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Remembering Volodymyr Ivasiuk (1949 – 1979)
Volodymyr Ivasiuk
Volodymyr Ivasiuk was born in the city of Kitsman, Chernivtsi Oblast
on 4th March 1949. He is best known as a composer and poet, however
he was a man of many talents, having earned a degree in medicine, and
he also demonstrated a talent in art, photography and cinematography.
His father, Mykhailo Ivasiuk, was a well known writer from Bukovyna
and his mother, Sofia, a teacher from the Zaporizhia Oblast.
Olesya Sandyha in her biography of Ivasiuk wrote ‘in 1949 when
on March 4, a baby son was born into the family of Mykhailo and Sofia.
“My joy was darkened somewhat by two black trickles that appeared, as
though burned into his skin, on both sides of his nose. It was as though
our boy was crying with black tears (the nurse put the wrong medicine
from an eye dropper into his eyes — O.S.). The thought that my son
could have lost his eyes in black tears is so horrifying that it makes
me faint,” wrote Mykhailo Ivasiuk, a writer, well-known in Bukovyna,
describing the day when he brought his newly-born son and his wife
home from hospital. The child, almost miraculously, did not lose his sight,
but the story of what had happened shortly after his birth, told him by
his parents, must have inculcated the young Volodymyr with a desire to
become a doctor.’
As early as the age of 5, Volodymyr began to learn to play the violin
at a music school, he later also learnt to play the piano. His father was
offered a teaching position at the University of Chernivtsi when his
family moved to the city, and Volodymyr, who has already graduated
from secondary school, went to study, quite unexpectedly at a medical
centre. It is difficult to understand why, but maybe it was due to pressure
from his parents ‘to become a respectable citizen and have a good
profession’. However he studied at the institute for only a short time for
a very honorable reason. Olesya Sandyha takes up the story, ‘Volodymyr
was expelled for taking part in “an act of criminal desecration.” The
“act” had taken place when Volodymyr had lived in Kitsman. He and
several other young people, in whose company he spent much of his free
time, overturned the plaster bust of Lenin in a park, probably accidentally
rather than with “a premeditated, malicious intent to besmirch the
glorious image of the leader of the proletariat.” The investigation took
some time “to find all the perpetrators involved,” and when the institute
was informed that one of its students had been involved in “an act of
political disloyalty,” he was immediately got rid of. Being “a politically
unreliable person” in the Soviet Union spelled trouble and could ruin all
the chance of a more or less successful career.’
Volodymyr’s chosen career path was now blocked, so he found any
work that was available to him. He was given a post in the forge shop of a
factory. The noise levels within the department of the factory could have
been detrimental to his hearing, but fortunately he was given another
position, the factory’s choir artistic director. Thank to Volodymyr’s efforts
the choir became one of the best in Bukovyna. The choir not only sang
the usual Ukrainian songs, but also Volodymyr’s own compositions.
After a further attempt to enter a medical institute, which was
unsurprisingly unsuccessful, Volodymyr resigned himself to a career
in music, medicines loss, and Ukrainian’s music gain. He joined the
‘Trembita’ Dance and Song Ensemble at the institute and the ‘Karpaty’
Ensemble at a local community centre. In both he played the violin and
offered his songs to be performed and he resumed his studies at a music
school. The next five years in Chernivtsi were filled with music, romance,
successes and failures.
According to Olesya Sandyha, ‘Volodymyr was an ambitious person
as far as his music career was concerned, and given his modesty and
timidity in relations with women, he must have decided he did not have
time for both women and work. Also, his meteoric rise to fame induced
him to work ever more intensively which left little time for anything
else. His reluctance to make his private affairs publicly known may have
contributed to our lack of knowledge of his romances. His sister Halyna
said of him, “Volodymyr was always loath to let anybody into the sphere
of his private feelings.” There is still another thing that could have led to
our knowing so little about his private life. It was not in the Ukrainian
tradition to make public things private, no matter how “public” the
person was; and in Ivasiuk’s case the fact that his life ended so tragically
and abruptly, made him an iconic figure, cleansed of “all too human
feelings and emotions.”
“Kolyskova” (Lullaby), was Volodymyr’s first song, written in his
teens, the lyrics were his father’s. Volodymyr won first place at a regional
contest with his song, “Vidlitaly zhuravli” (Storks were flying away), and
he was only seventeen. In 1970 he wrote and released his most famous
song, “Chervona Ruta”, (Red ruth). The first public performance was Who murdered Volodymyr Ivasiuk?
on September 13, 1970. This was followed by “Vodohray”, (Fountain).
