kobzari

The term "kobzari" refers to professional Ukrainian musicians, many of whom were blind, who played the bandura. The bandura is a stringed instrument considered the national musical instrument of Ukraine, used primarily to accompany folk music. It has an oval wooden body with bass strings and many treble strings.1

A precursor to the bandura was the kobza, an instrument mentioned in ancient Greek literature. By the 15th century, the bandura was adopted by the kobzari to accompany epic ballads (dumy) that told the stories of Ukrainian Cossacks. Despite persecution in the 20th century, interest in the bandura and kobzari traditions has continued.1