There are people who say they are talented in everything they do not do. To such belonged to Sophia Popolovna Kosova – from 1933 he was a lecturer in the vocal of the Volyn Music College in Zhytomyr. The giftedness and character of this woman can be admired. She had an unusual talent from God and a beautiful vocal education, she was beautifully depicted, she knew the theory of painting, fluent in many European languages
The history of Sofia’s life in Kosovo began in the old Ukrainian family in Chernihiv in 1873. Sofia was born on December 25 in Belka, the estate of the provincial secretary Apollon of Svidersky. Her father was a descendant of a long-standing, well-known since 1723 noble family, founded by the centurion Klim Svidersky. The motherland was wealthy, owned land plots, a beautiful home decorated with fine art and sculptures. The tastefully created library pointed to the high level of education and culture. The magnificent park, the surrounding nature complemented the interior gave a sense of comfort and well-being. In such an environment, the childhood of Sophia passed.
“… This child will become famous, but her life will be consumed in constant labor, it will be difficult, full of controversy, which often will endure her soul”, – said the priest at baptism.
At the end of the gymnasium, convinced that he would devote himself to art, Sofia could not determine for some time what way to choose: painting or vocal. But a well-read girl probably knew the expression of the German philosopher Nietzsche: “Without music life would be a mistake.” The choice was made: in 1899, Sofia enrolled in the opera singing department at the St. Petersburg Conservatory.
Teachers of the conservatory were M.A. Rimsky-Korsakov, O.K. Glazunov, A.K. Liadov. Kosovo studied in the class of Ipolit Pryanishnikov, director of the Mariinsky Theater, a famous singer singer, whom Tchaikovsky highly appreciated for the excellent performance of vocal parties in his writings.
After studying Sofia has devoted more than five years to the stage in St. Petersburg. At concerts, performances with great success performed lyrical and colorative parties. Her voice was tall, soft, lyrical, light and mobile. Piotr Kosov, a landowner in the village of Podberezov near Vitebsk, did not perceive the man of Sofia as a sculptural Petersburg life, concerts, tours, including foreign ones. In 1906-1908, he was a Vitebsk mayor, had a friendly relationship with the artist Ilya Repin, who was often his guest. Until 1917, he headed provincial agricultural societies. Unfortunately, the family life did not exist, the couple divorced. In 1910, Sofia left the stage, theater, tour, the life of St. Petersburg and moved to Kiev, where her preference was pedagogical activity. The work of the teacher begins at a private music and drama school, which was founded by Nikolai Lysenko, an outstanding composer, teacher, conductor. It was the first Ukrainian music school where teaching was conducted by Ukrainian teachers in Ukrainian. In 1918 the State Musical and Drama Theater named after them was formed on its base. M. Lysenko.
Sofia Kosova became an assistant of the famous opera singer, teacher, Olena Muraveva – a descendant of the famous Ukrainian family of Ants-Apostles. Here he talked with the teachers Victor Kosenko, Dmitry Revutsky. The students of Muraveva at different times were the future celebrities: Ivan Kozlovsky, Zoya Gaidai, Oksana Petrusenko.
In the pedagogical work of Kosovo, he opened up on the new side – it was her vocation. In 1920, she became a professor, already has her vocal class and assistants. Strongly working. Everything should be in the future the best, but to her, talented personality, the Soviet authorities constantly reproached non-proletarian descent, recall the former husband-landowner, in every way restricting and humiliating. The accusations are increasingly frivolous, the conditions become unbearable after unreasonable searches and the intention to confiscate the piano, the famous “Blüthner”, under whose keys Boris Lyatoshynsky, Victor Kosenko, Leonid Sobinov, Ivan Kozlovsky have appeared in the house of the singer … There is a threat of arrest. Benevolent people advised to leave the capital.
In 1933, Sofia left Kiev and moved to Zhytomyr for good. She was offered to organize and lead the vocal department at the Volyn Music College. She is settled in the Grafmanovsky lane. Her neighbors – known in Zhytomyr Khomichevsky and Kudrytsky families. Perhaps the initiator of Kosovo’s move to Zhytomyr and the choice of address was the wife of Boris Tene (Khomichevsky), Apollinaria Leontievna, because she was a student, and women had good relations. Begins friendly relations; gradually there is a circle of supporters of music, singing, painting, poetry and literature. In the future, for many years in the homes of Khomichevsky, Kosovo, Kudrytskyi, the creative elite of the city was going to take place. Poems, music, singing, reading, reading your works – unforgettable evenings. Sofia was the first and only professor of the music school. To improve the vocation of their pupils introduced a compulsory study of the Italian language, which she owned perfectly.
The high level of the Kosovo vocal department proved the success of many graduates who demonstrated the achievements of the Zhytomyr Opera School far beyond the region.
It would seem that creative life would have made Kosovo a soft, gentle person, but many contemporaries, who knew her personally, talked about a volitional invincible character. It is known that she was constantly under the supervision and pressure of the NKVD, but in the cold autumn of 1937, at the height of repression, she refused to comply with the orders to force her students into agricultural work. The secretary of the party organization signaled to the regional committee of the Communist Party, which was equivalent to a death sentence, but was forced to give in. Later, during the Nazi occupation of the city, when the Germans arrested the communist secretary in the process of assassinating him, Sofia Kosov, who freely owned the German language, did not hesitate, came to the commandant of the city and managed to persuade him to let her go.
In a terrible prison camp at Bohunya, she drove food and clothes, and transferred medicine to prisoners.
Representatives of the occupation authorities were loyal to Kosovo, considering it anti-Soviet. In addition, aristocratic origin, education, and free language skills also played a role.
Sofia worked at the music school until the end of the 1950’s. Due to his health and age he retired, without it the vocal department did not last long: it was liquidated soon.
In 1962, feeling loneliness and infirmity, Kosovo moved to live in the house of Khomichevsky (Tenes).
She was associated with more than 40 years of friendship with Nuriya Leontievna. The famous Ukrainian writer, Zhytomyr citizen Valery Shevchuk tells about this period of common life: “My grandmother was not without a lord’s whim, very old, bizarre and daring – demanded a special attention. However, the good-natured spouse of Khomichevsky perceived this without a big blunder, relaxed his stubborn old man, and chased her to death: I must say that she had a separate home in her house, and Nikolai’s son Vasilko took the duty to bring her food into that room. ”
Sofia Kosova went to a better world in 92 years, July 13, 1965. Buried in Zhytomyr at the Vilsa Cemetery near the Church of St. James.
After Sofia, her favorite piano “Blüthner” was left, which was all her life with her. Director of the Literary Museum Vitalii Yeremeiev tells: “Blüthner” became a decoration of the living room, where the guests of the famous poet-translator, Boris Ten, gathered. He himself was an excellent accompanist, and his wife Apollinarius – a talented singer. Famous writers or not all of Ukraine and many artists have memorized those unforgettable evenings. ”
“Music is not in notes, but in silence between them” – Sofia often spoke to his pets ….
Sergey Sobchuk
Member of the National Union of Local History of Ukraine
Anna Sobchuk, co-author
Translated by Aliona Matushevich
