Ukrainian priests as creators of church carols in the 17th – 19th centuries.
Authors: Smoliak Oleg , Bobyk Liliia , Shchur Liudmyla , Bankovskyi Anatoliy 
Published: July 2024

The study highlights the development of the genre of church carols in the work of Ukrainian priests as a component of the spiritual song culture of the 17th – 19th centuries with a possible specification of their authors. A review of the scientific works of Ukrainian and foreign scientists was carried out, in which the question of the existence of church carols at various stages of their development was investigated. The works of Ivan Franko, Mykhailo Wozniak, Hans Rohte, Larysa Hnatiuk, Lidia Korniy, Larysa Kostiukovets, Yuriy Medvedyk and others were analysed.
In the process of research, it was found out that the first sources where the use of church carols was noticed were: school drama, live and puppet verteps (nativity scenes). The authors of the first Christmas dramas that have survived to this day were Pamvo Berynda, Dmytro Tuptalo (Rostovskyi), Yepifanii Dovgalevskyi and a number of authors unknown to modern science. They were probably the authors of church carols used in dramas. The result of the creation of church carols was the first printed collection of Ukrainian spiritual songs “Bogoglasnyk”, published in Pochaiv in 1773, later a more complete edition, an anthology collection of Ukrainian spiritual songs “Bogoglasnyk”, was made, and published in Pochaiv in 1790-1791. There were published 24 Ukrainian and 5 Polish carols in it among 240 spiritual songs. The probable names of the authors of several Ukrainian carols are mentioned.
The research indicates that the process of creating church carols intensified in the 19th century. Their authors were Greek-Catholic priests Viktor Matiuk, Maksym Kopko, Ostap Nyzhankivskyi, Yosyp Kyshakevych and others. In addition to pastoral activities, they were also engaged in composing, were the authors of Holy Liturgies, spiritual songs, including church carols. The most famous carols were “Na Nebi Yasna Zirka Zasiala” (“A Bright Star Shone in the Sky”) by Viktor Matiuk, “Vselennaya Veselysia” (“Rejoice the Universe”), “Na Rozhdestvo Khrysta” (“On the Birth of Christ”), “Vistku Holosyt’ Svitu Zirnytsia” (“A Starling Announces the News to the World”) by Maksym Kopko, “U Vyfleyemi Nyni Novyna” (“News in Bethlehem Today”) by O. Nyzhankivskyi, “Nad Vyfleyemom Zablysla Zoria” (“A Star Twinkled Over Bethlehem”, “Slava Vo Vyshnykh Bogu” (“The Highest Glory to God”), “Spy, Isuse, Spy” (“Sleep, Jesus, Sleep”) by Yosyp Kyshakevych.
The periodization of the development of the genre of church carols in the works of Ukrainian priests of the 17th-19th centuries was carried out. The first period is called the “manuscript” one (the end of the 16th century – 1773), and is associated with the first recording of Christmas songs without specifying the names of the songs and their authors. The second period is the “edition period” (1773 – the beginning of the 19th century) is associated with the appearance of the first collection of Ukrainian spiritual songs, published in Pochaiv in 1773, the beginning of the tradition of printing collections of spiritual songs, including carols, with the specified titles and partly the names of the authors. The third period, which is called the “author’s” (the middle of the 19th – the end of the 19th century) was initiated and developed by composers and priests such as Ivan Bilykovskyi, Viktor Matiuk, Maksym Kopko, Ostap Nyzhankivskyi, Yosyp Kyshakevych. During this period, a church carol undergoes stylistic changes. It loses the features of church hymnography (solemn, extended character, literary strophic structure, solemn melody, refined and solemn performance style). Instead, it acquires the features of folk song creativity, both in strophic and melodic structures.