatre, and Pavlo Kulisich, theatre accompanist, polyglot and art critic, worked with the actors to polish the special style of playing roles in classical Polish comedy, as well as the characteristic phrasing of vocal parts. The actors involved in the production of ‟Ladies and Hussars” remembered their work as a feast of the game, with unpredictable results thanks to skillful partner improvisation. The layout and sketches of costumes by Taras Shyhymaga, the main artist of KhTMK, prepared for production of ‟Ladies and Hussars” on the stage of T. H. Shevchenko Academic Ukrainian Drama Theatre, Kharkiv (director Mykola Yaremkiv, 2002) also analyzed in the article.

ТЕАТРИ НАДАЗОВ’Я В РОКИ ДРУГОЇ СВІТОВОЇ ВІЙНИ

The article highlights the peculiarities of the theaters of Nadazov during the Second World War. The path of actors who became direct participants in military operations is outlined. The influence of the Mariupol Society «Prosvita» on the development of theatrical art in the region is analyzed. The repertoire, creative searches of the director and the cast during the Nazi occupation are covered. In particular, the activity of the Mariupol Music and Drama Theater named after T. Shevchenko. The repertoire of theaters, which consisted mainly of Ukrainian plays, the activities of the children's puppet theater and the holding of evenings in memory of Ukrainian writers, poets, and composers served to relieve the psychological stress of the residents of the region. If for the occupation regime the theater had a propaganda value, then for the residents of the region it served as a widespread practice of survival, was able to revive Ukrainian culture, and satisfied the basic needs of the population for information and artistic impressions. The dramatic section of the Mariupol «Prosvita» had a considerable influence on the development of theatrical art in the region. Director of the Mariupol Theater named after T. Shevchenko and Sofya Zavyalova, head of the drama section "Prosvity", actively worked on the issue of training professional drama personnel. It is emphasized that theatrical life in the liberated Northern Azov region in 1943–1945 had its own peculiarities. After the liberation of the region from the German invaders, the Mariupol Drama Theater resumed its activities, successfully holding concerts and performances for wounded soldiers, workers of the rebuilt city, and officers who went to the front. Despite the difficult conditions in which the Mariupol Drama Theater worked, the actors, thanks to their rich repertoire, contributed to the preservation of the spiritual and moral values of the audience and carried out active charitable activities for wounded soldiers and officers. The place of the theater in the cultural life of the residents of the region is defined. The scientific novelty of the article is due to the inclusion of new factual material from the history of Ukrainian theater into the scientific circulation. Key words: theater, Nadazovya, German occupation, audience, repertoire, Ukrainian culture, "Enlightenment".