The husli is a wing-shaped, multi-stringed plucked instrument known in the lands of Kyivan Rus as early as the 10th–11th centuries. Its images survive on the frescoes of the St. Sophia Cathedral in Kyiv, and the chronicles mention the guslars — bards who, to the accompaniment of the husli, performed epics, praise-songs, and ritual songs at the princely court.
The body of the husli was made of sycamore or maple (hence the poetic “maple husli”), strung with anywhere from five to several dozen strings. It is one of the oldest string instruments of the Ukrainian tradition, of a kindred lineage to the later kobza and bandura. Though more sophisticated instruments eventually displaced it, the husli remains a symbol of the ancient musical culture of Rus-Ukraine and is being revived today by masters of authentic performance.