“Chervona Ruta” was performed with Olena Kutnetsova, a young music
According to M. Masly, ‘the details of Volodymyr Ivasiuk’s death,
teacher, as a duet. Olena Kutnetsova recollects: “We were to sing at an however, do not support the official view that he killed himself. They
open-air gig in Teatralna Square in Chernivtsi. It was to be broadcast live waited and searched for Volodya for 24 days. Following the mysterious
within the framework of a popular TV programme. A big crowd gathered. disappearance of the composer, the search for him was not disclosed
In fact, the square was packed to capacity. We sang. The crowd was to the public, the explanation being given that such an announcement
ecstatic, and we woke up the next day to find ourselves famous.”
would create a disturbance. However, the mass media are daily used
Olesya Sandyha continues with the story, Volodymyr’s ‘fame spread not only to help locate people, but sometimes even their pets. [...] It was
fast indeed. In 1971 his “Chervona Ruta” won the Best Song of the Year not until May 18, 1979 that Volodymyr Ivasiuk’s body was accidentally
award, and his “Vodohray” was the best song of the next year. Not only discovered in the heavy forest near the village Briukhovych near Lviv. One
the best in Ukraine but in the whole of the Soviet Union, of which Ukraine couldn’t bring oneself to believe it. The parents were allowed to identify
was then part. “Chervona Ruta,” sung by the Ukrainian superstar Sofiya their son only on the following day, even though it was only a five-minute
Rotaru, became a megahit; particularly after it featured in the first walk from the apartment where Volodya lived to the morgue; and the
Ukrainian music film “Chervona Ruta”, directed by Roman Oleksiv (it identification was conducted with gross violations of law. The father was
was practically plot-less, with one song following another). Sofia Rotaru allowed to view the body only after he repeatedly telephoned the Oblast
sang Ruta in a duet with Vasyl Zinkevych. Such an overwhelming success Procurator threatening to send a telegram of complaint to the General
of a song written by “an amateur composer” (by the Soviet standards, Procurator of Ukraine. The local authorities eventually gave in with the
a composer, or a musician, or anyone else for that matter, without exasperated reply: “Take your son home, and look at him there for at
specialised or higher education to back the claim of “professionalism” least a hundred years!” His death certificate reported that he died 24-27
was considered to be “an amateur” and as such lacked privileges that April 1979 at the age of 30. The cause of death: mechanical asphyxiation.
“professional” composers were entitled to; in this sense, say, The Beatles Hanging from a noose – suicide. The death certificate was issued on May
would be considered “amateurs”) caused a measure of discomfort 21, 1979, and even back then, a mere three days after the body had been
among the bureaucrats “responsible for music.” Their primary task was discovered, without any evidence or investigation it had been written in
to make sure that “the Soviet people” listened to music prescribed – or at black and white that Volodymyr Ivasiuk had committed suicide.
least approved of – by the Soviet authorities. Rock bands, that were given
This immediately raises the question that if the composer had indeed
the unusual name of “vocal and instrumental ensembles (VIE)” found hung himself on 24-27 April, and was not found until 18 May, whether
themselves under heavy pressure and were obliged to sing “politically he could have remained hanging from a tree for 21-24 days. Volodya
correct,” “patriotic” songs, and songs “glorifying friendship between the weighed 80 kg (176 lb), such that hanging for so long; the noose would
peoples of the Soviet Union.” VIEs repertoires could not include more have cut into his neck to the depth of the bones. Also during May the
than three songs by “amateurs” and Ivasiuk was one (since most of the weather was warm and dry. The body would have decomposed during
VIEs were “amateurs” it also meant they could not sing their own songs). this interval, and from it would have emanated an intolerable odour.
To survive in such an atmosphere you had to do a lot of adjusting and All these substantiating signs were missing, and missing too were the
compromising – which Ivasiuk hated to do.’
autopsy photographs.’
Volodymyr moved to Lviv to formally study composition at the Lviv
Furthermore, according to Olesya Sandyha, ‘neither his parents, nor
conservatory of Music. Upon graduating from the medical institute, he his friends accepted the conclusions of the investigation. They categorically
worked as a doctor, and even joined the post-graduate courses at the denied rumours that for some time before his death Volodymyr had been
Department of Pathological Physiology for his next degree. However talking about killing himself, or even had chosen a tree on which to hang
his life took in many disappointments. This distressed immensely. The himself. It is so hard to imagine Volodymyr would go to a beech forest
composer who supervised his studies at the conservatory, refused that gave the name to his native land (beech is buk in Ukrainian; hence
to attend a show at which the “Smerichka” rock band (“vocal and Bukovyna, the land of beeches) to look for a tree to hang himself on – it
instrumental ensemble,” that is) played his songs. The composer’s refusal would have been so out of character!
