An attempt to preserve and popularize local culture in a multi-generational Hutsul Theatre

Hutsul Theatre was established in 1909 in the Krasnoilia village and functions until the present day as a local community theatre. Its first organizer was Hnat Khotkevych from Kharkov, however the crew of the theatre comprised of native inhabitants of the Carpathian Mountains. A well thought-out repertoire choice allowed the amateur actors to create scenes that were wellknown to them, those from the tales of the local communities, or their everyday practices. The deal and engagement of the crew, as well as Khotkevych’s ambitious plans of creating a professional theatre ensured popularity and numerous successes of an innovatory artistic troupe among locals and outsiders alike. Complex experiences of individual participants of the first generation of theatre, often very dramatic as a result of First World War and the October Revolution, cause the theatre to suspend its activities for some time. The first post-war attempt to revive the theatre was the responsibility of the second generation, with Wasyl Kostyniuk at the helm, who was able to revive the theatre between 1930 and 1939; however, since the 1940s the name of the Hutsul Theatre and its creator (who was repressed during the Stalinist regime) could not be mentioned. Only as late as 1988, with the participation of the third generation of Hutsuls, it was possible to revive the theatre (under the guidance of Maria Diduszko and Włodzimierz Sinitowycz), which then became the laureate of many festivals since the late 1980s. The successors of the Hutsul Theatre continue the work of its founder and are engaged in preserving and popularizing the culture of the Carpathian region. Currently, the fourth generation of actors works at the theatre; they are the descendants of first co-creators of this most active, and - as it turned out - an inspiring theatre in Hutsuli Country.