The kobza is the heart of the Ukrainian epic. From the 16th century onward, dumas about Cossack exploits, defeats and victories, captivity and freedom were sung to its accompaniment. The kobzar with his kobza is an archetypal image of Ukrainian culture.
Construction: a rounded wooden body with a flat soundboard, a neck with 4–8 strings and 5–10 pristrunky (short side strings). Materials: willow, maple, walnut; strings of gut or metal. By the early 20th century the kobza was nearly replaced by the bandura, but today masters (Mykola Budnyk, Taras Kompanichenko) are restoring authentic instruments and performance style.
