Kiev Conservatory
Bashtan was born in the village of Novi Birochky, now Velykyj Khutir, Cherkasy Oblast. (Other sources state that he was born in the village of Mykhailivka, Drabivsky region). He studied music at the Gliere Music College in 1948 under Volodymyr Kabachok and continued his studies in bandura at the Kiev Conservatory under V. Kabachok and M. Helis in 1959.