KYIV THEATRICAL COMMUNITY IN 1920s ACCORDING TO VASYL VASYLKO's DIARIES

Abstract

The subject matter of this article is a development of the theatrical community in Kyiv in the first part of the 1920s according to interesting and important source — diaries of the actor and director Vasyl Vasylko (Myliaiev). These diaries provide us with the prominent facts of Ukrainian theater professionals from different camps: common Ukrainian, European Ukrainian, and Russian. In the first part of 1920s Ukrainian theater got over difficult organizational and ideological transformations, at the middle of that decade total governmental control has commenced. New theater art represented by “Young theater”, “Berezil” and other collectives, despite the financial difficulties, saved their ideological orientation. Opposition to traditional “common” Ukrainian theater is reflected in the diaries of V. Vasylko. Also, there are interesting facts and evidence regarding the theater life of Soviet Ukraine in this document, in particular, the 40-anniversary of celebration of M. Zankovetska’s career, activities of Art Association “Berezil”, participation of L. Kurbas in filming. Despite the financial difficulties, sharp contradictions with Russian actors and other theater communities, new Ukrainian theater strengthened its position. The most interesting and powerful art association was “Berezil”