Mar'yan Pyrih is a renowned Ukrainian musician and the founder of the bands Hych Orkestr and Pyrih i Batih. Mar'yan works devotedly to promoting the Ukrainian language and literature, particularly the works of Pavlo Tychyna, Stepan Rudanskyi, Vasyl Stus, Mykola Voronyi, Volodymyr Svidzinskyi, and others.
Pyrih i Batih's most recent project, "Zamordovani" (The Martyrised), reinterprets the poems of Ukrainian poets from the "Executed Renaissance" who were repressed by the Soviet regime.
Mar'yan's deep, rich, and dense baritone is integrated into the chamber orchestration, which includes guitar, violin, double bass, oboe, bassoon, and percussion. Combining ethnic motifs and Western jazz and rock traditions creates a new sound for Ukrainian poetry written in the last century, setting Pyrih i Batih apart from other contemporary performers.
Mar'yan is a visual artist as well. The musician explains that graphics allow him to "pour out" his anger and fear through painted forms.
In this interview, Mar'yan Pyrih discusses music, literature, Ukrainianization, war, and, of course, victory.
My self-awareness as a Ukrainian was gradual. It probably all began with Ukrainian songs and poetry. My favorite record from childhood was by the Marenychi Trio. That's when I became passionate about exploring Ukrainian and world music.
Compared to my peers, music was far more openly accessible to me. My father is a musician, so I was constantly listening to vinyl records and reel-to-reel tapes. As a result, I spread the word at school, introducing my classmates to "different" music and non-mainstream material. It was my way of meeting like-minded people, or "taste-mates."
Over time, I started delving deeper into poetry, combining Ukrainian verses with Western music.
In 2004, the Orange Revolution began. At this point, everything Russian imposed by the Soviet Union had left me. In school, I loved Tychyna's poetry, and after the revolution, I started reading Bohdan Ihor Antonych. He also introduced me to various poetic forms.
I wouldn't call myself religious, but my poetry contains some spiritual experiences. This "poetic religiosity" is something that comes very naturally to me.
In 2010-11, we formed the band Hych Orchestra to promote what we called "unjustly forgotten poets" and the Ukrainian language, realizing that our country had become quite Russified. We met like-minded people. I began attending more literary events.
Then came 2014, and I realised that all of these things — Ukrainian identity and language — had become even more important than before.
Pyrih i Batih, Mar'yan's other music-poetry project, was launched in 2019, with the first work based on texts by Ukrainian writer Stepan Rudanskyi.
In my opinion, Lirnykovi Dumy is Rudanskyi's masterpiece. The work is divided into five sections, each containing legends about the creation of the world, as well as religious and archaic themes. The name Batih (Whip) itself is an artifact that represents our "whipped" land.
Ukraine has been under the control of someone at times throughout its history, most notably the Russian Empire. Despite this, we have maintained our Ukrainian identity.
Furthermore, we have managed to maintain our traditional continuity over the centuries. Pyrih i Batih aims to bring these historical layers to light and modernize them. We must not forget the suffering of the past in order to avoid falling into the same trap.
I wish there were Ukrainians in Ukraine not out of obligation but from the call of the heart.
That is why, rather than convincing people to speak the language, I try to instill a love for it in them.
I grew up in a Ukrainian-speaking family. In my neighborhood, there were three Ukrainian-speaking schools and one Russian-speaking. There were three Russian-speaking schools and one Ukrainian-speaking school nearby. So, the majority of people on those streets spoke Russian.
My language began to enrich itself as I immersed myself in history, exploring poets from the Executed Renaissance as well as those who were tormented during the Soviet occupation in general.
I still don't have a clear plan for communicating with people as we transition to Ukrainian. When speaking with a specific group, I still take an individual approach, looking for a small crack to introduce Ukrainian identity, which will later thrive and grow.
During my school years, I didn't fully comprehend this hostility when someone said, "We are friends with Russians." I now realize I was mistaken. After all, we've seen where this "friendship" has led.
Ukraine is currently at a turning point it has never faced before. However, it is possible that such moments may have occurred in the past and we failed to seize them. Now, we cannot afford to miss this opportunity because it would be the loss of an entire nation, not just oneself.
Speaking now with children, students, and teachers, I realize that the educational system has also changed. When our band visits cities in eastern Ukraine, we are struck by how much patriotism has spread there.
According to Mar'yan, war brings about a "new speed" in life:
You shouldn't postpone things until tomorrow. Especially as you move closer to the east. Let's say you go to Kharkiv. I try to visit there at least every three months. On these trips, I've noticed that the closer you get to the front lines, the more people value this life. I really enjoy this speed.
We are currently in a very tough phase of our struggle. Given how much time has been stolen from us, there is no time for hesitation. Perhaps I will not live to see the moment when I see the country where I want to live. It's a lengthy process because Ukraine has been Russified for over a century. We are a progressive nation that has lost significant time because the Soviet authorities deemed Ukrainian progress inappropriate.
We could have been very progressive, but unfortunately, educated people at the time did not recognize the neighbor's predatory nature. Let us call it "deceived renaissance." Our country was deceived by its neighbour, and we can no longer allow it.
Mar'yan Pyrih On Victory:
It is difficult for me to interpret victory from a geographical or geopolitical perspective. Returning to the borders of 1991 was just one of my victories. Another victory is our country's Ukrainianization, particularly in terms of language. The next victory will be Russia's decolonization.
I don't have a clear understanding of what victory is. Victories must constantly happen to you so that you aren't just waiting. I strive for daily victories.
As a result, I expect to achieve several victories. After defeating the enemy, you must also defeat the enemy within you. Many Ukrainians carry the enemy within. I believe it ought to be pulled out gradually, using a "surgical" method.
This is what distinguishes us from a weaker enemy: he is not a neurosurgeon; he simply destroys everything.
For me, victory will come when we heal the land. Heal and relieve pain. If I had another life, I would spend it doing the same thing I do now.
The band is currently working on a new album called Kolyadnytskyi. Mar'yan intends to have it completed by Christmas, as the compositions are based on the ancient Ukrainian tradition of caroling.
