National image in ukrainian opera: scientific aspect of directing interpretations

The aim of the study is to determine the director's approaches to the creation of national images in Ukrainian opera on the basis of social origin, age, gender, peculiarities of living conditions in a particular environment, the characteristics of the characters. The object of research was M. Lysenko's opera "May Night, or Drowned" in the conceptual design of the composer and his various directorial incarnations. The methodology of research of the chosen problems uses the system-analytical and typological method. Their application contributes to a comprehensive approach in the study of factors shaping the formation of national characteristics of the Ukrainian ethnos, in identifying its individual characteristics and necessary features, their manifestations in creating an artistic image of the character. The relevance of the study is due to the need for historically reliable embodiment of the images of the Ukrainians in today's opera performances. Today's Ukrainian musical theatre, which is developing in the direction of globalization, does not avoid the positive and negative consequen-ces of the so-called "theatrical integration", which, in turn, leads to a conditional image of the Ukrainians, avoiding a historically accurate view of social status, coverage, clothing, character and so on. Often the director's interpretation of the images of Ukrainian characters is simplified, and sometimes distorted due to self-identity. The formation of the Ukrainian ethnos took place under the influence of certain factors that influenced the formation of its characteristics, features of life and customs, traditions, customs, rituals, which requires scientific understanding to accurately reflect these aspects in operas on national themes. Findings and conclusions. The Ukrainian theatre did not escape the influence of globalization and integration processes, which had both positive and negative consequences. The positive ones include allowing Ukrainian artists to join joint international opera’s projects, to solve joint problematic opera`s regimes, to exchange creative achievements and discoveries, and so on. To the negative ones - the mechanical transfer of foreign directing experience, avoiding its rethinking, on domestic soil without taking into account the peculiarities of the mental perception of the Ukrainian ethnic group of foreign traditions, way of life, means of communication and more. The analysis of the scientific work on the selected issues allows to state the fragmentary nature of research in the stage incarnations of artistic images of Ukrainians in the national opera. Solving the national image in Ukrainian opera requires a comprehensive cross-sectoral approach in determining the characteristics of the characters through the prism of ethnic identity, age, gender, social status, which affects their directorial interpretations. The director must conduct research work to determine the factors influencing the formation of the characteristics of a particular character in order to historically and reliably address the image of the Ukrainian in the opera. Isolation of different archetypes of the Ukrainian ethnos allows to create a more complete psychological portrait of the opera character, which, acting in the "proposed circumstances", will be historically authentic, as in the stage image of life, rituals and ceremonies with appropriate selection of means of communication. social status, age, gender and other characteristics of the actors. Prospects for further research are seen in the in-depth study and creation of a historically authentic national image of the character in the musical and theatrical arts.