Ukraine has an ancient musical heritage which thrives to this day. In this article, we have gathered for you 5 Ukrainian musical instruments, whose sound still carries the timeless tradition.
The Kobza is a twelve-string plucked chordophone, the sound of which is produced by pressing the strings against the neck. The original kobza featured a narrow neck, an elongated body, fewer strings, and frets. Over time, its design evolved: the neck became wider, the number of strings increased, and the body took on a more rounded shape.
From Hnat Khotkevych's work Musical Instruments of the Ukrainian People, it is known that the rounding of the instrument's body led to the use of additional strings (prystrunky). Researcher Kost Cheremsky notes that historically, there were two types of kobza: one without prystrunky (the "Mamaivska kobza") and one with prystrunky (the "Veresayivska kobza").
The kobza gained significant popularity among Ukrainian Cossacks in the 17th–18th centuries. Later, it was played by wandering kobzars, typically blind singers who performed historical and religious songs (psalms) and epic narratives (dumy).
By the late 19th century, the kobza was found less frequently in the hands of kobzars, who more often played the bandura.
The traditional bandura is a multi-string plucked instrument featuring 4-5 bass strings and 16-18 prystrunky. It is played without pressing the strings on the neck. Despite historical efforts to academicize the bandura, it remains most suited for performing traditional repertoire.
Throughout its history, the art of bandura playing has developed several distinct playing techniques. Hnat Khotkevych classified these into the Chernihiv, Poltava, and Kharkiv styles. According to Khotkevych, the Kharkiv method, in particular, allowed musicians to fully harness the instrument's potential.
The history of the Ukrainian bandura and kobza is closely intertwined, leading to certain points of contention in the accumulated knowledge about these instruments. Moreover, the concepts of the two have often been conflated. In the Soviet Union, the traditional bandura was supplanted by its academic counterpart, creating a distorted perception of the instrument.
Like kobzars, who were persecuted and physically eliminated by the Soviet authorities, artists who played the bandura also fell victim to Soviet repression, including Hnat Khotkevych — one of the era's most prominent researchers, inventors, and musicians.
However, the revival of this folk musical tradition continues today. Thanks to the efforts of certain Ukrainian musicians and researchers, the authentic repertoire has been restored.
In 2024, the Kobzar-Lirnyk tradition was inscribed in UNESCO's Register of Good Safeguarding Practices for Intangible Cultural Heritage.
A traditional Ukrainian wind instrument. It has a long wooden horn, birch bark, which stretches 2.5 to 8 meters, making it one of the longest instruments in the world. The trembita is predominantly found in the Carpathian region, especially among the Hutsul people.
Originally, the trembita served as a means of communicating over long distances in the mountains, signaling messages such as a flock of sheep going to a meadow, calls to gatherings, warnings of danger, or announcements of birth or death. It also has a ceremonial role, being sounded during traditional festivals, weddings, and funerals. The instrument produces a sound powerful enough to echo through mountains and valleys over many kilometers.
The trembita produces its sound through the vibration of air within its long conical tube. The musician blows into the mouthpiece, creating an air stream that passes through the tube, generating resonance. The pitch can be adjusted by changing the strength of the breath or the position of the lips.
The tradition of playing the trembita has been preserved to this day, with its focus shifting from practical use to ceremonial purposes.
Tsymbaly are a stringed percussion instrument which play an important role in the folk music of Ukraine's Carpathian mountains. Tsymbaly have a wooden body, typically rectangular or trapezoidal, with strings stretched across it. and they are played by tapping the instrument's strings with special mallets. The upper soundboard is made of spruce or fir, while the lower one is made of maple.
The size of the soundboard can vary from 30 to 60 cm. Tsymbaly can be played while standing, with the instrument hung from a strap, or while sitting.
In Ukraine, there are three types of folk tsymbaly: Boyko, Hutsul, and Poltava. Concert tsymbaly have a larger size and a chromatic scale, which allows for more complex technical pieces and a wider range, making them ideal for solo performances. Folk tsymbaly, like those used by the Boyko or Hutsul peoples, are typically used in ensembles, have a more limited range, and have simpler tuning systems.
The bubon is a Ukrainian version of the frame drum.
The instrument is usually constructed of a wooden base, a leather membrane, and metal plates or bells. The sound can be produced by striking the drum with a special stick called a kalatalo, or simply with one's hands.
Bubons have a number of versions made of different materials and with different decorations, which influence their sound and playing technique. The rim is bent from wood or made from an old sieve, and later rims were made of different types of metal.
Since ancient times, the bubon has been used for the marching of armies and during hunting, as well as during ceremonial occasions like weddings and funerals.
The drum's main purpose is to set tempo and add accents to music played by ensembles. It serves as an essential canvas that sets the beat to which people dance.
These five instruments are just a glimpse into the rich tapestry of Ukraine's musical heritage. In future articles, we'll continue to explore the sounds and stories of more traditional Ukrainian instruments, each with its own unique voice and history.
This article was produced in partnership with the Ukrainian Institute, Ukraine's major cultural and public diplomacy institution.
UkraineWorld expresses gratitude to Oleksandr Savchuk, Volodymyr Voyt, and Andrii Paslavskyi for their assistance in working on this article.
