Overview:

Originating as a reenactment of the Christian Nativity scene, Ukraine puppet shows, known as  “vertep,” emerged in the 16th century. Secular elements were later added through satire, traditional characters, and music. Vertep later became a form of protest, surviving the suppression of atheist Soviet occupation, and is still celebrated today.

Origins:

While the exact origins of vertep are unknown, it is believed to have emerged in the late 16th century. At this time, the art form was very rigid, with exact delineations for performance given through stage directions. Puppets in vertep are small and relatively plain, especially so during this time period, and usually held on sticks. Contrary to other puppets such as marionettes, the characters and their bodies can not be controlled as precisely, meaning that there is less opportunity to express physically. The puppets usually have painted-on expressions and the vertepnyk must rely on his voice and dramatic choices to convey the action of the story. The puppetry aspects of vertep quickly became valued by students and academics who were experimenting with theater (Encyclopedia of Ukraine). Nativity, or the birth of Christ, was a well known scene by members of all parts of society because it connects with Eastern Orthodoxy. Many in Ukrainian society already had miniature versions of these religious scenes sitting under their Christmas trees. The transition to performance rather than a stagnant scene therefore seemed to be a natural one. It was an opportunity for everyday people to enjoy themselves but also to have a greater connection and intimate participation in their religious rituals.

Performance types:

There exist two different forms of vertep, meaning that the scenes can be represented either through puppetry or embodied performance. Puppetry was the original form in which vertep developed while a version with actors emerged much later. In these puppet shows, a single person, known as a vertepnyk, acts as a puppet master and operates all of the puppets. The puppeteer remains hidden behind the stage, speaking and singing all the parts. Nowadays, there are occasionally multiple puppeteers, but traditionally a singular vertepnyk remains.

The second type of performance is when real people, rather than puppets, represent the characters, which is is also called embodied performance. When it is performed by real people, the story can take on many different forms based on who is representing the characters. This could range anywhere from professional acting troupes to children and school groups acting for fun. This allows the tradition to be more accessible to everyone. Despite these differences, the two forms of vertep are remarkably similar in both their subject matter and expression. The Nativity scene, related to the predominant religion of Eastern Orthodox Christianity, is still the central theme of the performances. Both feature Christmas carols and use songs as a medium for transmitting messages. In recent times, the embodied version has proven itself to be more popular. Vertep, while it may seem like a small cultural practice, has even spread throughout the world in these forms, now performed by theater companies around the world like the New Generation Theater in Cleveland, Ohio (Encyclopedia of Ukraine).

Secularization:

Over time, a duality was created within vertep theater in which secular and religious stories could co-exist in the same performance. The best physical representation of this mixing can be seen in the shape of the vertep puppet stages, as seen in Figure 2. As you can see, there are two levels of the overall stage. The stages are quite small and this house-looking item would likely be placed on a table so that the puppeteer could stand behind it. This section is where the reenactments of religious events occur. All scenes related to the Nativity and Biblical stories occur in the top section. The bottom section, however, could be used by the actor or playwright to expand upon secular tales, including folklore or historical legends. This part of the show, while it remains a seriously respected portion rooted in tradition, has the opportunity to change over time, based on certain contextual issues. Secularism and secular storytelling is dependent upon the realities of today, and the stories will therefore adapt to become more relevant to present day. Often, this will include references to popular figures, current events, and politics. The video below displays this duality.

Recurring Characters:

While secular performance did evolve to become an important part of vertep, the clear boundary created by separating the stage can symbolize the fact that it cannot overstep its boundaries and should not interfere with the religious components of life. While they may at first appear to be in stark juxtaposition, the stories told on both stages are supposed to hold a common theme, where each side displays a different facet of life. The value of both secular and religious life is a strong component of Ukrainian national identity (Carobine 1991).

As vertep become more widespread, certain recurring characters began to emerge. Many of these characters are based upon national stereotypes that are meant to be satirical and over dramatized. This includes a Ukrainian peasant couple, a Pole, a priest, and a Zaporozhian Cossack (a southern Ukrainian warrior). However, it also includes supernatural beings such as the Devil and Death. These characters, already known to the audience, become a way creatively explore societal dynamics. They do exist to create humor but ultimately allow for a deeper commentary on righteousness or reinforcing certain principles. As such, their depictions can change over time (Lev 2016).

