Alexander Jacobchuk’s Symphonies and the Construction of Ukrainian National Identity

Abstract

At the current crucial historical moment, Ukrainian music has emerged as a distinct and visible entity, something that wasn't possible during Soviet times. However, there were exceptions due to the relative autonomy of the local bureaucracy and intellectuals, as seen in the production of patriotic historical operas, such as Bohdan Khmelnytskyi by Kostiantyn Dankevych, in Soviet Ukraine.

The theme of the heroic past of the Ukrainian people proved to be a marker in the preservation of national identity even during the times of Soviet power. This theme became even more significant after the Ukrainian people proclaimed their own state in 1991. From this point of view, the symphonic work of the Ukrainian composer Alexander Jacobchuk (b. 1952) is of great value, as the historical background forms the semantic canvas of his ideas. In this paper, his personality is presented in the context of national identity, primarily through his music for orchestra.

One significant aspect of his integrative approach to the symphony genre is the exploration of commemorative practices in music, which embody cultural memory and philosophical reflections on life and loss. Jacobchuk's symphonies, as a chronicle, spanning topics such as the Chernobyl disaster, the Second World War, the Holodomor, and the ongoing conflict with Russia, follow a narrative structure marked by moments of grief, confrontation, reflection, and catharsis. Another defining feature of Jacobchuk's symphonic output is the manifestation of Ukrainian national character in his music, contributing to the process of nation-building.