THE TRIUNE NOTE OF THE HEART: TRIISTRA’S PATH INTO THE UKRAINIAN SOUND WORLD

Abstract

Purpose of the study. The research aims to provide a theoretical and cultural justification for replacing the existing term «balalaika» with a new designation that reflects the Ukrainian musical mentality and serves as the name of a three- string plucked instrument – the Triistra. This new term is proposed as an artistic, aesthetic, and psychoacoustic alternative to instruments of Eastern origin that carry entrenched semantic connotations, which are unacceptable in contemporary Ukraine. The study seeks to determine the place of the Triistra within the Ukrainian sonic space, to trace the historical, cultural, and mental prerequisites for its emergence, and to reveal the tremulous and lyrical nature of its sound, which corresponds to the Ukrainian intonational tradition. Methodology. The work applies an interdisciplinary approach combining musicological and ethnomusicological analysis, studies in musical perception psychology and cultural semiotics, comparative examination of plucked instruments, timbral-intonational analysis, and correlation of plucking frequencies with human psychophysiological rhythms. Hermeneutic methods and the emotional-intonational theory of music are employed. Scientific novelty. For the first time, a comprehensive concept of “Triystra” is proposed as a Ukrainian form of the three-string tradition, integrating the symbolism of triad, the archetype of “troista muzyka,” lyrical intimacy, and psychoacoustic features of soft tremor. The instrument is presented as a medium of cultural identity capable of replacing imperial semantics and establishing a new aesthetic standard. Conclusions. “Triystra” emerges as a natural continuation of the Ukrainian intonational worldview, characterized by softness, inner pulsation, subtle vibrancy and chamber expression. It enables the formation of a contemporary Ukrainian plucked-instrument tradition rooted in national sensitivity and lyrical sound aesthetics. The study outlines prospects for its educational, performance and creative application.