“It’s a shame that we still have to prove something”: protests against Tchaikovsky in the name of the capital conservatory

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Today, March 16, despite the ban on mass gatherings, protests returned to Maidan Nezalezhnosti in Kyiv. Students, teachers of the capital conservatory and well-known Ukrainian musicians demanded that Tchaikovsky be removed from the name of the National Academy of Music. The reluctance to remove the Russian composer from the name of the university led to a crisis in the conservatory – the best teachers began to resign. Natalka Pysanka, a graduate of NMAU and now a music columnist of UP.Kultura, took part in the protest and wrote a report about it. “Shame”, “How much more?”, “No Russian culture”, “Go away with the seagull”, “It’s a shame that we still have to prove something” – I recorded such posters in the hands of students and teachers who came to the rally under the walls of my alma mater Their demand is to remove the traces of the aggressor country Russia from the walls of the conservatory and to return the teachers who resigned as a sign of disagreement with the leadership of the music academy. In addition to posters, the participants of the action brought musical instruments and arranged an impromptu concert. It began with the performance of the national anthem of Ukraine to the accompaniment of two violinists. Then they played “Oh in the meadow, red viburnum”, “Ukraine, Ukraine” and other songs. Read UP.Culture in Telegram Students chanted the slogans “Tchaikovsky is Russia!”, “The seagull is gone!”, “No to Russian culture.” Maksym Maiboroda, a master’s student of the piano faculty, is one of the organizers of the protest. He and his like-minded people demand to get rid of the name of the Russian composer, to take away all the Russian symbols present in the NMAU, and to return the teachers who resigned. Mariyka Gurina, Maksym Maiboroda, organizers of the action. Photo: Oleksandr Popenko for UP.Zhyttia “For example, 2-3 years ago a large portrait of Tchaikovsky was hung in the conservatory, and there is a Russian flag there,” says Maxim Maiboroda. Maksym lost his patience in June last year. Then a meeting of the academic council of the Academy was held, where it was declared that Tchaikovsky, like Christ and Shakespeare, belongs to the whole world, and renaming the Academy is inappropriate. Photo: Oleksandr Popenko for UP.Zhyttia These theses caused outrage among the student community. Discussions have been going on for a year, during which time the students have repeatedly expressed their position: they have written open letters to the Ministry of Culture, made video appeals to students, teachers, graduate students and graduates of NAU. We recently wrote an open letter to the rector, but did not receive a response. The Profile Committee of the Verkhovna Rada, Institute of Culture, MKIP, Minister Oleksandr Tkachenko himself recommended to get rid of Tchaikovsky’s name. But the administration of the conservatory continues to insist: Tchaikovsky attracts foreign students (namely, Chinese) to the Academy, so changing the name endangers the existence of the institution. Photo: Oleksandr Popenko for UP.Zhyttia. Because of such a stubborn attitude of the administration, teachers began to resign from the Academy – Olena Korchova, Volodymyr Sirenko, Alla Zagaykevich, Anna Gadecka, Iryna Tukova. Mrs. Alla and Olena are participating in the promotion today. “My decision to resign from the Academy is, of course, the “last argument”. When all possible options have already been exhausted. The year of the war in Ukraine is enough time for “self-determination. My step, of course, is a step of support for my colleagues – the outstanding musicologist Olena Korchova and the devotee of Ukrainian modern music, the conductor Volodymyr Sirenko. A manifestation of professional and civic solidarity,” Alla Zagaykevych, composer, laureate of the “Women in Art” award, assistant professor of the department of composition, commented on her decision to leave the conservatory. Photo: Oleksandr Popenko for UP.Life “Preserving Tchaikovsky’s name in the name of the flagship of the national musical education for me is primarily a manifestation of contempt for the values ​​of modern Ukraine. To the meanings of Ukrainian music, artistic ideals of the modern musical community. In fact, in my opinion, this year of “uncertainty”, dubious searches for “Tchaikovsky’s Ukrainian roots” damaged not only the image of the Academy, but also the image of the professional Ukrainian musical community in general,” the composer continues. Photo: Oleksandr Popenko for UP. Life “One of the few composers who openly supported the renaming of the Academy – the leader of the musical avant-garde of the 60s Leonid Grabovsky – knows very well the meaning of the concepts “internationalism or Russification”. In 1965, Ivan Dzyuba wrote about it, warning and opposing the regime. In my opinion, the theses “music outside of politics”, “Tchaikovsky is a world genius”… are a new version of the same painfully familiar ideology from the old “methodology”. I consider toleration of the “Little Russian” position of the leadership of the Academy to be threatening and unacceptable. I repeat after Mykola Khvylov, the main character of the film “House of the Word”, for which I wrote the music – “Get away from Moscow!” – says Alla Zagaikevich. Photo: Oleksandr Popenko for UP.Zhyttia Among those who came to the protest was this year’s laureate of the Mykola Lysenko Prize, composer Gennady Sasko. “I am completely in solidarity with those who support the removal of Tchaikovsky’s name from the conservatory. This horde has set itself the goal of destroying the Ukrainian nation, so what kind of Russian culture can we talk about inside Ukraine? Tchaikovsky did nothing for Kyiv. And then suddenly they decided to rewrite the history of the conservatory. 1913 is the year the institution was founded, not 1863, as they write now. This is already self-government. And when self-government turns into self-government, such precedents arise. Previously, students (students of NMAU) were less politicized, but now you can’t get away with it, because there is a front. Their friends and relatives are dying… Children cannot be indifferent to this – that’s why they left, despite the fact that they may be punished in the future,” the composer explains. Photo: Oleksandr Popenko for UP.Zhyttya Gennadiy Sasko says that he feels a kinship with the protesters, because at one time, in the disturbing 1960s, he was the organizer of a protest action against poor living conditions in dormitories. At that time, the students of three universities – the conservatory, the theater and art schools – did not come to class. And this courage helped them solve the problem. Olena Korchova was the first to resign as a sign of protest against the actions of the Academy’s leaders. On March 1, she wrote on her Facebook page: “Free. From the shame of the “Tchaikovsky peace”. From the hybridity within the walls of the NMAU. From the blind will of the majority. From the erosion of human and professional truths… Free, because I am free.” Gennady Sasko and Olena Korchova. Photo: Oleksandr Popenko for UP.Zhyttia. Following her, another teacher resigned – the chief conductor of the National Honored Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine, laureate of the Shevchenko Prize, Volodymyr Sirenko. His position is concise and clear: “Both I and the orchestra have expressed my opinion. As long as Tchaikovsky’s name is in the conservatory, I will not work there. My conscience does not allow me.” Today’s protest action by conservatory students is probably the first since the 1960s. Even in 2014, they were not visible during the Revolution of Dignity, although the conservatory building itself is located in the heart of events – on Independence Square. Photo: Oleksandr Popenko for UP.Zhyttya Representatives of the Academy’s administration quite expectedly did not come to the protesters. The rector of the conservatory apparently has not yet returned from Europe, where he is “on a working visit”. As noted on March 15 on the Academy’s Facebook page, Maksym Tymoshenko is now informing cultural representatives of other European countries about the creation of the world’s only music department of UNESCO “Music, Education, Science – for the sake of peace”. No one came out to the protesters. Photo: Oleksandr Popenko for UP.Zhyttia Read also: Time “Ch” for the Tchaikovsky Conservatory. What is wrong with her and why is the problem not only in the name

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