Fedir Deriashnyj

Photo in the Ukrainian Orthodox Church Hall in Newcastle c.1969. Left: Peter, Center: Lidia, Right: Fedir. All 3 are playing banduras built by Fedir.

Fedir Deriashnyj (Федір Михайлович Деряжний; 25 March 1905 – 29 May 1981) was a Ukrainian-Australian bandurist, songwriter, composer, and luthier.

Life

Fedir was born on 25 March 1905 in Novi Sanzhary, Poltava.

He received a degree in accounting. In 1931, he built his first bandura. After that, he worked in a factory in Poltava where banduras were made. After WWII, he had his own musical instrument workshop in Wasserburg am Inn, Germany where he built banduras and tsymbaly. In 1950 he emigrated to Australia.

Fedir designed the Deriashnyj bandura. His banduras have been played by his children, Peter and Lidia, as well as Victor Mishalow, Hryhory Bazhul, and others. Bazhul's instrument is currently in the Музей кобзарського мистецтва.

Fedir died in Newcastle, Australia on 29 May 1981.

Banduras built by Fedir in Germany, 1948

Bandura built by Fedir for Hryhory Bazhul

Literature

• Мізинець, В. — Федір Деряжний — майстер народних інструментів // ж. «Бандура», #19-20, 1987
• Мішалов В. - Список майстрів бандури харківського типу // Г. М. Хоткевич - Бандура та її конструкція // Фонд національно-культурних ініціатив імені Гната Хоткевича, Торонто-Харків, 2010 ст.270-272
• Мішалов В. Ю. Харківська бандура - Культурологічно-мистецькі аспекти ґенези і розвитку виконавства на українському народному інструменті - (Серія Слобожанський світ)— Харків - Торонто, 2013 –368с.