The Establishment of New Rituality in Ukrainian Amateur and Professional Music under Soviet Totalitarian Rule

Abstract

The article explores the developments in Ukrainian musical culture during the 1930s within the framework of the emergence of the ‘new rituality’ imposed by Soviet totalitarian rule. It focuses on the transformation of folklore practices into ideologically controlled forms of artistic expression. The study highlights how both amateur stage practices and professional music were integrated into the system of Soviet new rituality. In response to political and social demands, pseudo-folklore works were produced: traditional melodies were provided with ‘ideologically correct’ texts, and characteristic rhythmic, intonational, and modal features of folk genres were stylised and simplified to meet the requirements of Socialist Realism. Mass events and large-scale musical gatherings replaced traditional ritual practices and served as instruments of ideological mobilisation. Their repertoire invariably included songs about the October Revolution, the Communist Party, Lenin, Stalin, and the ‘friendship of peoples’.
Particular attention is paid to the phenomenon of the music Olympiads, which functioned as ritualised spectacles combining professional and amateur performance, symbolic glorification of Soviet leaders, and the demonstration of unity around the Party. In this way, the new Soviet rituality subordinated musical creativity to the state’s ideological imperatives and turned both professional composition and amateur performance into instruments of political indoctrination.