Oksana Longynivna Biretska (née Ozarkevych; b. 12 March 1890, Horodok - d. 21 February 1959, Lviv) was a famous Ukrainian pianist, teacher, writer, and public figure.
Biography
Oksana Longynivna Biretska was born on 12 March 1890 in Horodok to Longyn and Oleksandra Ozarkevych.
The future musician finished primary school in Horodok. In 1908, Oksana Biretska graduated from the Mykola Lysenko Higher Music Institute in Lviv. In 1913, Biretska became the conductor of the Lviv Boyan Choir, and then, in exile in 1914-1918, she continued her studies at the Vienna Conservatory (class of E. Lialevych).
After the end of the First World War, Birecka returned to Ukraine, where, together with Maria Yurynets, she headed the medical and military aid sectors of the Union of Ukrainian Women.
At the end of the 1920s, Biretska helped to establish a branch of the Higher Music Institute in Horodok, where children received professional education. In 1930, the pianist became the head of the branch. At the same time, civic education courses for young people were introduced in the town, led by Oksana Biretska. In 1931, the prominent teacher became a member of the local Prosvita. In addition to organising music education, Oksana Longynivna composed simple waltzes, kolomyikas, dances, and wrote short stories (she was published under the pseudonym Oksana Ivanenko).
After the Soviet annexation of Western Ukraine, Boretska was one of the first to fall under the Soviet repression. On 13 April 1940, she and her father, a member of the Union of Ukrainian Lawyers, Logvyn Ozarkevych, were deported to Kazakhstan. Thanks to the efforts of the director of the Lviv Conservatory, Vasyl Barvinsky, Oksana Longynivna returned to Lviv in 1946.
In 1947-1957, the teacher worked at music schools in Lviv. Oksana Longynivna Biretska died on 21 February 1959. She was buried in Lviv, on field 59 of the Lychakiv Cemetery.
