This suggests that kobzari were once the minstrels of the military, specifically Cossack regiments, while lirnyky were always blind mendicants. At the Historico-Ethnographic concert in Kyiv in 1929. Absorption was on the basis of analogy. As lirnyky were affiliated with the church, so kobzari were associated with religion, either because Cossacks were seen as guardians of the church, or because kobzari performed a quasi-religious function, singing over men fallen in battle so that their souls would rest in peace. The celebration of the 80th birthday of Markevych, a kobzar from Bilotserkva.
Today there are many more kobzari than lirnyky.
Many are sighted. Many play in bandura ensembles, continuing a tradition that allowed amateurs to learn how to play the musical instruments of professional minstrels, often under the guidance of kobzari, just as long as they did not use their knowledge to earn a living. Pavlo Suprun performing at a cafe in Kyiv. Most contemporary kobzari receive conservatory training rather than studying with kobzar masters. Pavlo Stepanovych Suprun is a contemporary blind performer who lives in Kyiv.