MARCH 4, THE 67TH ANNIVERSARY SINCE BIRTHDAY OF OUTSTANDING UKRAINIAN COMPOSER VOLODYMYR IVASYUK

Painting by Yuriy Zhuravel

French, Italians, Russians and all other nations sing their songs in their languages, but no one calls them nazis. And we are, Ukrainians, automatically become nazis for them (Soviet authorities) from cradle, when our mothers sing us Ukrainian lullabies ... For them a Ukrainian cease to be a nazi from the moment when ру start to despise Ukrainian language, Ukrainian songs and his national traditions and starts to love everything except his home... 

- Volodymyr Ivasyuk

On March 4, 1969 in the town of Kitsman, Chernivtsi region was born Volodymyr Ivasyuk - a prominent Ukrainian composer and poet. Ivasyuk is of a founders of modern Ukrainian music, an author of 107 songs, 53 instrumental works, and music for several performances. A professional doctor, artist and just a talented musician, who played in violin, piano, cello, guitar, masterfully performed his songs.



After Volodymyr had already graduated from secondary school, his family moved to Chernivtsi where his father was offered a teaching position at the Bukovinian State Medical University. Volodymyr went on to study at the Lviv Medical Institute while he continued his musical career. He joined the "Karpaty Ensemble" at a local community centre and played the violin and performed his first songs.

Later, after a public performance on 13 September 1970 of his compositions "Chervona Ruta" (Ukrainian for 'Red Rue') and "Vodohray" Volodimir Ivasyuk became an overnight national sensation in the Soviet Union. In 1971 his "Chervona Ruta", performed live in Moscow, and won the Best Song of the Year award of the Soviet Union. His composition "Vodohray" won the best song award the next year as well. "Chervona Ruta", sung by Sofia Rotaru, was featured in the musical-film Chervona Ruta.

Ivasyuk moved to Lviv to formally study composition at the Lviv Conservatory of Music. Upon graduation from the medical institute, he worked as a doctor, and joined the post-graduate courses at the Department of Pathological Physiology to work for his next degree. In Lviv Volodymyr created the songs: "I am your wing", "Two rings", "Ballad about mallow", "Ballad about two violins".

On 18 May 1979 Ivasyuk was found hanged in a forest located on the outskirts of Lviv. The official cause of death was listed as suicide but the exact circumstances of his death remain unknown for a long time.

Only in 2014, after renewing the investigation of Ivasyuk's mysterious death by General Prosecutor Office of Ukraine was found that the composer doesn't committed a suicide, but killed by KGB employees.

"The investigators have found indisputable evidences that in 1679 Volodymyr Ivasyuk was killed by KGB employees. After his body was found in the Bruhovitsky Forest the Soviet authorities have hastened to announce that the composer has commited a suicide, however,  people refused to believe in that. In 2014, the General Prosecutor's Office resumed the investigation of the case. Today I can say that we managed to find witnesses and unequivocal evidence of KGB involvement in the death of Volodymyr Ivasyuk. As teh case concerns to the employees of the former USSR special service, the materials of investigation we passed the military prosecutor's office." Noted Lviv regional prosecutor Roman Fedyk

Volodymyr Ivasyuk is buried at Lychakivskiy Cemetery.  In 2009the composer was awarded with the Hero of Ukraine medal posthumously.