Kyiv National University of Theatre, Cinema, and Television named after I. K. Karpenko-Karyi is a prominent higher educational institution in Ukraine. It plays a crucial role in the humanitarian development of society, the preservation and multiplication of spiritual values, and the integration of Ukraine into the European and global cultural spaces. The university employs 180 full-time teachers, including 14 doctors of science and professors, 20 professors without doctoral degrees, 71 candidates of science and associate professors. Many faculty members have received high honorary titles. The university has produced 5 academicians, 7 corresponding members, and one honorary active member of the National Academy of Arts of Ukraine.
The Kyiv National University of Theatre, Cinema, and Television named after I. K. Karpenko-Karyi offers a wide range of licensed artistic specialties and specializations, training personnel in the fields of theatrical art and film and television art. Educational and methodological training, scientific research, and professional education are conducted at two faculties: the Faculty of Theatrical Art and the Faculty of Film and Television Art. The programs are available in full-time, evening, and extramural forms of study. The organizational structure includes the rectorate; three deanships; 14 departments; an educational theater; an educational film and television complex. The comprehensive approach ensures the university remains a leading higher education institution in the arts education sector.
University’s History
In the 19th century, Ukraine lacked schools for training Ukrainian actors due to a ban on teaching in Ukrainian within the Russian Empire. Mykhailo Starytskyi and composer Mykola Lysenko addressed this gap by advocating for a music and drama school in Kyiv. The school was approved in 1899 but opened in 1904 due to financial constraints. After Lysenko’s death in 1912, the school was named in his honor and managed by a board of directors, including his daughter, Maryana Lysenko. In 1916-1917, students from this school joined Les Kurbas’s theater studio, leading to the creation of the “Young Theater,” a significant development in Ukrainian theater history.
After the fall of the tsarist regime in Russia, efforts began to elevate the Music and Drama School named after M. Lysenko to the status of a higher educational institution. In 1918, during the brief period of the Ukrainian State, the school’s director, Maryana Lysenko, submitted a proposal to transform it into the Higher Music and Drama Institute, but it was not approved. With the outbreak of war in 1941, the institute was evacuated to Kharkiv, then to Saratov, and finally to Moscow, where it merged with the A.V. Lunacharskyi State Institute of Theater Arts. In 1941-1943, individuals unable to evacuate from Kyiv worked and studied at the United Music and Theater Academy until it was closed by the German-fascist authorities.
In November 1943, the institute moved back to Kharkiv and later re-evacuated to Kyiv in the summer of 1944, where it temporarily operated in a school on Malovasylkivska Street before moving to 52 Khreshchatyk. After the war, the institute returned with a new name – the Kyiv State Institute of Theater Arts, named after Ivan Karpenko-Kary in 1945. The institute received new premises on Yaroslaviv Val Street in 1968 and another building on Yaroslavska Street in 1986. However, construction of a new building on Lviv Square was halted in 1995 due to funding issues.
In the 1980s and 1990s, the institute introduced new specializations such as choreography, TV program announcing, sound direction, and circus direction, followed by puppet theater acting in 2003. Throughout the 1990s, the institute underwent state certification, accreditation, and licensing for all specializations, achieving third-level accreditation in 1999 and fourth-level accreditation in 2002. In 2003, the institute was renamed the Kyiv National University of Theatre, Cinema, and Television named after I. K. Karpenko-Karyi. From 2003 to 2021, it was led by O.I. Bezgin, and since July 2022, it has been headed by I.S. Kocharyan.
Departments
- I Department of Acting and Drama Directing;
- II Department of Acting and Drama Directing;
- Department of Puppet Theater Art;
- Department of Theater Studies;
- I. D. Bezgin Department of Theater Organization;
- Department of choreography and plastic education;
- Department of Film Directing and Film Dramaturgy;
- Department of Television Directing;
- Department of Sound Engineering;
- Department of Cinematography;
- Department of Film Studies;
- Department of Production of Audiovisual Art and Production.
Accommodation
Student accommodation at the Kyiv National University of Theatre, Cinema, and Television named after I. K. Karpenko-Karyi ensures a comfortable living environment conducive to academic pursuits. The university offers various options for international student housing, including dormitories and off-campus apartments. The university’s dormitories provide affordable housing options for students with amenities such as furnished rooms, shared kitchens, common areas for socializing and studying, laundry facilities, and access to internet services.
International students have the opportunity to rent off-campus apartments, which offer greater independence and privacy. The apartments are located in convenient areas near the university campus, allowing students easy access to classes and other university facilities. The university prioritizes creating a supportive and inclusive community within its student accommodation, fostering opportunities for collaboration and cultural exchange among students from diverse backgrounds. The student accommodation options at the Kyiv National University of Theatre, Cinema, and Television named after I. K. Karpenko-Karyi aim to meet the diverse needs of its student population, ensuring a positive and enriching experience during their time at the university.