Folk Instruments of the Ukraine:

Tsymbaly (hammer dulcimer)

String-percussion instrument. The trembita is the Ukrainian version of the alpine horn.
It is usually made of spruce that has been split, a central bore dug out and then glued together and bound with birch bark.
It is usually some three meters (10 feet) long, being 2.3 to 5 cm (1-2 in.) wide at the mouthpiece and 6cm (3 1/2 in) wide at the bell. Shorter trembitas of half to one meter in length can be found. This shorter instruments are often called "vivcharska dudka" (shepherds pipe) or "syhnal'na truba."
The mouthpiece is often made from a separate piece.
The range is approximately three octaves, encompassing the natural harmonic series such as in the french horn. The trembita was primarily used in signaling events such as the coming of visitors, enemies or death in the mountain regions of Ukraine and thus a system of elaborate signals was devised. Carol motifs were also played on the instrument at Christmas.
Like many of the instruments of Western Ukraine, the trembita is not unique to the Ukrainian people.
Instruments such as the trombita, trabita, trebita can be found in Poland and the bucium in Romania.

The hammer dulcimer is an instrument that is well known in many countries.
It's origins can be traced to the Middle East where it was known as the santur and it is thought that the instrument was first brought to Ukraine during the Crusades.
It spread to Ukraine through Hungary and Rumania, where it is known as a cymbalom and was probably introduced into Ukraine by wandering Gypsy and Jewish musicians.
The earliest mention of the Ukrainian term tsymbaly dates back only to the 17th century.
In Moldova earlier mentions dating to 1546 can be found.
The hammer dulcimer is similar in construction to the husli, consisting of a large wooden box with a soundboard on which strings are strung across in courses of three to five strings.
Two bridges are placed on the soundboard over which the strings are stretched.
These divide the strings so that each course of strings can produce two different notes.
The strings are struck with wooden hammers.
Usually the instrument is played in a seated position - placed on the knees of the performer - or in a standing position, with the aid of a long belt that goes around the neck of the performer.

In the 1950's the Ukrainian tsymbaly was chromaticised, and had legs and a damper pedal added.
The Chernihiv factory began to manufacture these instruments in three different sizes: prima, alto and bass. In recent times however, the concert cymbalom developed in Hungary is becoming more popular.
This instrument contains a full chromatic range of four and a half octaves.
Such instruments are made at the Melnytso-Podilsk musical instrument factory.

The small tsymbaly are still played and known as "Hutsulski tsymbaly," to differentiate them from the concert version. Similar instruments can be found in Greece, Rumania, Lithuania, Poland, Byelorus', Bohemia, Latvia and Hungary.
The tsymbaly are extremely popular in Western Canada where annual contests are held.
Various regional tunings exist and a tradition that has diverged from those which exist in Ukraine.
Instrument construction has developed independently.