[1] Sopilka most commonly refers to a fife made of a variety of materials (but traditionally out of elderberry or viburnum wood) and has six to ten finger holes.

[2] The term is also used to describe a related set of folk instruments similar to recorder, incorporating a fipple and having a constricted end.

Sopilkas are used by a variety of Ukrainian folkloric ensembles recreating the traditional music of the various sub-ethnicities in western Ukraine, most notably that of the Hutsuls of the Carpathian Mountains.

Often employing several sopilkas in concert, a skilled performer can mimic a variety of sounds found in nature, including bird-calls and insects.

More recently, the sopilka has found its way into the music of singer Ruslana, folk rock band Haydamaky, speed folk group Kubasonics,[3] folktronica bands Onuka and Kazka,[2] and flautist Ihor Didenchuk [uk] from the folktronica groups Go_A and Kalush.