One character in particular that has received criticism in recent year is known as the “Jew.” Diana Klochko, a Ukrainian cultural expert, unpacks this issue by examining contexts. She describes vertep as being like a carnival. While it is meant to entertain, it is not a place to seek your morality from. The Jew in vertep theater is meant to represent the other and the non-Ukrainian, and, like the other characters, his portrayal is based on outrageous stereotypes. Vertep was a time in which people could express their ideas that were not necessarily politically correct. However, Klocko points out, just because they found this to be acceptable in the past does not mean that it is necessary or appropriate to continue in modern vertep. She concludes that anti-Semitism is a part of Ukrainian history that it must acknowledge but that vertep can move away from by updating texts to match new realities, similarly to the way plot lines from the 17th and 18th century are no longer used because they are no longer relevant (Slavinska 2017).

Soviet occupation:

The USSR, which gained control of Ukraine in 1919, established a communist regime which would ultimately damage vertep traditions for a long time. Vertep was already facing a decline in the 20th century, contributed to by the onset of two world wars. However, once communist policy was imposed, religion and subversive activity were banned. Vertep happened to be both of these so it was officially illegal to practice. Even so, some still continued the celebrations around Christmas time as an act of religious expression and defiance in an atheist system that stood against freedom of speech. Secret vertep observances were held for people to dress up, connect with the community, and remember their nation’s heritage. Figure 4 depicts one such celebration.

If not careful, such action could be met with severe consequences. This can be seen in the suppression of the Lviv 1972 Vertep, where 19 people were arrested by the KGB, the Russian secret police, simply for celebrating vertep. Under Soviet occupation, arrest meant unfair trials, exile, or forced labor camps. In the face of all of this, the fact that these traditions continued proves their deeply rooted cultural importance. These horrible punishments, instead of suppressing vertep even further down, actually invigorated political dissidents to use it as a form of protest, full of biting satire (Radio Liberty). Communities were willing to speak out, or even antagonize the Soviets, going to great lengths to protect these rituals. This became evident even within the performances. The appearance of a Russian soldier as part of the recurring characters became more common. In a 1989 vertep production, the antagonist character of Herod was even made to look like Russian leader Gorbachev (Carobine 1991).

Modern vertep and revival:

Ukraine finally officially gained back its independence in 1991, totalling 72 years under communist rule. As the country began to rebuild its national identity, so too did its traditions reemerge. Finally, there was a chance to express freely, inspiring a revival of vertep. Parades, such as the Malanka festival seen in Figure 5, occur throughout early January every year and feature elaborate costumes and music based on vertep folklore (Lev 2016).

Vertep, therefore, is not just a preservation of a traditional theater form, but also one of experimentation and an art form that is rediscovering its space in Ukrainian culture. It proved that theater can permeate all facets of life, from religion to politics, and its endurance through Soviet suppression represents the resilience of the human spirit towards totalitarian rule.

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Bibliography:

Carobine, Timothy. Theatre Journal, vol. 43, no. 1, 1991, pp. 122–124. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/3207960.

Lemyk, Yaroslav. Christmas Vertep, 1972. Lviv, Ukraine. Photograph. 12 Jan 2019, https://i1.wp.com/euromaidanpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/15.jpg?w=1023.

Lev, Julia. “Vertep, Théâtre Traditionnel Ukrainien De Marionnettes.” Evacommunication, 12 Jan. 2016, www.evacommunication.wordpress.com/2013/01/11/vertep-theatre -traditionnel-ukrainien-de-marionnettes/.

Podobed, Paul. “Vertep-2.jpg”. Wikimedia Commons, 11 January 2016. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Vertep-2.jpg#file Released to Public domain CC0 1.0 Universal.

Prykhodko, Oksana. “Vertep.” Translated by Elizabeth Luce, World Encyclopedia of Puppetry Arts, 16 Nov. 2017,www.wepa.unima.org/en/vertep/.

Slavinska, Іryna. “Redefining the Traditional Vertep: An Issue in Ukrainian-Jewish Relations.” Edited by Peter Bejger. Translated by Marta D Olynyk, UJE – Ukrainian Jewish Encounter, 18 Aug. 2017,www.ukrainianjewishencounter.org/en/redefining-traditional- vertep-issue-ukrainian-jewish-relations/.

Taras, Beniakh. “Vertep”. Malanka, Ukraine. Photograph. 12 Jan. 2016, https://evacommunication.files.wordpress.com/2013/01/malanka.jpg?w=1000&h=.

“The Tragic 1972 Vertep in Lviv.” Translated by Christine Chraibi, Euromaiden Press – Radio Liberty. 12 Jan. 2019, http://euromaidanpress.com/2019/01/12/the-tragic-1972-vertep-in-lviv-photos/.

Zavalniuk, V, director. Ukrainian Vertep – Trailer. YouTube, Teatr Peretvorennya, 13 Apr. 2014, www.youtube.com/watch?v=9n8104ekKIk.