Chapter II: The Influence of the Ukrainian Folk Songs

Throughout the vast Ukrainian territory--irrespective of various forceful political allegiances, foreign influence and domination in the past--the same motives, airs, wording and other peculiarities are found in all Ukrainian folklore, although there may be some dialectal differences, which, however, are the least noticeable in songs. This of course only goes to affirm the one Ukrainian national soul of the forty-five million Ukrainians who in the past unfortunately were divided for centuries by surrounding foreign powers. A Ukrainian may have forgotten his native language and may speak the Russian, Polish, Slovak, Rumanian, Madyar or German--but he expresses his soul in his native, incorrupt language of song; the songs were so deeply impressed upon his soul by his mother at the cradle that he never forgets them; on the contrary we notice such an anomaly that these beautiful, affectionate songs are being sung by Russians and Poles, who otherwise may hate everything that savors of Ukrainism; one may hear these so-called “Little Russian”[1] songs chanted in the heart of Warsaw, Petrograd and Moscow by the foreigners themselves. It is said that wherever the Ukrainian song is once heard its charm enchants the listeners and creates in them the desire to learn the air at least. Other Slavic nationalities are well acquainted with Ukrainian songs and melodies; it is said that in Canada, where Ukrainians are quite numerous, a great many of the English and French speaking population love to sing Ukrainian songs.

FOOTNOTES:

[1] Little Russian is an artificial name introduced by Peter the Great, Czar of Russia, in order to Russianize the Ukrainians the more effectively.