Ukrainian composer and poet-translator. Grandfather of actor Vadym Levytskyi.
Biography.
Born in the village of Nemenka (now Illinetskyi district, Vinnytsia region).
He studied at the Kyiv Theological Seminary.
In 1856, he graduated from the University of Athens (Faculty of Philosophy and Theology), and later received a Master of Science degree.
After returning to his homeland, he taught Russian and Greek in educational institutions in St. Petersburg (1857-60), Odesa (from 1860), Ananiev (from 1855, now Odesa region), and Berdiansk (1888-90).
Since 1880 he lived in Voroshylivka (now Tyvriv district, Vinnytsia region).
He died on March 4, 1896 in the village of Voroshylivka in Vinnytsia region, where he was visiting his daughter. He was buried there.
Creativity.
Nishchynsky collected and arranged Ukrainian folk songs ("Baida", "Oh, huk, mother, huk"), wrote musical compositions, organized and directed musical groups. In 1875, Nishchynskyi created a musical painting "Vechornytsi" as an introductory scene to the play "Nazar Stodolya" by Taras Shevchenko (first performed in the same year by M. Kropyvnytskyi's artistic circle in Yelisavethrad). The men's chorus from "Vechornytsi" - "The Gray Cuckoo" - became widely known.
Nishchynskyi maintained ties with well-known Ukrainian cultural and public figures M. Lysenko, M. Kropyvnytskyi, I. Karpenko-Karym, P. Saksahanskii, A. Zheliabov, and others.
Nishchynsky translated into Ukrainian the works of ancient classics (Antigone Sophocles, 1883; Homer's Odyssey, 1889, 1892; 6 songs from Homer's Iliad, 1902-03), and also translated the Tale of Igor's Campaign (1881) into Greek.
He is the author of a textbook on Greek grammar and studies on Greek music.
Memorial.
In Kyiv, since 1957, there has been a street named after Petro Nishchynskyi.
In Vinnytsia, there is Petro Nishchynskyi Street.
In Illinka, there is a street named after Nishchynskyi.
In Odesa, there is a street named after the composer Nishchynskyi.
