Lirnyk Sashko (Olexandr Vlasjuk). Kazky lirnyka Sashka. Hymerni opovidi. (Lirnyk Sashko Tales. Chimerical Tales)

Olexander Vlasjuk is better known as Lyrist Sashko – but they also know him as the musician of the Viy group. Lyrist Sashko is at present, actually, one of the best-known authors and tellers of fairy tales in Ukraine – both because he always takes part in various festivals, and because he records this kind of discs. But first of all because he composes fairy tales – fine, and tells them – lively, interestingly. When he tells them himself. And when on a disc – all that sounds even better, as here not only the talent of the story-teller reveals itself, and not only the lyre sounds. Here, you also hear about a dozen of various instruments – the guitar, duduk, pipe, drymba and Jew’s-harp, accordion, flute, violin, etc. Here, friends help you well – they decorate the tale both with beautiful singing, and voices of various animals, and cheerful noise. Here, for the sake of variety, different brotherly languages sound as well – as they sing not only in Ukrainian, but also in Bulgarian, Serbian, Moldavian. Not much, though, but all the same nice. But all the same, the main thing is the tale, and it is for the beautiful tales that Lyrist Sashko is loved by both children, and adults. For children his fairy-tales are as if bright pictures. And for adults – cognitive treasuries, from which one can learn and recollect a lot.

Anton Jozhik Lejba (Hedgehog)