Unknown Author of a World-Famous Song: Biographical Research as Cultural Studies Agenda

The purpose of the article is to analyse the studies on the authorship of the song Hutsulka Ksenia. The research methodology applies theoretical method to cover the issue under the study; hypothetical method to base reasoning on the research studies concerning the authorship of the song; historical method to systematise information in chronological order; as well as comparative analysis and secondary data analysis from reports, journals and other periodicals. Scientific novelty. We have conducted a comprehensive cultural background analysis of studies concerning the authorship of the song Hutsulka Ksenia, and got more accurate biographical data of Ya. Barnych, and R. Savytsky. Conclusions. The article determined that the song Hutsulka Ksenia, 1945, gained popularity and became so close to Ukrainians over time that it was considered folk one for a long time. At the same time, the question of its authorship arose, and in the 1960s, a commission was appointed (where R. Savytsky was a member), which declared R. Savytsky as the author. The article proved that in Soviet times, the biography of musicians and composers directly influenced not only further creative activity but also the authorship credit. So, the biography of R. Savytsky fully corresponded to the ideological attitudes of the then authorities, unlike the biography of Y. Barnych, who lived abroad, his operettas were banned, and the composer’s authorship could negatively affect the ability to perform the song. It should be noted that even today there are disputes over the authorship of the song Hutsulka Ksenia, which are connected in particular with the existence of several similar melodies and modified lyrics. From our point of view, the authorship belongs to Ya. Barnych, which is proved both by the memoirs of his wife Ya. Rubchakovna-Barnych and the research of S. Pushyk, L. Filonenko, and V. Kobal. However, the search for the truth is complicated because of the absence of an interview, letter or any other document, and the question of authorship began to interest researchers after the death of Ya. Barnych only.