Combined Bandurist Capella

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The Combined Kyiv Bandurist Capella

"The Ukrainian State Exemplary Bandurist Capella" 1935-1941

In February 1935 a new group was established combining the talents of the Kyiv Bandurist Capella and the Poltava Bandurist Capella and the Bandurist Capella of the Kyiv Philharmonia. The artistic director for this new larger Bandurist Capella was Mykola Mykhailov. His assistant became the former director of the Poltava Bandurist Capella - Danylo Pika. Within a month - in March, the chorus received the new title = "The Ukrainian State Exemplary Bandura Capella"

Members included:

From the Poltava Capella: 12 bandurists

   Buldovsky, O. 
   Kladovyj, Yakiv 
   Kolesnykiv, Yu 
   Kononenko, A. - later joined the Postwar Kyiv Capella 
   Medvediv, T. 
   Miniajlo, S. - later joined the Postwar Kyiv Capella 
   Miniajlo, P.- later joined the Shevchenko Capella 
   Nazarenko, H.- later joined the Shevchenko Capella 
   Panasenko, Yosyp- later joined the Shevchenko Capella 
   Pika, Danylo - assistant - Died during War 
   Protopopov, Yakiv- later joined the Shevchenko Capella, died in Germany. 
   Rybalka, O. 

From the Kyiv Philharmonia Bandurist Capella

   Dziubenko, Olesiy - later joined the Shevchenko chorus - Arrested 
   Fed'ko, A.- Arrested 
   Kostetsky, O. 
   Mykhailiv, M. - director 
   Pivko, T.- later joined the Shevchenko chorus 
   Pokhyl, V. 
   Shleyuk, O. 
   Tsybuliv, I. - Arrested 
     

From other bandura groups they were joined by

   Bazylevsky, E. 
   Balatsky, D. - Arrested 
   Charivnyj, V. - Postwar Kyiv Capella 
   Hnylokvas, S.- Postwar Kyiv Capella, from the radio chorus. 
   Kytastyj, Hr. - Shevchenko Capella (1937) 
   Ponomarenko, O. 
   Savchenko, Ya. (V) 
   Joined in 1936 by 
   Yarovyj M. 
     
   Director: Zakhariy Aronsky, Administrator: I Nedolia 

In 1936 the Combined Capella performed in Moscow at the Decade of Ukrainian culture in Moscow.

Mykhailov died tragically within a year during a tour of the Caucases, in Tashkent.

In 1937 the group was made up of 24 members.

Photo: The combined Kyiv Bandurist Capella in 1937 - directed by Balatsky

By 1938 - the group had grown to 44 artists.

1939 - Tour of Western Ukraine

1941 - The Nazi attack on Soviet Union came when the Kyiv Bandurist Capella was performing in Kryviy Rih for the miners. They returned through the chaos to Kyiv where July 8, 1941, the Chorus was disbanned and most of its members were mobilized. Within days some of the members: such as Danylo Pika and Mykola Opryshko were killed on the front

It is interesting to note that Russian Ensembles did not suffer the same fate. They remained intact to perform in front ofthe Soviet troupes.

THE COMBINED KYIV BANDURA CAPELLA (1935-1941)

Mykhajlov, Mykola Mykolayovych

(1935-36) (b. -d.1936)- previously a member of the Kyiv Capella from 1932 and director in 1934. He was a graduate of the Lysenko Music Institute. Became the conductor/director of the combined group from February 1935 - till his death 16th July 1936 in Tashkent during the tour of the Caucauses from Angina. His assistant was Danylo Pika.

Balatskyj, Dmytro Yevhenovych- (1937-38) (b.1902-d.1981)

Completed his studies at the Kyiv Muz-dram institute in 1929. Director of the Kyiv Bandurist Capella 1937-38. Arrested in 1938. Returned to Ukraine from Siberian Exile in 1947 moving to Odessa where he worked as a choral conductor. Author of the song "Rozpriahajte khloptsi koni"

Pika, Danylo (1938-)

With the removal (arrest) of Balatsky, Pika again had a chance to become the artistic director of the chorus. He however did not have a formal music education but had for many years been the concertmaster of the Capella. Pika prepared the first "Slovo Tarasa" in 1939 to coincide with the Shevchenko Jubilee and the tour of the recently aquired Western Ukrainian lands.

In 1939 they toured Western Ukraine which had recently been into the Soviet Union.With the outbreak of WW2 the chorus was disbanned and mobilized.

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