Ukrainian Violins Conquer the World

KIEV, Ukraine, December 22, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- A Ukrainian violin master from a remote town in the west of the country makes violins which have already brought him the title of a Ukrainian Stradivari. His musical instruments can be heard in France, Hungary, Russia, the USA, Spain, Germany, Mexico, and Italy.

Serhiy Holubokyi made the record number of violins in Ukraine - 280, not including cellos. Most of them have been bought by foreign professional musicians. Holubokyi's works are rare in the territory of his own country. In fact, he does not own one himself.

"Since the crisis, the number of orders has recently decreased. However, I have no intention of expanding the production to lower the price because it will impact the quality of my work," said Serhiy Holubokyi in his interview today with WNU. Only now, after 25 years of work and having made over two hundred violins, does he claim to have started to head in the right direction.

The master outlined that most of his works are purchased by professionals, musicians who participate in competitions, and play at concerts. Therefore, they are more concerned with the sound, not the beauty of an instrument. Holubokyi is a violinist himself, which adds to his craft.

Another outstanding fact in Holubokyi's biography has to do with the former President of Ukraine. Serhiy Holubokyi met Viktor Yushchenko, the President of Ukraine from 2004 to 2009, back in 2003. It was at the philharmonic concert, and the two men sat next to each other. Back then Holubokyi made a promise to make a violin for the future president. He finally got a chance to present his work to Yushchenko in 2006, when he visited a small town in Western Ukraine. It was Holubokyi's 200th violin.

The craftsman used an old piano to make his first violin. He described that experience as torture. When the work was finished, the future violin master burned the instrument. He used books to teach himself to make violins while studying at Vinnytsia music college. The violin master from Kyiv, Oleksiy Pykhenko, singled out the young craftsman and gave him classes on the theory of the craft.

Holubokyi mentioned that among musical instruments the violin is the one which reaches the ideal of the human voice most closely.

SOURCE Worldwide News Ukraine