Person · Czech settlers · Czechs in Ukraine · N0040
Otakar Ševčík
Отакар Шевчик · 1852–1934
Essence
The Czech violinist and teacher Otakar Ševčík (1852–1934) taught violin from 1875 to 1892 at the music school of the Kyiv branch of the Russian Musical Society. According to Ukrainian Wikipedia he had briefly worked at the Kharkiv music school beforehand, and in Kyiv he played in ensembles with Mykola Lysenko. The same article lists Reinhold Glière and Ivan Palitsyn (Jan Palice) among his Kyiv pupils. The year he joined the Kyiv school and the school's name differ between sources.
Timeline
- 22.3.1852Born in Horažďovice (Bohemia). [SEV01; SEV02]
- 1874–1875According to Ukrainian Wikipedia he taught at the Kharkiv music school; the Czech article does not mention Kharkiv. [SEV02]
- 1875–1892Taught violin in Kyiv: from September 1875 to 1892 according to the Czech article, at the music school of the Kyiv branch of the RMS according to the Ukrainian one. [SEV01; SEV02; SEV03; SEV04]
- 1881His Škola houslové techniky was published; according to the Czech article it dates from the Kyiv period. [SEV01]
- 1892Left Russia (the Czech article says he stayed there until 1892). [SEV01]
- 18.1.1934Died in Písek. [SEV01; SEV02]
Full research text
Significance
Otakar Ševčík (1852–1934) was a Czech violinist and teacher, author of a well-known school of violin technique. His Ukrainian link is more than fifteen years of violin teaching in Kyiv, at the music school of the Kyiv branch of the Russian Musical Society. [SEV01; SEV02; SEV03]
Life
Ševčík was born on 22 March 1852 in Horažďovice and died on 18 January 1934 in Písek; according to the Ukrainian article he graduated from the Prague Conservatory in 1870. [SEV01; SEV02] His Škola houslové techniky appeared in 1881; according to the Czech article he also began work on Škola smyčcové techniky in Kyiv and wrote seven violin pieces on Czech song motifs, published as České tance. [SEV01]
Ukrainian connection
According to the Czech article Ševčík began teaching in Kyiv in September 1875 and stayed in Russia until 1892; during that time he received the Order of St Stanislaus. [SEV01] The Ukrainian article specifies that he taught at the Kyiv music school in 1875–1892, played at concerts of the Kyiv branch of the RMS in ensembles with Mykola Lysenko, and names Kostiantyn Vout, František Stupka, Reinhold Glière, Ivan Kryzhanovsky and Ivan Palitsyn (Jan Palice, see dossier N0041) among his pupils. [SEV02] The Encyclopedia of Modern Ukraine confirms Ševčík's connection with this school and his participation in concerts of the Kyiv branch of the RMS, but gives neither his post nor the years. [SEV03; SEV04]
The short Kharkiv episode of 1874–1875 is reported only by Ukrainian Wikipedia. [SEV02]
Discrepancies in sources
Name of the institution: the Czech article says “conservatory”, the Ukrainian article and the encyclopedia say “music school”. [SEV01; SEV02; SEV03]
Start of teaching: the Czech article says September 1875; in its article on Petro Kakhovsky the ESU says he graduated in 1875 in Ševčík's class. Both can hold only with a more precise school-year chronology that the sources do not give. [SEV01; SEV05]
Kharkiv: only Ukrainian Wikipedia, with no primary sources named; the Czech article is silent. The Czech article names only Prague pupils, Kyiv pupils only the Ukrainian one. [SEV01; SEV02] Full texts and archival documents were not checked.
Further reading about this person
A book about this person has not yet been confirmed. Research in library catalogues continues.
Sources
- SEV01 Czech Wikipedia, article “Otakar Ševčík”: dates and places of birth and death, years of teaching in Kyiv (from September 1875 to 1892), the Order of St Stanislaus, the works Škola houslové techniky (1881) and České tance. It calls the Kyiv institution a conservatory; the article names no Kyiv pupils. cs.wikipedia.org
- SEV02 Ukrainian Wikipedia, article “Отакар Шевчик”: teaching at the music school in Kharkiv (1874–1875) and Kyiv (1875–1892), participation in concerts of the Kyiv branch of the RMS in ensembles with M. Lysenko, a list of pupils. It does not mention honours. uk.wikipedia.org
- SEV03 Encyclopedia of Modern Ukraine, article “Kyiv Institute of Music named after R. Glière”: the school was founded in 1868 as a music school of the Kyiv branch of the RMS and from 1869 was a music college; the activity of O. Ševčík was “connected with it” (without naming a post or years). esu.com.ua
- SEV04 Encyclopedia of Modern Ukraine, article “Music branches of the Imperial Russian Musical Society in Ukraine”: in the section on the Kyiv branch the violinist O. Ševčík is named among the performers at its concerts. esu.com.ua
- SEV05 Encyclopedia of Modern Ukraine, article “Kakhovsky Petro Yosypovych”: according to the article Kakhovsky graduated from the Kyiv Music School in 1875 in the class of O. Ševčík. esu.com.ua
Photos and videos
Verification
Draft
Research draft with sources; independent check still pending.
Evidence coverage
Timeline claims assessed: 0 / 6. Claims with verified contradictions: 0.
The score measures coverage of timeline claims by verified sources, not the probability of historical truth. One independent source gives a claim 0.5 points; two or more give 1 point. A disputed claim receives 0. Unassessed claims remain in the denominator.
evidence-v1
How the score is calculated
Each claim shows its contribution to the score and verified current sources. Multiple references may share an origin; context adds no points.
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22.3.1852
Born in Horažďovice (Bohemia).
Not yet assessed Contribution: 0.0 / 1Independent source origins: 0
Verified current support has not been established. This does not mean the claim is false.
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1874–1875
According to Ukrainian Wikipedia he taught at the Kharkiv music school; the Czech article does not mention Kharkiv.
Not yet assessed Contribution: 0.0 / 1Independent source origins: 0
Verified current support has not been established. This does not mean the claim is false.
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1875–1892
Taught violin in Kyiv: from September 1875 to 1892 according to the Czech article, at the music school of the Kyiv branch of the RMS according to the Ukrainian one.
Not yet assessed Contribution: 0.0 / 1Independent source origins: 0
Verified current support has not been established. This does not mean the claim is false.
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1881
His Škola houslové techniky was published; according to the Czech article it dates from the Kyiv period.
Not yet assessed Contribution: 0.0 / 1Independent source origins: 0
Verified current support has not been established. This does not mean the claim is false.
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1892
Left Russia (the Czech article says he stayed there until 1892).
Not yet assessed Contribution: 0.0 / 1Independent source origins: 0
Verified current support has not been established. This does not mean the claim is false.
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18.1.1934
Died in Písek.
Not yet assessed Contribution: 0.0 / 1Independent source origins: 0
Verified current support has not been established. This does not mean the claim is false.
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How we verify
- DraftResearch draft with sources; independent check still pending.
- Checked automaticallyQuotes mechanically matched to sources; an independent model found no contradictions.
- Two sources (automatic score)Automatic evidence score: key facts rest on at least two independent sources. No person has yet read the whole dossier.
- Confirmed by an editorAn editor confirmed the dossier; the reason is shown on the page. This is not an independent scholarly review.
- Disputed pointsSources disagree; disputed points are marked in the text.
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