The torban is the aristocratic cousin of the kobza. Where the kobza was played by blind folk bards, the torban rang in the estates of Ukrainian gentry, Cossack officers, and magnates.
Hetman Ivan Mazepa kept torbanists at his court in Baturyn. The most famous torbanist was Tymofiy Padura, a 19th-century Polish-Ukrainian poet and musician to whom the song “Hey, Sokoly!” is traditionally (though debatably) attributed. The torban nearly disappeared by the late 19th century, but today enthusiasts are reviving it — the Institute of Art Studies of the Ukrainian National Academy of Sciences leads the reconstruction work.
The torban carried 25 to 60 strings: besides the fingered strings, it had bass strings and high “prystrunky” stretched along the side — making it one of the most complex string instruments in the Europe of its day. Playing it demanded great skill, so the torban remained an instrument of the educated class. Surviving historical torbans are now prized museum pieces, and their drawings help luthiers recreate the sound of the Baroque age.
