Kozak-Kharakternyks (Divine Warriors) 

Demonstrate Their Chivalrous Art 

for The First Time in America

By Iryna Forostyan and Victor Glasko

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New York – The renown Kozaks of Ukraine began their tour with a fiery Hopak on the shores of the Atlantic Ocean in New York, rousing the birth of an ancient kozak artform in a new land.

Courtesy of the initiative and invitation of the charitable fund FRAC (Fund for Research of Ancient Civilizations) and the affiliated Museum of Trypillya in New York (Iryna Forostyan, Alla Kutsevych), representatives of the International Boyovyj Hopak Federation took part in Ukrainian cultural festivals in New York, New Jersey, in Philadelphia, Stafford, Washington, Chicago and Cleveland. Forming the delegation were federation Vice-President Petro Velynets, Vice-President of Health Orientation (Holistic Focus) Maria Pakholok, and the talented Mykola Basystyj, Olena Pakholok, and Mykola Dymenko.

Not so long ago in Ukraine, the head of the delegation, Petro Velynets, had the status of a disabled person. Still young and not satisfied with the prospect of living on social assistance, he sought for a way to restore his health. Not considering any obstacles to recovery, he dove into learning the knightly kozak martial art form of the Boyovyj Hopak. With God’s help he overcame his disabilities, became a martial arts teacher and ultimately the Vice-President of the International Boyovyj Hopak Federation.

Theatrical performances of Ukrainian martial arts “Harmonious Phenomenon of Origins”, which included ethnographic rites accompanied by demonstrations of kozak sports (sparring, walking on broken glass and red hot coals), were enthusiastically met by audiences in concerts given during a SUM (Ukrainian Youth Association) rally at a camp in Ellenville, New York, at the Ukrainian Folk Festival at the Ukrainian-American Sport Center “Tryzub”, Horsham, Pennsylvania, and at the Brighton Beach “Ukrainian Party” in Brooklyn, New York.

Our Kozaks further stirred Ukrainian and non-Ukrainian audiences in performances on September 7th at a festival in Cleveland, Ohio, on the 8th in the 11th annual “Ukrainian Village Fest” of Chicago, Illinois, and on September 12th they were enthusiastically received by honoured American representatives from the U.N. in the Ukrainian Institute of America in New York city. The tour continued on the 14th in Clifton, New Jersey, and on the 15th in the 11th Washington Ukrainian Festival.

The Ukrainian dance “Hopak” is a calling card of Ukraine in every country in the world. However very few realize, when watching this fiery and energetic kozak dance, that within the traditional moves are hidden not only a spiritual and mystical depth spanning millennia, but also the harmonious system of ancient martial arts of our Ukrainian forefathers.

Boyovyj Hopak –is a system of spiritual and physical disciplines that existed from days of old as witnessed by the glorious victories of our ancestors, often against overwhelming odds. Over the centuries of foreign oppression of Ukraine any display of national culture, especially martial arts, was ruthlessly put down. As a result practically no complete systems of self-refinement, which were practiced by Scythian, Rusynian, and Zaporizian warrior ancestors survived to this day even though, in many Ukrainian families, the transfer of the secrets of the martial arts has continued from grandfathers to grand sons and from fathers to sons.

September 15’th marked 28 years since the establishment of the Ukrainian National School of Martial Arts “Boyovyj Hopak”. In 1985, Volodymyr Pylat of Lviv, Ukraine, began to gather and systemize knowledge of this martial art gleaning from information passed on to him by his grandfather and father as well as from other masters of duel combat scattered all over the former Ukrainian SSR and USSR. At the same time he established an experimental school of the Boyovyj Hopak.

In 1990, along with a group of enthusiasts, Volodymyr Pylat formed the folkloric-artistic “Halytska Sich” association, through which the Boyovyj Hopak developed as a Ukrainian art of chilvalry. In October 1997, the Boyovyj Hopak was recognized as a national sport of Ukraine. About 300,000 students have taken part in the program, and over 100 schools of Boyovyj Hopak have been established in Ukraine and beyond.

Curiously, girls have also become very interested in the Boyovyj Hopak. This interest has its roots in history. It is no secret that in ancient Ukraine, in the Azov region, there lived a warrior race of women whom the Greek historian Herodotus called the Amazons. Great is the history and legends of warrior princesses, kozak women, women otamans /chieftains who have distinguished themselves with incredible courage and wisdom, and in their knowledge of military matters. In 2002, for the continuation of these glorious traditions of old and the rebirth of female martial arts, the Central School of Boyovyj Hopak opened an experimental Ukrainian Women’s Martial Arts school, “As-harda”. Here girls learn the technique and tactics of martial arts combat, self-defense and about utilization of various weaponry.

The Boyovyj Hopak had its international debut in Portugal. Afterwards centers were started in Italy, England, Canada, and now are being initiated in the U.S.A

PHOTOS

1 - Infront of the US Ambassador and representatives of the US General Consulate to the United Nations, (background left) Petro Velynets, (centre - left to right) Mykola Basystyj and Mykola Dymenko - Ukrainian Institute of America, New York, NY, USA

2 - Petro Velynets (right of centre) sparring with Alex (left of centre) in centre background an unnamed boy