The staging of Mykola Lysenko’s opera “Natalka Poltavka” at the Kharkiv Opera Theatre (1925–2025) in the context of its productions on the Kharkiv stage

The article examines Kharkiv context of the productions of Ivan Kotliarevskyi’s play “Natalka Poltavka” and the opera by Mykola Lysenko, based on it. Written in 1819, “Natalka Poltavka” was first in the spotlight in Poltava. However, in 1821 it was shown on the Kharkiv stage by the troupe of prince Mykola H. Repnin (1778–1845). During the 1830s, “Natalka Poltavka” was actively used by the troupe of Ludwik Mlotkovski. In the late XIX — early XX centuries, it was repeatedly brought by private theatre enterprises, and local troupes also staged it. That is, Kharkiv playgoers knew “Natalka Poltavka” quite well. If at first, most likely, a musical version created by Adam J. Barcicki was performed in the city, then with the release of the first operatic version created by Mykola Lysenko, it began to dominate, and subsequently completely displaced the others. The opera “Natalka Poltavka” was performed on the Kharkiv stage in the first half of the 1920s; however, with the opening of the first Ukrainian Opera and Ballet Theatre on October 3, 1925, where avant-garde experiments reigned, it temporarily disappeared from the theatre’s repertoire. The Kyiv Museum of Musical, Theatre and Cinematographic Art of Ukraine holds a fragment of a poster for “Natalka Poltavka”, probably from 1925–1934. But there is no information about the performance. Touring theatre companies also brought the opera. In general, the first decade of the Opera and Ballet Theatre’s existence was marked by a bent for contemporary music, foreign and domestic, and attempts to contemporize the classics. It stands to reason that “Natalka Poltavka” was not the kind of material that was easily mainstreamed. The opera returned to the theatre stage in 1936. After the persecution of many Ukrainian cultural figures on the charges of “bourgeois nationalism”, those who determined the artistic policy of Ukraine decided that the opera was “safe”. The article examines the interpretations of “Natalka Poltavka” in 1936, 1942, 1948, 1954, and 1983, and the renewal of the last of them these days. The problem statement. In the studies pursued before 1991, there were ideological markers; this makes it necessary to rethink this factual material. In subsequent historical periods, significant information gaps arise regarding “Natalka Poltavka”. This requires capturing certain details of the productions on the Kharkiv opera stage. The relevance of the topic is evidenced by the fact that even now, in wartime, the Kharkiv scene needs it. The purpose of the article is to develop a “performanceography” of this work on a specific stage: the main attention is paid to the interpretations of this material at Mykola Lysenko Kharkiv State Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre, throughout its hundred-year history (1925–2025). The conclusions. In this study it was found that the opera “Natalka Poltavka” at the Kharkiv Opera and Ballet Theatre is a true long-liver. Some of the versions did not exist on stage for long, while others could last for more than 40 years, having survived several renewals. But in general, the pauses in its releases were small. Prospects for further research. This paper does not aim to fully reconstruct the performances, as this is a matter for further research.