Olha Musiiachenko, Daryna Kucherezhko. Kyiv in the memoirs of Oleksandr Koshyts: the experience of developing a theatrical tour

Abstract

The current full-scale invasion of Ukraine by Russia has turned the attention of the Ukrainians to their own history, which includes Kyiv City, the nation-building processes in it, and the characters who contributed to these processes. Oleksandr Koshyts is a prominent figure in the development of artistic-cultural self-realization of the Ukrainians during the Ukrainian revolution of 1917 – 1921. In this article, we have reviewed the fragments of the memoirs of Oleksandr Koshyts as a means of the portrayal of everyday life of the young people of Kyiv at the end of XIX – beginning of XX centuries in the context of the practical work of the Bureau of Theatrical Excursions. We have presented the episodes from the memoirs that portray the atmosphere of the Kyiv Theological Seminary and Academy, the contemporary music life, and the colorful episodes from the lives of prominent Kyiv citizens. Such analysis and synthesis of the collected material help to multidimensionally recreate the city atmosphere in the practice of creative industries, as well as to contribute to the establishment of the capital’s brand as an artistic and nation-building environment and to complement the regional studios.