This soiree was highlighted by the literary-musical composition “A Maiden from a Legend” based on Lina Kostenko’s novel in verse Marusia Churai. It was the first production of the Enei Theater in collaboration with the Ukrainian Folk Choir of Moscow directed by Viktoria Skopenko and was dedicated to the poet’s 80th anniversary.
Last April, Moscow’s ethnic Ukrainian community passed the hat around in order to organize a private ethnic drama company that was entitled Enei [Ukr. for Aeneas — Ed.]. The project was initiated by the married couple of Mykola Reshetniak and Larysa Bilan, both soloists with the Bolshoi Theater and active collaborators with the Ukrainian National Cultural Center in Moscow. Their initiative was supported by the Ukraintsi Moskvy (Ukrainians in Moscow), a regional non-profit organization, and the Association of Ukrainians in Russia (OUR).
The newly founded drama company, named after the main character in Ivan Kotliarevsky’s Eneida, took an active part in the organizing committee’s effort to stage the Sorochyntsi Fair in Moscow and won prestigious awards during the festival. Among Enei’s productions are Vechornytsi in Poltava Oblast and soirees commemorating Solomia Krushelnytska, Borys Hmyria, etc.
There was nothing coincidental about the idea of staging a play based on Kostenko’s Marusia Churai. According to Vitalii Krykunenko, deputy curator of the Ukrainian Library, and Larysa Bilan, starting the history of the Ukrainian theater in Moscow was well worth the effort. The idea was to draw public attention in Russia to this celebrated Ukrainian poet and her insight into the legendary Marusia Churai.
Among other things, this composition stands out with its rich Ukrainian music score, including folk songs (this play was directed by Mykola Reshetniak, with Vira Fedorchenko, a film director, acting as a consultant). The script has a special place for the Ukrainian Folk Choir of Moscow (conducted by Viktoria Skopenko). This choir was founded in 1992 and has since specialized in popularizing Ukrainian vocal culture in Russia and elsewhere in the world. One is reminded of their monthly “Music Salons” at the National Cultural Center in Moscow, with the audiences packed with Ukrainian song devotees. Owing to Viktoria Skopenko’s and Vira Fedorchenko’s dedicated effort, the Oleksander Koshyts Choral and Music Festival, All-Russia’s Sorochyntsi Fair, and other events have been held in Russia on a regular basis.
During the premiere of “A Maiden from a Legend,” the Ukrainian Folk Choir performed Tykho nad richkoiu (It’s Quiet Over the River), Oi, lopnuv obruch (Ouch, My Hoop Has Cracked!), Oi, tam na hori (Over There, on the Mountain), and other folk songs. Marusia Churai’s part was sung by the choir soloist, Iryna Lukshyna-Yurchevska, who offered a beautiful performance in terms of both vocal rendition and dramatic identification. Larysa Bilan recited excerpts from Kostenko’s novel (those who frequent this drama company know all about her gorgeous voice, charismatic stage presence, and friendly attitude).
“A Maiden from a Legend” caught a number of Moscow-based ethnic Ukrainians completely by surprise, but the audiences received it very well. The premiere proved a sincere and dynamic success. The cast was greeted by Volodymyr Melnychenko, the Ukrainian Cultural Center’s director general who said he felt sure that this cultural event would mark “the birth of the Ukrainian theater in Moscow.” He wished Larysa Bilan and Mykola Reshetniak the best of creative success and more spectacular productions and expressed his hope that their creative collaboration with the Ukrainian Cultural Center would continue. The OUR leaders and representatives of other ethnic Ukrainian communities in Russia were also there and extended their heartfelt greetings.
