THE SPIRITUAL AND CULTURAL MISSION OF UKRAINIAN COMPOSER AND CONDUCTOR OLEKSANDR KOSHITS(on the 150th anniversary of his birth)

Abstract

The article examines the figure of Oleksandr Koshyts (1875 – 1944) as one of the leading representatives of Ukrainian sacred and world choral culture. Particular attention is given to his contribution to the development of sacred music, especially church liturgical compositions, as well as to his role as a conductor and composer who combined the traditions of Orthodox chant with modern European tendencies. The study explores the significance of his compositional versions of the Divine Liturgy in the context of the spiritual revival of the early twentieth century and the impact of choral interpretations of the liturgical rite on church life both in Ukraine and in Ukrainian communities abroad. In this context, the article also analyzes Koshyts’s activity as a cultural diplomat: during the international tours of the Ukrainian Republican Capella (1919 – 1927) he not only popularized folk songs, but also represented the spiritual heritage of the Ukrainian people, affirming it within the global cultural space.