The Challenges of Russianism in Ukrainian Historiography: The Case of Andriy Olkhovsky

• In Event: Music, Professional Identity, and Border Crossing in Eastern Europe during the Early Twentieth Century

Abstract

This paper examines the case of Ukrainian migrant composer Andriy Olkhovsky (1899–1969), focusing on the formative yet understudied period of his life in the Displaced Persons camps in Germany (1945–1949). Although he escaped Stalin’s regime, Olkhovsky remained constrained by ideological pressures within the Ukrainian displaced community, where music continued to serve political agendas shaped by other authorities. The politics of exclusion not only marginalized his compositional legacy but also shaped his reputation in exile, solidifying his status as a “Russian musicologist”.

Author

• Mariia Romanets, U of Bristol (UK)