1947–2023
Nina Matviienko
Singer, a voice of Ukrainian song
Stankovych and Skoryk wrote music for her “silver, flute-like” voice. For more than half a century Nina Matviienko sang Ukrainian song, from ancient carols and spring songs to performances with Okean Elzy. A Veriovka Choir soloist and a Hero of Ukraine.
Key accomplishments
- Soloist of the Hryhorii Veriovka Ukrainian Folk Choir (1968–1991) and the trio Zoloti Kliuchi (Golden Keys)
- First performer of works written especially for her, including Yevhen Stankovych’s songs that became part of his folk opera The Fern Flower
- Shevchenko Prize (1988) and the title Hero of Ukraine (2006)
- Posthumously given the presidential distinction National Legend of Ukraine (2024)
A voice composers wrote for
The Encyclopedia of Modern Ukraine describes Nina Matviienko’s voice as having a “silver, flute-like timbre”. Composers wrote music especially for it. Yevhen Stankovych wrote songs for her that became part of his folk opera The Fern Flower, Myroslav Skoryk arranged “I Will Light a Candle” for her, and Oleksandr Kyva wrote chamber cantatas to words by Tychyna and Shevchenko.
From boarding school to the Veriovka Choir
Nina Matviienko was born in 1947 in the village of Nedilyshche in the Zhytomyr region, into a large peasant family. From the age of 11 she lived and studied at boarding schools, and then worked at a factory in Korosten. In 1966 she joined the vocal studio of the Hryhorii Veriovka Choir; in 1968 she became one of its soloists and stayed until 1991. At the same time she sang in the trio Zoloti Kliuchi (Golden Keys).
For her first 30 years on stage she sang mostly ritual folk songs: New Year songs, carols, spring songs, Kupala and harvest songs.
From carols to rock
From 1991 Matviienko sang with the ensemble Kyivska Kamerata. In 1995 she played 16 performances with the La MaMa theater in New York, and she acted in films and TV plays, including Marusia Churai and Kateryna Bilokur. In the 2000s she shared the stage with Okean Elzy, Tanok na Maidani Kongo and Oleh Skrypka. She won the Shevchenko Prize (1988) and was made a Hero of Ukraine (2006).
Nina Matviienko died on 8 October 2023 in Kyiv, two days before her 76th birthday.
Why it matters today
Matviienko brought ancient ritual songs to modern listeners and showed that folk singing can stand alongside classical music and rock. In 2024 she was posthumously named a National Legend of Ukraine.
