Mykhailo Starytsky

"How I love you sadly
My people are nullified by poverty
Frustrated and darkness is overwhelmed
That has already forgotten how to respect itself
Having spent its former strength ...
How do I love your sad graves
Ukraine! How I love you! "

These strong words in 1878 were written by prominent Ukrainian writer, actor, director, theater and public-cultural activist Mykhailo Starytsky. He was born 177 years ago in the village of Klishchyntsi (now Cherkasy region).

Mykhailo Starytsky is the author of over 30 plays, including the drama «Bohdan Khmelnytsky», «Marusya Boguslavka», and others. In addition to the original plays, he reworked the works of other authors according to the stage rules. For example, “Christmas Night", "For Two Hares", "Limeryvna", and others. Thanks to Mykhailo Starytsky these works became extremely popular among the audience.

Mykhailo Starytsky was born in a gentry family. His father was a retired captain, and his mother came from an outstanding Lysenko family. When the boy was 8 years old, his Dad died. At age 12 he was left without a mother. The mother of Starytsky was brought up by mother’s brother Vitaliy, the father of composer Mykola Lysenko.

Mykhailo's life was associated with Mykola Lysenko. Together with him he was brought up, together they joined the Kharkov University, and with him in 1871 he began to work on the creation of the "Society of Ukrainian Stage Actors" in Kyiv. Mykhailo wrote folk songs, which later he gave tothe work of Nikolay Lysenko, he wrote a libretto to Lysenkov's operas ("Garkusha", "Chernomortsy", "Christmas night", "Taras Bulba", "Drowned").

In 1861, Starytsky returned to his native village to obtain a paternal estate. Then he first fell in love. On the evening parties, the villagers Stepanida struck him. He went to the girl's father to asked for a date, but she was betrothed. Staritsky devoted Stepanida the lines:

"The night is, Lord, lunar, clear, stellar, it is visible, even though you need to collect pines. Come here, my beloved, working hard, at least for a moment in the grove ... ".

These words Mykola Lysenko put on music, but this song started to be famous with the melody of Andriy Voloshchenko and Vasyl Ovchinnikov. Now it is generally considered popular.

The unlucky love of Starytsky was treated by sister of Mykola Lysenko, Sophia. She was only 14 years old when they got married. The couples had 5 children.

In 1882 Starytsky organized the first Ukrainian professional troupe along with Marko Kropyvnitsky. Ivan Marianenko, the prominent Ukrainian actor, recalled: "Having invested all his money in the business, he immediately set the work of the theater on a broad foot: he raised the acting rates to the level of Russian theaters, gathered a large orchestra and a choir, beautifully arranged the plays, invited the best decorators; New costumes and stamped beads were sewn."

The development of the Ukrainian theater was a matter of Mykhailo Starytsky’s life. He spent all his wealth and savings on it. The theater was the life of Starytsky. To put the first Ukrainian professional corps on a high level, he sold his own estate and a bakery... Starytsky was invited to the theater primarily as a patron, and he completely fulfilled his noble mission. Already in the elderly, a prominent theatrical figure has said: "I burst into the theater all my possessions, goodness and in my old age I remained a beggar..."

In 1895, Mykhailo Starytsky left the theatrical activity and was engaged only in literature. Mykhailo Starytsky died in Kyiv on April 27, 1904, buried at Baykovoye cemetery