Ludomyr Antonovych Petkevych (11 February 1881, Usychi - †16 December 1972, Konstantinovo) was a composer, conductor (Kapellmeister) of the Imperial and Soviet military orchestras.
Childhood and youth
Petkevych was born in the village of Usychi, Volyn. At the age of thirteen, he was enrolled as a trainee musician in the orchestra of the 11th Riga Dragoon Regiment for a period of six years. Petkevych's great-grandfather, grandfather and father Anton Ivanovych served in this regiment. Ludomyr continued this family tradition. The boy showed remarkable abilities to play the clarinet. The young musician's diligence and hard work soon brought him success, he was recognised by the regimental musicians, veterans, and was entrusted with the performance of the clarinet part in the main orchestra.
Conscript service in the Imperial Army
Ludomyr Antonovych began his military service in the 7th Olviopol Lancers of King Alfonso XIII of Spain, and then, from 1904, he served in the 1st Life Dragoon Regiment of the Moscow Emperor Peter the Great. He took part in the Russo-Japanese War as part of the Zaamursky Cavalry Regiment.
In 1910, the 29-year-old Petkevych was transferred to the 11th Grenadier Regiment of Prince Suvorov's Fanagorian Generalissimo Regiment as a deputy bandmaster. After receiving a degree in conducting, he became the regimental bandmaster. From the outbreak of the First World War until October 1917, Liudomyr was at the front. Subsequently, the conductor and his team of musicians were sent to Moscow as a lodger to prepare the barracks for the arrival of the regiment.
After 1917.
After the October Revolution, Petkevych and the regimental band joined the new government. The band was renamed the Exemplary Military Band, and performed concerts at the Smolny Institute, the Bolshoi Theatre, the Lefortovo Palace, demonstrations, celebrations, and so on.
A particularly significant performance of the orchestra at that time was the one at the parade in honour of 1 May 1918. At the parade, the orchestra performed for the first time the fanfare march "Signal" composed by Petkevych; other marches from the repertoire were from the musical notes made by the composer during his tenure as a Kapellmeister in the Imperial Army - "Bohdan Khmelnytsky March", "Suvorov March", "Farewell to the Slavs", "March of the Preobrazhensky Regiment" and others.
The regiment was soon disbanded and the orchestra was transferred to the 2nd Moscow Infantry School.
Petkevych took part in the Civil War, and together with the orchestra he was on the Southern and Petrograd fronts, whose troops fought with Denikin's Volunteer Army and Yudenich's troops. In one of the battles, Liudomyr was shell-shocked. After returning from the front, he continued to serve military band parades. He was demobilised at the age of 44 in 1925. He became an instructor of brass bands at the Moscow City Railways, then for four years he led an orchestra at a club in Kuntsevo. In the following years, from 1930 until his retirement in 1962, he worked as a director of brass bands in Moscow and the Moscow region.
Ludomyr Antonovych died on 16 December 1972 and was buried in the old cemetery of the village of Konstantinovo, Voskresenskiy district.
Awards.
Order of the Badge of Honour
Medal "For Valiant Labour in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945"
Works
Author of the march "Signal" and other orchestral works, instrumental texts for brass band.
