The future master was born in 1915 in the town of Kobelyaky in the Poltava region to a family of poor peasants. From childhood, Yuriy was raised in an atmosphere of vibrant folk traditions. After graduating from a seven-year school and a factory-and-plant vocational school, he began his career as a mechanic in Poltava. However, his soul always yearned uncontrollably for art. The young man enrolled in an evening dance school affiliated with the Poltava Theater, and after successfully graduating in 1936, he became an actor at that same theater.
This was followed by military service beginning in 1937 and the hardships of World War II. Despite all the hardships of the war, Yurii Kuzmenko never abandoned his creative calling. In the postwar period, he moved to Kamianets-Podilskyi, where he immediately became involved with the local amateur dance ensemble.
The year 1950 marked an important milestone, when Yurii Ivanovych moved to the Khmelnytskyi Regional House of Folk Art, taking on the position of senior choreographic instructor. This marked the beginning of decades of titanic work: providing methodological and practical assistance to dozens of groups throughout the Khmelnytskyi region; undertaking lengthy folklore expeditions to seek out and document authentic dance gems; creating original productions; artistically arranging compositions; offering consultations; and regularly presenting at seminars and conferences.
