1949 - The Origins of Orlyk

Petro Dnistrowyk

1949 saw Petro Dnistrowyk establish a school of Ukrainian Folk Dance.
What brought this about? - Homesickness for the land of his birth, the gentle beauty of its landscape, the enchantment of its poetry and art of its people.
In a foreign land, amongst strange sights and customs, he wanted to start something for his people that would give them a breath of their native air, to feel their souls back in Ukraine. For the youth who had been torn from their motherland, a new generation of whom had been born beyond its frontiers in a strange new land - to show them that their nation was capable of rebirth, to show them their roots, and to show them the wealth of their traditions, unique in the whole world. We can see that this school has through its unstinting work, brought about desired blossoming and fulfilled its original aims over the past fifty years since its establishment.

On the 16th January 1949 the first meeting was held for those wishing to learn Ukrainian Folk Dance. From that day work began and so the school of dance started. The first rehearsals welcomed many men, women and children.  These were unforgettable times, these first students of dance, children of Ukraine, showed a burning desire and devotion for this work. The school held rehearsals at 188 Cheetham Hill Road, Manchester, in buildings established as a club by the first Ukrainian settlers. These same buildings also served as a base for the local branch of the Association Of Ukrainians in Great Britain (AUGB). Without worrying about fatigue from their daily work, they attended four or five rehearsals a week and gave all their free time to this cause. They all wanted to learn as quickly as possible at least two or three dances. At first there was no music, but the school soon acquired three musicians. In February of the same year costumes began to be designed and made. This was not an easy task, as materials needed to be bought and money was tight. In these post-war years rationing meant poor quality, so the first costumes were very 'theatrical', but the dancers had to be satisfied.

Once it was established that performances were going to be held regularly amongst the Ukrainian and British audiences, the Ukrainian Dance Ensemble 'Orlyk' was organised from the school's dancers. Their interest and untiring work quickly produced a desired repertoire so that by May they were ready for their first performances.
On the 9th May 1949 'Orlyk', together with the choir 'Homin', performed for the first time in Oldham. The number of dancers was few, as the stage was very small and some of the costumes were as yet unready. the concert was a resounding success. The dancers were ecstatic that their hard toil had proved itself worthwhile.

In the following week - 15th May 1949 - 'Orlyk', again with 'Homin', danced at a large concert in Manchester. Sixteen pairs and three children took part. The performance again proved to be extremely successful. This gave the dancers more heart and desire for rehearsal, which became more painstaking in approach.

In that same month 'Orlyk' performed for the first time at the weeklong international festival of music in Manchester. 'Orlyk's' performances were on the 22nd, 23rd and 25th. They took part in a number of classes - group, duet and children's sections. Again enormous success was achieved. 'Orlyk' merited an honorary first place, plus three first, two second and a third place. The public was held in rapture, and the judges prophesied a glittering future for 'Orlyk'. In that same year 'Orlyk' again performed in Oldham, twice more in Manchester before British audiences, at the Festival of Youth in Bolton and was especially successful at the annual Ukrainian Youth Association (SUM) celebrations held in Manchester.

The year 1949 saw 'Orlyk' perform 11 times in total.

The number of members in the group were 47.

Women      -    19
Men            -    18
Children     -    7
Musicians  -    3 

These first dancers and musicians were:

Pylyp Orlyk

The death of Hetman Ivan Mazeppa in 1709 was a new catastrophe in the history of Ukraine. Old, sick and bed-ridden he remained Hetman to the end. Such was the strength of his authority that he managed to keep the group of Ukrainians who were in exile from moral turpitude and still had influence on the young Swedish king Charles XII.

On Mazeppa's death unreat developed amongst the exiled Cossacks. In 1710 a new Hetman, the General Military Scribe - Pylyp Orlyk was elected. He was one of the outstanding statesman of the 17th - 18th centuries, an unselfish Ukrainian patriot, who dedicated his life to the fight for Ukrainian independence. He was descended from a Czech family and was born in 1672 in the village of Kosushi - Vilenshchyna (Lithuania). His father Stepan was killed the following year at the battle of Khotyn. He studied Philosophy and Debate at the famous Kyiv-Mohyla Academy and was a pupil of the famous educator Stefan Yavorskiy. On graduation Orlyk worked in the Army Headquarters where his potential was recognised and valued by Mazeppa himself. In 1700 he became the General Scribe for the Cossack Host and one of the closest and most trusted of Mazeppa's advisors. He belonged to a new breed of advisors in that he did not have any family connections to the Hetman (he was however married to Anna, daughter of Pavlo Hertsyk, Colonel of the Poltava Cossack regiment in 1698). He was, until the death of Mazeppa, the only confidant in the Hetman's secret aspiration for Ukraine's political future.

His election to the post of Hetman in 1710 was not only a great honour but also a great drain on his own financial resources as, due to the ruling of the Benderskiy Commission, he did not obtain any of the precious Cossack Insignia of Rank. On the day of his installation as Hetman, there was also issued the first Ukrainian Constitution - 'The Constitution of Rights and Freedoms of the Zaporozhian Host'. The main point of which was the Declaration of Independence of Ukraine from Poland and Muscovy. The second was the foundation of a Cossack parliament that was to meet three times a year in which there was to be a representative from each regiment other than the Generals. This made Ukraine a Constitutional Country. Charles XII, King of Sweden, bore witness to this guaranteeing its independence.

The fight for Ukrainian Independence under the Hetmanate of Pylyp Orlyk, went beyond its borders. In the first years following the defeat at the Battle of Poltava by Peter I (the Great) of Russia, Charles XII and Orlyk held wide diplomatic talks with the Turks in Constantinople (Istanbul) and the Tartars in Crimea – convincing them that Muscovy was common enemy. Other treaties were signed with the Don Cossacks and the Sultan of Kuban.

  Later in 1710 a huge army consisting of the alliance of Orlyk and Hordiyenko with the  Zaporozhian Host, the Polish army of Poniatowski and the Sultan of the Budzatsky Horde – the son of the Crimean Khan – approached the town of Bila Tserkva. They were unable to relieve it from Peter I.

  In 1711 Peter I’s army reached the Prut River, where Orlyk’s Alliance surrounded them. It appeared impossible for Peter I, so he sued for peace, ceding Ozir to the Turks and agreeing to leave Zaporizhia and Left-Bank Ukraine. The uncertain nature of the Peace Treaty allowed different interpretations – Orlyk insisting on Peter’s evacuation from the Left-Bank. The Turks renewed warfare, but Peter paid them off with 100, 000 gold pieces with the proviso that he could remain to occupy the Left-Bank. The Turks did however recognise Orlyk’s right to the Right-Bank, but this was still not recognised by Poland.

In 1714 Orlyk went into exile across the Baltic Sea to Sweden with Charles XII. He then lived in many other countries including Germany, Turkey and Salonika in Greece, where he died on 24th May 1742. To the end of his life he remained Hetman-in-Exile trying to persuade European Leaders of the danger posed by Peter I and the spreading Russian Empire.

His 30 years in exile did not produce an end result, but he brought to the attention of many European leaders the need for an Independent Ukraine as a buffer against the growing strength of Russia. Pylyp Orlyk, and his son Hryhoriy Orlyk – general of the French Army – introduced the idea of Ukrainians in exile as Apostles of an Independent Ukraine, a long time fear of the Russian Empire

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