More on the Minstrels of Ukraine

A letter from Florida provides a chilling footnote to the

story told by William Noll in the spring 1993 issue on the
Ukrainian Cylinder project:

Congratulations for a very interesting article in Folklife

Center News, Spring 1993. Mr. William Noll did an excellent job
when he authored the article on "Music, Life, and Death Among the
Village Minstrels of Ukraine." The article reawakened long
dormant feelings of nostalgia and sympathy for my unfortunate
former homeland.

I respectfully wish to bring to your attention an incident

relating to "kobzari" of Ukraine which may not be known
generally. The Russian composer Shostakovich, due to his talent
and fame, was privy to many secrets of the Communist Party. When
he passed away his family published his diary. It revealed that
in 1930 the rulers in the Kremlin ordered that a gathering of all
Ukrainian "kobzari" be held in Kharkiw. After the gathering a
sumptuous banquet was held in their honor. After the banquet
every "kobzari" attending the convention was executed. What a
triumph it must have been for the Kremlin to murder 600 to 800
old and mostly blind men.

Sincerely yours,
Joseph Iwaniw
Venice, Florida

Joseph Iwaniw (1915)