Lirnyk
The lirnyk (Ukrainian: лірник; plural лірники - lirnyky) were itinerant Ukrainian musicians who performed religious, historical and epic songs to the accompaniment of a lira, the Ukrainian version of the hurdy-gurdy.

Lirnyky were similar to and belonged to the same guilds as the better known bandura players known as kobzars. However, the lirnyk played the lira, a kind of crank-driven hurdy-gurdy, while the kobzars played the lute-like banduras. Lirnyky were usually blind or had some major disability. 

They were active in all areas of Ukraine from (at least) the 17th century on. The tradition was discontinued in Eastern/Central Ukraine in the mid-1930s, some lirnyky were seen in the regions of Western Ukraine until the 1970s and even the 1980s. 

Today, the repertoire of the instrument is mostly performed by educated, sighted performers. Notable performers of the lira include Mykhailo Khai, Vadim (Yarema) Shevchuk, and Volodymyr Kushpet.
Q8798
Ukrainian
Concept
Q44806
Ukrainian
MEDIA
Q874501
lira
Concept
Q207821
hurdy-gurdy
Concept
Q262414
bandura
Concept
Q2330480
kobzar
Concept
Q262414
bandura
Concept
None
Mykhailo Khai
UNK
Q60793892
Yarema
UNK
Q7940587
Volodymyr Kushpet
PER
Q2546884
Lirnyk
Concept
Q2546884
Lirnyk
Concept
1970-01-01T00:00:00Z^^http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#dateTime
1970
DATE
1980-01-01T00:00:00Z^^http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#dateTime
1980
DATE
+17^^http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#decimal
17
NUMBER
-1930^^http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#decimal
-1930
NUMBER
field of this occupation
native language
subclass of