Kobzars and bandurists were a unique class of musicians in Ukraine, who travelled between towns and sang dumas, a meditative poem-song. Kobzars were usually blind, and required the completion of a three-year apprenticeship in specialized Kobzar guilds, in order to be officially recognized as such. In 1932, on the order of Stalin, the Soviet authorities called on all Ukrainian Kobzars to attend a congress in Kharkiv. Those that arrived were taken outside the city and were all put to death.
Persecution of bandurists and kobzari by the Soviet authorities can be divided up into various periods. These periods differed in the type and length of persecution and punishments were dealt out and also the reason for the punishment. Following is a list of persecuted Bandurists sourced from Music from the shadows Roman Malko and The Voices of the Dead by Kuromiya Hiroaki.
A
Andriychyk, Hryhoriy – member of Kyiv Bandurist Capella arrested in 1937, shot in 1938. Andrusenko, Mykhailo – director of the Kryvorih Bandurist Capella – arrested in 1937.
B
Babych, Andriyan – sentenced to be shot in 1937. Balatsky, Dmytro – director of Kyiv Bandurist Capella – arrested October 1938. Five years' exile to Kazakhstan – rehabilitated 13/7/1956. Bartashevsky, Yuri – director of Kyiv Children's Bandurist Capella. Bashtovyj, Davyd – sentenced to be shot in 1938. Bayda-Sukhovyj Danylo – arrested in 1937. Hryhoriy Bazhul – student of Hnat Khotkevych; spent 2 years in a forced labour camp and 2 years in exile. Betz-Kharchenko, S. Bezchasnyj, Konon – (1884–1967) – Kuban bandurist; repressed and arrested in 1937. Bezpalyj, Ihnat – sentenced to be shot in 1937. Mykola Bohuslavsky – funded Bandurist groups in the Kuban'. Arrested, believed to have been shot. Ivan Boretz – member of the Kyiv, Kharkiv and later Poltava Bandurist Capellas. Director of the Horiv Bandura Ensemble – arrested on September 21, 1937, and shot on November 11, 1937. Rehabilitated on December 9, 1957. Oleksandr Borodai – an American citizen who returned to Ukraine. Arrested in 1919 and shot. But, Ivan
C
Chernihivetz, Tymofiy – Arrested 30/10/1937 – 10 years' hard labour. Rehabilitated 27/11/56. Chumak, Nykyfor – arrested in 1931 – 3 years' exile. Arrested again on March 30, 1937, and sentenced to death. Shot on March 23, 1938, at 23.00. Chumak, I – Director of the Myrhorod Bandura Ensemble.
D
Danylevsky, Borys Ivanovych – arrested on April 22, 1938, shot on July 29, 1938. Deineka, Karpo – (b. 1897) from Konotop. Derhiy, O. Diadurenko, Trohkym – sentenced to be shot in 1938. Dibrova, Fedir – member of Kuban Bandura Group – shot in 1919. Demchenko, Mykola – (b. 1873) originally from Kharkiv Oblast Domontovych, Mykhailo – shot ca. 1928. Doroshko, Fedir Vasylievych – arrested in 1918 for counter-revolutionary agitation, arrested in 1937, shot in 1938. Drevchenko, Petro – (b. 1871) kobzar, died in 1934. Dumenko, Luka – kobzar. Oleksiy Dziubenko – arrested on October 19, 1937.
F
Fed'ko, A
Fedorenko, Vasyl – kobzar.
H
Halynsky-Lopata, Ivan – arrested in 1938, sentenced to be shot and commuted to 12 years in labour camps in Karelia. Oleksander Hamaliya – shot in Kyiv in 1920 . Pavlo Hashchenko – kobzar. Hasiuk, Oleh – given 25 years of incarceration in the city of Inti Komi ARSR from 1949. Rehabilitated in 1956. Originally from the city of Lviv. Herashchenko, Oles' – Student of Hnat Khotkevych. Arrested 1932. Vasyl' Herasymenko – 2 years' incarceration. Hlushak, Nykyfor Ivanovych – (b. 1890) Arrested in 1931. Arrested again in 1937 and sentenced to 10 years of hard labour. Fedir Hlushko – director of the Kharkiv Bandurist Capella – Arrested 1937. Hlushko, Konstiantyn – sentenced to be shot in 1938. Hnylokvas, Semen – arrested in 1938. Arrested again during the German occupation. Arrested again by the Soviets in 1948 and spent time in the very same cell as before. Spent 10 years in camps in Mordovia, later released. Performed in Kiev in 1981. Honcharenko, V. Hubenko, Mykhailo – (b. 1891) from Myrhorod. Hura, (Hurin) Petro Ivanovych – originally from Poltava lived in Yuzivka. Disappeared. Huzij, Petro Ivanovych (1903–37) Kuban bandurist and a bandura maker. Arrested on December 1, 1937. Sentenced to death and shot on December 23, 1937.