''Olga'' () is a two-act ballet by Ukrainian composer Yevhen Stankovych and librettist Yuriy Ilyenko based on the life of

Olga of Kiev Olga (; ; – 11 July 969) was a regent of Kievan Rus' for her son Sviatoslav from 945 until 957. Following her baptism, Olga took the name Elenа. She is known for her subjugation of the Drevlians, a tribe that had killed her husband Igor. E ...

, which was written in 1981 to commemorate the 1500th anniversary of the city of Kyiv.

History

Premiere

The premiere of the ballet took place at the Taras Shevchenko National Academic Theatre of Opera and Ballet on 19 March 1982 to commemorate the 1500th anniversary of

Kyiv Kyiv, also Kiev, is the capital and most populous List of cities in Ukraine, city of Ukraine. Located in the north-central part of the country, it straddles both sides of the Dnieper, Dnieper River. As of 1 January 2022, its population was 2, ...

. The ballet was produced by the conductor Stefan Turchak, the choreographer Anatoliy Shekera and the designer Fedir Nirod.Андрій Тулянцев. ''Балет "Княгиня Ольга" та фольк-опера "Коли цвіте папороть" на сцені Дніпропетровського академічного театру опери та балету''. Вісник Національної академії керівних кадрів культури і мистецтв № 3’2016. с. 66. The plot is based on the historical figure of

, her personal life, baptism and reign.

Performance history

In 2010, the ballet was staged at the Dnipropetrovsk Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre. This production was staged by the choreographer Oleg Nikolaev, the conductor Yuriy Porokhovnyk, the designer Daria Bila and the choir leader Valentin Puchkov-Sorochinsky. After seeking permission from Yevhen Stankovych, Porokhovnyk added excerpts from the ballet ''

Vikings Vikings were seafaring people originally from Scandinavia (present-day Denmark, Norway, and Sweden), who from the late 8th to the late 11th centuries raided, pirated, traded, and settled throughout parts of Europe.Roesdahl, pp. 9� ...

'' to the score. Under Nikolaev's choreography, the ballet consisted of eight episodes, creating a detailed composition of dance symphony and polyphony. On 12 September 2020 the ballet was performed in

Dnipro Dnipro is Ukraine's fourth-largest city, with about one million inhabitants. It is located in the eastern part of Ukraine, southeast of the Ukrainian capital Kyiv on the Dnieper River, Dnipro River, from which it takes its name. Dnipro is t ...

to commemorate the 1075th anniversary of

Anne of Kiev Anne of Kiev or Anna Yaroslavna ( 1030 – 1075) was a princess of Kievan Rus who became Queen of France in 1051 upon marrying King Henry I of France, Henry I. She ruled the kingdom as regent during the minority of their son Philip I of France, ...

, who was Olga's great-granddaughter.

Synopsis

The first act consists of three dynamic pictures: childhood, youth, and growing up. Olga is shown as a child, a girl, and a young woman. As a child she was almost taken prisoner; as a girl, she meets her future husband; as a young woman, she appears as a bride. It is her marriage, which forms the character of the future princess. The second act is a story about Olga's reign, the most important moment of which was a trip to

Constantinople Constantinople (#Names of Constantinople, see other names) was a historical city located on the Bosporus that served as the capital of the Roman Empire, Roman, Byzantine Empire, Byzantine, Latin Empire, Latin, and Ottoman Empire, Ottoman empire ...

and the adoption of

Orthodox Christianity Orthodox, Orthodoxy, or Orthodoxism may refer to: Religion * Orthodoxy, adherence to accepted norms, more specifically adherence to creeds, especially within Christianity and Judaism, but also less commonly in non-Abrahamic religions like Neo-pag ...

. The climactic scene is the final apotheosis, in which Olga, Madonna-like on a cross-shaped icon, holds her little grandson

Vladimir Vladimir (, , pre-1918 orthography: ) is a masculine given name of Slavic origin, widespread throughout all Slavic nations in different forms and spellings. The earliest record of a person with the name is Vladimir of Bulgaria (). Etymology ...

in her arms.

Reception

The 1981 performance was an "astounding success". After the 2010 performance, the ballet was recognised as being an "outstanding modern ballet".

References

External links

"Княгиня Ольга"
балет-сказание {{Authority control 1500th anniversary of Kiev 1980s compositions 1981 ballets Ballets based on actual events Compositions by Yevhen Stankovych Ballets set in Ukraine Ballets set in the Middle Ages Works set in the 10th century