upset Ivasiuk. Even more upsetting was the failure on the part of the
Among the more probable causes that led to his death, two are
authorities to put his name on the list of those who contributed to the considered most likely – a Lviv criminal grouping wanted something from
staging of a play based on the novel “Praporonostsi” (Standard-bearers) him and when he refused they killed him; and the KGB machinations that
by Oles Honchar, a writer of a considerable prominence. Ivasiuk wrote eventually resulted in his death. The Soviet secret service had kept Ivasiuk
a suite for the play at the request of the director, Serhiy Danchenko, a under surveillance for quite some time – he must have been regarded
well-known figure in the Ukrainian theatre. The play was well received as a dangerous “purveyor of nationalist ideas.” His death could have
and was even nominated for the top state prize. The coveted Shevchenko been planned as a warning to those who saw in him a champion of the
prize was awarded but Ivasiuk’s name was absent from the list of those Ukrainian national spirit.’
who had taken part in staging the play. Whether it was deliberately
M. Masly continues the sordid tale, ‘and truly, the administration
overlooked or it happened by chance will never be known, but Ivasiuk hated him while he was alive, and feared him once he was dead.
was bypassed and never got the prize which was shared by the rest (a Volodya’s mother, Sofia Ivanivna Ivasiuk met with the first secretary of the
similar story happened a couple of years later).
Lviv administration, V. Dobryk to plead with him to permit a monument
To add insult to injury, Ivasiuk was told at the conservatory that he to be placed on the grave of her son. “The war took from me my father
had failed in fulfilling the tasks set by the conservatory for the freshmen and three brothers. My sister’s husband did not return from the front,”
and would have to take all the first-year courses again. In 1976 he was wept the woman, “and now my son too has been lost. Do I not after all
expelled from the conservatory altogether for lack of progress in studies that have the right to consecrate his memory?” In reply, Dobryk (what
and for failing to meet conservatory standards.”
evil irony that such a soulless individual should have a name denoting
His lagging behind was caused by several reasons. Firstly, he devoted goodness) pressed a concealed button and said in Russian to the lackey
very much time to writing that suite for “Praporonostsi”. Secondly, he did who entered, “Take that lady out.” Following this visit, Sofia Ivanivna
have to work to earn his living and working full time did not leave much Ivasiuk received the “insult in the name of Dobryk.”
time for the conservatory studies. Thirdly, he continued to write songs
Volodymyr Ivasiuk was buried at the Lviv Lychakiv cemetery on May
and other musical pieces which also took a lot of time.
22 1979. Thousands of people attended the funeral; there were speeches,
The whole thing must have been shocking to a young aspiring orations and a sea of flowers. But the official line was to look upon Ivasiuk
composer with about a hundred songs to his name. He turned to “as a mentally deranged suicide” and his songs were banned from the
doctors for help – he suffered from fatigue, irritability, insomnia and radio and television; no expressions of sympathy were allowed to appear
headaches. In April 1977 he was advised to go to hospital and stay there in the press; his parents were refused the permission to erect a monument
for treatment for some time. He did, and after less than four weeks was at his grave. The original of the film “Chervona Ruta” was destroyed. The
released, in good health. He never took his illness seriously, describing it archives with the materials of the investigation into the cause of his death
as a nervous breakdown after his expulsion from the conservatory. He were opened to journalists only years later.
produced the medical conclusion given to him at the hospital
But no matter how hard the Soviet
and was reinstated at the conservatory. His new teacher was
authorities tried to suppress the songs
Leshek Mazepa, a composer, who immediately appreciated the
of Ivasiuk, they failed dismally. Most
extraordinary talent of his pupil, and did his best to encourage
of his songs continued to be performed
him to work along the chosen lines without undue pressure.
and now, thirty years later such hits of
Ivasiuk tried hard indeed, and in one year covered the
his as “Chervona Ruta” continue to
programme for two, successfully passing all the exams. He
be popular. There are song festivals
continued writing songs which kept winning prizes. An album,
annually held in Ukraine, at which
Volodymyr Ivasiuk’s Songs Performed by Sofia Rotaru, was an
Ivasiuk songs are performed. Two such
instant hit, and several of his songs were released in the United
festivals, “Chervona Ruta” and the
States and Canada. He received thousands of letters from fans
International Young Singers Pop Song
writing from all over the country, and his tours were always
Festival in memoriam of Volodymyr
unqualified success. However, as his popularity grew, the
Ivasiuk, are attended by thousands of
attention the Soviet secret service was paying to him also grew.
fans – it is the best evidence that the
He felt it, and though there seemed to be all the reasons for him
songs of “an amateur composer”, “the
to enjoy life, to keep writing songs and bask in the admiration of
father of Ukrainian pop song” who will
friends and fans, he looked increasingly worried and anxious.
never turn 31, live on.
In Khmelnystsky, in April 1979, Ivasiuk was a jury member
in the first All-Ukrainian Pop Song Contest. He never returned
Yaroslaw Tymchyshyn
Ivasiuk’s grave
home to his parents.