Gordiy Starukh

Hurdy-gurdy maker and musician

• Gordiy is reviving the Ukrainian hurdy-gurdy making tradition
• He is also a multi-instrumentalist and singer
• The artisan is a sculptor by education and is based in Lviv

Jack-of-all-trades is a good description for Gordiy Starukh. Not only does he create the fantastic hurdy-gurdy instruments according to old Ukrainian traditional techniques, but he performs on them to popularize both the long-forgotten craft and the sound this instrument can produce. Gordiy is a rockstar, in the literal sense of the word. His videos on YouTube gather hundreds of thousands of views, he is a popular artist in Ukraine. Opening a hurdy-gurdy workshop in 2011 in Lviv, Gordiy has created numerous instruments ever since. Appealing to an international clientele, his work is both traditional and bespoke, no instrument is ever the same. Starukh’s hurdy-gurdies are brilliantly made with every element meticulously handcrafted to achieve sound perfection.

Interview

©Halyna Kuchmanych

©Halyna Kuchmanych

What is the story of the hurdy-gurdy in Ukraine?

In Ukraine, the hurdy-gurdy is closely associated with such cultural phenomena as "startsivsto" - a name for a culture of traveling singer-musicians who used the instrument. In the 1930s this culture, along with its bearers, was physically destroyed by the communists. I set myself the goal of reviving the instrument to bring back the culture.

How do you create a hurdy-gurdy?

I craft the modern instruments using traditional Ukrainian examples but modernizing all the technical aspects. This way my hurdy-gurdies have both the historical aspect and the modern functionality. I regard my work as sculpting different materials for the service of music.

How do you define a well made instrument?

I would say I know that the hurdy-gurdy is well made if the client doesn’t contact me after the purchase. The hurdy-gurdy is a very technically complex instrument to tune so if the client doesn’t have issues with tuning that means that I have done everything well.

How did you start this craft professionally?

Once I wanted to buy myself a hurdy-gurdy. After discovering the cost I decided to make one myself. That’s how it started for me. I can’t say that I chose this profession, the truth is that I started really loving creating instruments and then clients sought me out. So my side hobby transformed into stable work.

Gordiy Starukh is an expert artisan: he began his career in 2009

Works

©Gordiy Starukh

©Gordiy Starukh

©Gordiy Starukh

Where