AN OUTLINE OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF ALTERNATIVE MUSIC IN TERNOPIL AS A CITY COUNTERCULTURE (1991–2014)

Abstract

The article is devoted to the formation and development of alternative music in Ternopil in 1991–2014 as a key element of the city’s alternative culture and counterculture. The purpose of the article is to highlight the main stages of this development, as well as the specific features and differences of its components. The economic, logistical, and socio-cultural conditions of the city at the end of the Soviet Ukrainian period and during the early years of independence are outlined in order to clarify the circumstances under which Ternopil’s musical counterculture emerged and developed. The scientific novelty of the study lies in examining the development of Ternopil’s alternative music through the activities of local musicians, bands, festivals, and additional musical infrastructure in the city. The article also considers the influence of foreign and non-local bands and genres on the tendencies of development and formation of Ternopil’s musical groups. Such an approach makes it possible to more broadly understand the development of Ternopil’s independent music within the context of Ukraine and to challenge the perception of the city’s “provincial” status. Considerable attention is paid to the activities of the bands Nameless, Ti, shcho padaiut vhoru, Kholodne Sontse, Los Colorados, Orthodox, Satrias, and others. The article also examines festivals and music competitions, including Nivroku, Vysadka, Faine Misto, Hamselyt, and Koza Music Battle, and their influence on the development of Ternopil’s musical counterculture. An important factor in the development of the city’s counterculture is also the figure of Ihor Pelykh. The article has an interdisciplinary character and is based on a combination of historical, cultural, and musicological methodological approaches, which allows the issue under study to be presented comprehensively. The study also follows the Digital Humanities approach, particularly through the use of electronic archival data, digital journalism, and other digital sources, enabling a thorough and qualitative presentation of the outline of Ternopil’s alternative music within the defined chronological framework. Conclusions. Ternopil’s alternative music evolved from its emergence in the late 1980s, through the formation of key bands and festival activities in the 1990s and early 2000s, to its popularization on the Internet and commercialization in the late 2000s and early 2010s. Initially, the main driving force behind this development was the enthusiasm of individual cultural actors following the collapse of the USSR; however, over time the economic factor became decisive, leading to a new approach to the creation and promotion of alternative music among Ternopil musicians.