BUSINESS DOCUMENTATION AS RESEARCH SOURCE OF KYIV MUSIC ENVIROMENT IN LATE 19 — EARLY 20 c.

Abstract

The results of the study of Kyiv music environment in the late 19 — early 20 centuries are presented through the analysis of business documentation. The peculiarities of researching the music environment of cities and the experience of using different types of sources when studying the music environment have been examined. The study of archival documents of Kyiv of this period allowed us to determine the specific components of the music environment of the city that were presented in the business documentation in late 19 — early 20 centuries. Our main source is data taken from archival institutions of Kyiv. We have identified blocks of data that reflects the conditions and tendencies of the city’s music life, such as the influence of government policies and censure restrictions on music and concert life and the formation of a contingent of musicians, the coexistence of old guild organization and new global trends in professional music making. The place of guilds in the music environment of Kyiv of late 19 century has been determined. Examples of applications for permission to perform songs in Ukrainian on the open stages of Kyiv and the reasons that prompted the performers or the administration of institutions to ask for such permits have been shown. Restrictions on residence in Kyiv that existed for Jewish musicians and Jewish entrants to music schools in Kyiv, as well as the reasons for the refusals have been presented. Data from reports and programs of educational institutions has been analysed. There are also examples of cases that illustrate the individual episodes of music life and allow to vividly recreate the atmosphere of the city at that time, such as an anonymous complaint of Kyiv citizens about the “obscenities” that took place in the Chateau de Fleur Garden and the Apollo Variety Theater, etc.