CHAPEL “BESKYD” (IVANO-FRANKIVSK CITY) – POPULARIZER OF LEMKO SONGS
Authors: Maneliuk Oksana 
Published: May 2023

The article deals with the importance of Lemko folklore for the collective conducted by P. Cholovsky, the Honored Art Worker of Ukraine, Associate Professor of the Department of Folk Instruments and Musical Folklore at the Institute of Arts of the V. Stefanyk Precarpathian National University. The place of Lemko folklore in the Ukrainian musical and ethno-cultural space was described and multi-genre models of the choral repertoire, which is a vivid expression of the Lemko “soul”, were analyzed. The creative figure of P. Cholovsky as an arranger of Lemko songs and his creative work was investigated. The cultural heritage of the Lemko subethnos, widely presented in Ivano-Frankivsk, remains a “blank spot” in Ukrainian music regionalistics, Ukrainian musicology, as the merciless deportations of this group of the Ukrainian people have negatively impacted the elevation of their spiritual life. And although, such phenomena usually lead to the loss of roots or creative achievements, it is not the case with Lemkos who from the beginning have developed and cultivated their songs, dances, national costumes, etc. F. Kolessa, O. Rоzdolsky, O. Kolberg, V. Hnatyuk, Ya. Golovatsky resorted to the study of Lemko folklore. However, not so many scholars investigate this topic nowadays, in particular, there is no thorough research on the place of the Lemko song in the repertoire of Ivano-Frankivsk choir collectives. The first written mention of Lemko roots dates back to the 16th century. Lemkos are one of the multinational minorities of the Carpathian Region, who lived and worked on the hillsides of the Low, Middle and Western Beskyds. Today this territory belongs not only to Ukraine, but also to Poland and Slovakia. The Lemko culture is a sub-ethnic part of the Ukrainian folklore. Lemkos’ musical art synthesizes Polish, Slovak, Hungarian and Ukrainian cultures. To preserve the original artifacts of the Lemko culture and unite the scattered families, Lemko public organizations were founded in Galicia in the late 20th century. This process was facilitated by the positive changes in the political and cultural life of Ukraine, achieving the state’s independence in particular. In 1990, the center of the society “Lemkivshchyna” was created in Ivano-Frankivsk thanks to the support of the ardent patriot, pedagogue, linguist P. Pyrtei, and, in 1991, Lemkos of Kalush, Rozhnyativ, and Ivano-Frankivsk united into the regional social and cultural society “Lemkivshchyna”. The All-Ukrainian Society “Lemkivshchyna” appeared in Lviv in 2001. These societies became the centers of Lemkos’ cultural life on the territory of Carpathian region, and primarily artists gathered there, they contributed to the organization of creative groups – ensembles, choirs, music and choreographic groups. The “Beskyd” choir, founded in 1991 on the initiative of Ivanna Senko, the graduate of Petro Tchaikovsky National Music Academy of Ukraine, teacher of Denys Sichynsky Music College of Ivano-Frankivsk, was among such artistic organizations. Orest Turko, who was also a Lemko descendant, became the conductor of the choir. Later on, “Beskyd” was given the title of “amateur folk choir” (1995) due to the persistent and hard work of the collective and its conductor and owing to their high performing level. At present, the “Beskyd” choir of Ivano-Frankivsk Region Society “Lemkivshchyna” is an active promoter of the Lemko song in the Carpathian region. Its creative and concert palette is quite extensive, it is well-known in Europe, it actively concerts in Ukraine and neighboring states. Thanks to the great creative potential and professionalism of Maestro P. Cholovsky, the Lemko song in the activity of the choir, became the light for the restoration of the Lemko culture, language and songs in the Carpathian region. The collective firmly states that the Lemko song is one of the greatest and most interesting strata of the Ukrainian folklore, which should occupy an honorary place in the folklore hierarchy.