The tulumbas is a large percussion instrument of kettle shape (a type of timpani), known in the Ukrainian lands since the Cossack era. It was made from a copper or wooden cauldron covered with hide and struck with special beaters.
In the Zaporozhian Sich the tulumbas had primarily a military purpose: its powerful, booming sound summoned the Cossacks to council, gave signals of alarm and commands on the march and in battle. Large tulumbases were so massive that they were hauled by several horses, and several people could beat them at once. The tulumbas is a vivid symbol of Cossack military culture, evidence that in Ukrainian history musical instruments served not only art but also the defence of freedom and statehood.
