Svyatoslav Vakarchuk. A new acquaintance

Svyatoslav Vakarchuk

Svyatoslav Ivanovich Vakarchuk

Date of birth – May 14, 1975

City – Mukachevo (Ukraine)

Language – Ukrainian, English, Polish

Genre – rock, alternative rock, jazz

The path to a musical career

Svyatoslav Vakarchuk is a Ukrainian musician, songwriter and performer, composer, leader of the Okean Elzy group, Honored Artist of Ukraine. The future star of Ukrainian music was born in Mukachevo, in Transcarpathia. The head of the family, Ivan Vakarchuk, was an outstanding Ukrainian physicist who for some time held the position of Minister of Education and Science of Ukraine. And since 1990, Svyatoslav's father has been the rector of Lviv State University. The boy's childhood and youth were spent in Lviv.

Svyatoslav graduated from school with an advanced study of English with honors - a silver medal. He learned to play the violin at a music school, and at the same time mastered the accordion. During his school years, he showed himself in various fields and genres. The young man played in the KVN, organized school theater performances, and played basketball.

In 1990, while studying in high school, Svyatoslav Vakarchuk took part in an exchange program and visited Canada. He returned from there with a large collection of rock music records. This greatly influenced Svyatoslav's further interest in musical culture and creativity. In 1991-1996, Vakarchuk received higher education at the Physics Department of the Ivan Franko National University of Lviv. He chose the direction of theoretical physics. Later, he received a second higher education in the specialty "economics of international relations". In 1996, he became a postgraduate student at the Department of Theoretical Physics of his native university.

Creative path

It was during his university years that Svyatoslav Vakarchuk's journey to fame and recognition by a wide audience began. Having first won the hearts of fans in Lviv, the musician later conquered millions of fans of quality music not only in Ukraine but also in many countries around the world. The beginning of his career in the music industry is associated with Vakarchuk's participation in the art rock band Clan of Silence, founded in 1992.

Within two years, the group received a new name - Okean Elzy. At first, the members considered the name Okean. But later they added the word "Elza" to it, which made the name of the group recognizable and unique. Svyatoslav became a vocalist, wrote lyrics and music for the compositions. Since then, the artist has been the unchanging leader of the super-popular group today.

After graduating from university, Vakarchuk received prospects for studying abroad. However, he chose music. In April 1998, Okean Elzy moved to Kyiv. The debut album "Where We Are Not" was released. The record became a breakthrough. A successful discographic debut instantly brought the band nationwide popularity and revived interest from producers. Every year, success only grew. And Svyatoslav Vakarchuk gradually became one of the most influential figures in modern Ukrainian music.

Artist's style and development

Sviatoslav Vakarchuk's creative path was marked by dozens of concerts, Ukrainian and world tours. The musician and his team took to the stages of the largest music festivals as headliners. Singles and full-length albums were released. Songs performed by the singer conquered prestigious charts and the hearts of fans. The rock star also presented successful solo projects:

• "Brussels" (2011). Within the new format, Svyatoslav Vakarchuk presented songs that did not fit into the concept of OE. Talented musicians were invited to work on the album, including Dmitry Shurov, Max Malyshev, Petro Chernyavsky and Sergey Babkin;
• "Orangereya" (2021). Some members of Okean Elzy - Milos Yelich, Denis Dudko and Denis Glinin - joined the recording of the compositions. Dennis Adu, Hryhoriy Chaika and Vitalina Musienko also took part in the project. A bright creative experiment allowed Vakarchuk to go beyond the usual sound and open up new musical horizons.

Tracks that became 100% hits performed by Svyatoslav Vakarchuk:

• "Without a fight";
• "Where we are not";
• "Let go";
• "Shoot";
• "Above the sky";
• "911";
• "Flower";
• "Everything will be fine";
• "Victory";
• "When We Are Two" and many others

Creative collaborations

For over 30 years in music, Svyatoslav Vakarchuk has released bright tracks and video clips for them in collaboration with other stars of the scene:

• "Children's Country" (feat. alyona alyona);
• "That Day" (together with YAKTAK, Kola, SHUMEI and Jerry Heil);
• Lighthouse (with John Resnick).

Social activity

Svyatoslav Vakarchuk has political experience. On May 16, 2019, he headed his own political party "Holos". But on June 11, 2020, he announced his intention to resign from his position as a deputy. The musician was an active participant in the Orange Revolution. The singer performed on Independence Square and during the Revolution of Dignity.

The frontman of the Okean Elzy band has been actively supporting Ukrainian defenders since 2014. The musician travels to the cities of Ukraine. In particular, to zones where active hostilities are ongoing. The artist's performances take place in front of military personnel and local residents. The musician's songs are a symbol of resilience and hope, and acoustic live shows are a source of inspiration for those who defend the country. Charity collections and auctions are held at OE concerts. The funds received go to the needs of Ukrainian defenders.

Awards and honors:

• Order of Freedom;
• title of Honored Artist of Ukraine;
• Vasyl Stus Prize and others.

Interesting facts about the artist:

• is fascinated by Japanese culture. Favorite writers are Yukio Mishima and Haruki Murakami;
• His favorite musical groups are The Beatles, Rolling Stones, Queen, and Pink Floyd;
• in addition to Ukrainian, he is fluent in Polish and English;
• is ambidextrous (equally good with his right and left hands).