Ostap Mykytovych Veresai () (1803–April 1890) was a renowned minstrel and kobzar from the Poltava Governorate (now Chernihiv oblast) of the Russian Empire (now Ukraine). He helped to popularize kobzar art both within Ukraine and beyond. He is noted for influencing both scholarly and popular approaches to minstrelsy.
Biography
Childhood
Veresai was born in 1803 in the village of Kaliuzhentsi, Pryluky county, Poltava Governorate into a family of musicians. He was the only child of a serf family. His father, Mykyta Veresai, was a congenitally blind violinist. At age 4, Veresai fell ill and lost his sight.
From an early age, Veresai was interested in music and the bandura. He was quoted later in life: "...when a kobzar came to my father's house, I would stand near him, and I do not know who was more excited. The kobzar would suggest: 'You Mykyto give this boy to learn, maybe he becomes a kobzar.'"
At age 15, Veresai's father apprenticed him to a kobzar in the village of Berezivka, where Veresai spent only one week. After spending four years at home, Veresai again attempted to undertake studies under a kobzar; he and a neighbor traveled to the market in Romen, where many kobzars would gather. There, Veresai met the kobzar Yefym Andriyshevsky and became formally apprenticed to him. For several months, the apprenticeship was successful with Veresai learning much from his mentor. However, after several months, Andriyshevsky died.
After Andriyshevsky's death, Veresai was apprenticed to Semen Koshoviy from the nearby village of Holinka. Veresai spent 9 months apprenticed to Koshoviy, who he found to be strict and exploitative. Veresai thus spent a total of nine months in apprenticeship instead of the traditional three years. After this, Veresai decided to embark a musical career on his own. For a time, he was merely a simple entertainer in villages without any hope of a further career. This changed when he befriended the Russian folklorist and painter Lev Zhemchuzhnikov.
Popularity
Veresai first attracted the attention of Zhemchuzhnikov during his Sabbatical in Ukraine between 1852 and 1856. The painter visited the Galagan estate in Sokyryntsi, Ternopil Oblast, where Veresai was married and lived at the time. After their meeting, Zhemchuzhnikov and Veresai became friends.
In 1871, Pavlo Galagan took Veresai to Kiev for the opening of the "Pavlo Galagan Collegium" to introduce the kobzar from Sokyryntsi to his guests. Veresai had, up until that moment, only performed in a village setting. It is possible that it is on this trip Mykola Lysenko recorded the melodies of dumas (sung epic poems) and songs which became the basis for his monograph The characteristics of musical peculiarities of Ukrainian dumas and songs performed by the kobzar Veresai. The ethnographer Pavlo Chubinsky also recorded almost all of the texts to the songs and dumas which Veresai had in his repertoire.
In 1873, the directors of the Southwestern Branch of the Imperial Russian Geographic Society, chaired by Galagan, held an unscheduled meeting of the Society at Galagan's request with the goal of introducing Veresai to its members as an example of ancient Ukrainian poetic works. At the meeting, which was attended by 28 members and 60 invited guests, the following papers were read:
"Ostap Veresai – one of the last Ukrainian kobzars", by O. Rusov
The Characteristics of musical peculiarities of Ukrainian dumas and songs performed by the kobzar Veresai", by Mykola Lysenko.
At this meeting, Veresai performed the dumas The Escape of the three brothers from Oziv from Turkish Captivity, About Fedir the one without kin (Fedor Bezrodny), the humorous song Shchyhol, and the dance melody Kozachok. Veresai received significant attention and was claimed to be the last of his kind. After this meeting, Veresai performed at a number of other academic conferences.