Ivan Kuchuhura Kucherenko

[
Vasyl Yemetz and I. Kucherenko 1908]
[
Death mask of I. Kucherenko done by Fedir Yemetz.]

Ivan Iovych Kuchuhura-Kucherenko ( _uk. Іван Іович Кучугура-Кучеренко) (July 7,1878—November 24, 1937 was a Ukrainian minstrel (kobzar) and one of the most influential kobzars of the early 20th century. For his artistry he was awarded the title "People's artist of Ukraine" in 1919 and later "People's Artist of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic" in 1926.

Biography

Childhood

Ivan Kucherenko (or as he later became known, "Kuchuhura-Kucherenko") was born in the village of Murafa, of the Bohodukhiv Raion of Kharkov Governorate on July 7, 1874. At the age of 3, he became fully blind in his left eye and had some damage in his right eye. At the age of 8, he lost his father and became an orphan.

The young Kucherenko had exceptional musical talent which directed him to the lifestyle of a kobzar. He studied under the kobzar Pavlo Hashchenko and began to perform as a kobzar at the turn of the 20th century.

Education and performances

In 1902, Kucherenko participated in the 12th Archeological Conference held in Kharkiv where he was the youngest participant - at age 24.

Hnat Khotkevych organized the performance. He paid attention to the fact that the kobzar was exceptionally gifted artistically, and during the time taken to prepare the concert, spent a considerable amount of time with him. This association with Khotkevych left a deep impression on Kucherenko. He was able to learn much from Khotkevych. Khotkevych wrote in his memoirs:

In 1906, Kucherenko was performing at the market in Yekaterinoslav ("now Dnipropetrovsk") and was heard by the renown historian Dmytro Yavornytsky. Kucherenko's high artism left a deep impression on Yavornytsky. Yavornytsky wrote:

He invited Kucherenko to his home and sent him to Myrhorod to master his bandura performance under the guidance of Opanas Slastion. For three months Kucherenko lived and studied at Slastion's place, and then returned back to Yekaterinoslav and thanked the professor for his fatherly guardianship. After that Kucherenko demonstrated his newly acquired artistical skills to the professor, who was extremely satisfied, and very moved. Yavornytsky organized a concert for the kobzar in Yekaterinoslav. The concert was a resounding success and helped elevate the popularity of Kucherenko as an exceptionally talented folk singer. In 1908, Kucherenko was invited to work as a teacher at the Mykola Lysenko's music school in Kiev. Here he worked for a period of 18 months. The work was difficult, and he was unable to continue it and resumed his concertizing where he remained a master performer.

Kucherenko was a virtuoso player of the bandura and had an exceptional baritone voice which left an excellent impression on the audience. Khotkevych noted:

In 1913, Kucherenko traveled to Saint Petersburg on the invitation of T. Pryvalov, on the recommendation of Hnat Khotkevych where he had over 40 concerts, mainly at educational establishments. After Saint Petersburg, Kucherenko was invited to Moscow by the "Kobzar" Society where he also performed at ethnographic concerts and evenings organized by the society.

In 1915, Kucherenko gave a highly successful concert at the Kharkiv Public Library.

During the brief period of Ukrainian independence, Kucherenko toured Ukraine with concerts supporting the government of Symon Petliura whom he knew personally. For his activity in supporting the government he was awarded the title "People's Artist of Ukraine".

oviet period

During the Soviet period, Kucherenko was able to perform even more often. Initially the government supported many of these performances. In 1921, in the city of Bohodukhiv, a special concert was organized to celebrate his 25th anniversary of being a kobzar and he was one of the first artists to receive the prestigious title of People's Artist of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic in 1926.

After 1928 Kucherenko began to perform on the gave mound of Taras Shevchenko in Kaniv. In the 1930's it is known that he secretly became ordained as an orthodox priest in the Ukrainian Autocephaleous Orthodox Church.

Until recently his true date of death was not officially known. Soviet sources such as the Soviet Encyclopedia stated that he died in 1943 during the Nazi occupation. Recently, it has become known that Kucherenko was arrested and after a period of 8 months of prolonged torture was finally shot by the NKVD in 1937. His body was buried in a mass grave on the territory of the KGB recreational facility in the area of Piatykhatky on the outskirts of Kharkiv.

Repertoire

Kucherenko's repertoire included 6 dumy:

# Oleksiy Popovych (probably from Khotkevych)
# About the Poor Widow and her three sons
# Captives lament (from Slastion)
# Khmelnytsky and Barabash (from literary sources)
# The death of Bohdan Khmelnytsky (from literary sources)
# The death of the kozak-bandurist. (from Khotkevych)

Many of the texts of these dumy he learned from books, and the accompaniment he composed himself or sometimes borrowing from other bandurists. His repertoire also included numerous songs of literary origin and songs which he composed himself.

Khotkevych also noted that Kucherenko had lost much of his folk character in his renditions of Ukrainian folk songs.

References

* "Колесса Ф.." Melodii ukrayinskykh narodnykh dum – К.: Наукова думка, 1969. – С. 316
* Danylenko, K. Narodnyi spivets-kobzar Ivan Iovych Kuchuhura-Kucherenko … ІМФЕ. Ф.8-к.3, од.зб.15, - Арк. 3-4, 1921
* Danylenko, K. Narodnyi spivets-kobzar Ivan Iovych Kuchuhura-Kucherenko – “Selianskyi budynok”, Bohodukhiv, 1921 - P. 16.
* Danylevskyi, K. Slavetnyi ukrayinskyi kobzar – Ivan Kuchuhura-Kucherenko (8 rokiv yak zamorduvaly NKVD) // UVAN, Materialy taboriv DP, Regensburg, 1946 - P. 7.
* Danylevskyi, K. Petliura v sertsiakh i picniakh svoho narodu // Nakladom filii Tovarystva ukrayinskykh politychnykh v’iazniv v Regensburzi, 1947 - P. 11.
* Danylevskyi, K. О. Professor Petliura v sertsiakh i picniakh svoho narodu // Vidbytka z Narodnoho Slova, Pittsburgh, USA, 1951 - P. 24.
* Zinchenko, T. Slavetnyi banduryst I. Kuchuhura-Kucherenko // “NTE” 1961, №4 - P. 106-7
* Martynovych, P.D. Kobzar Кобзар Ivan Kuchuhura-Kucherenko – IMFE, f. ІІ-4, od. Зб. 940
* Mizynets, V. Koryfei kobzarskoho mystetstva // Bandura, 1985, №13/14, - P. 45-48
* Sarkyzova-Sarazyny, I. Poslednyi kobzar // Vsemyrnyi turysy. 1930, №5, - P. 132.
* Cheremskiy, K. P. Povernennia tradnytsii / K. Cheremskyi – Tsentr Lesia Kurbasa – 1999. – P. 288.
* Cheremskiy, K. P. Shliakh zvychaiu / – Х.: Hlas. – 2002. – P. 444.