Alternative rock in Ukraine in the context of DIY practices and subcultural dynamics of the late 20th century

The relevance of this research was defined by the lack of comprehensive interdisciplinary studies addressing the aesthetic qualities, subcultural and countercultural dynamics, importance of Do-It-Yourself ethics in the development of autonomous musical infrastructure. The aim of the study was to explore the formation, evolution, and sociocultural functions of Ukrainian alternative rock in the intertemporal period of the 1980s and 1990s. The findings demonstrated that the Ukrainian alternative rock scene functioned as a form of cultural self-organisation operating independently of both state ideology and the emerging commercial music industry. It reflected an aesthetic of resistance, genre hybridity, interdisciplinary collaboration (notably with literature and theatre), and a pursuit of cultural sovereignty. Do-It-Yourself ethics served not only as a practical survival strategy, but also as a means of social identification and political expression. Although mainstream cultural industries offered limited support, the Ukrainian alternative scene of the 1990s fostered an emancipated cultural space that can be interpreted as a manifestation of cultural sovereignty. The study identified local rock clubs, festivals, and independent media as key platforms that facilitated the dissemination of alternative musical practices. It also highlighted the persistence of the underground dimension of Ukrainian alternative rock, which, unlike Western counterparts, was never fully absorbed into mainstream culture. This made the Ukrainian case a distinct example of prolonged cultural autonomy in the post-Soviet space. The article proposed viewing late 20th-century Ukrainian alternative rock as an informal cultural institution that combined protest-driven and creative potential in the context of post-totalitarian transformation. The practical value of the study lies in establishing approaches for analysing the Ukrainian musical underground as a form of countercultural expression and subcultural autonomy