Svyatoslav Ivanovich Vakarchuk
Date of birth – May 14, 1975
City – Mukachevo (Ukraine)
Language – Ukrainian, English, Polish
Genre – rock, alternative rock, jazz
Path to a musical career
Svyatoslav Vakarchuk is a Ukrainian musician, songwriter and performer, composer, leader of the Okean Elzy band, 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.
Sviatoslav graduated from school with an advanced study of English with honors - a silver medal. He learned to play the violin at a music school, while simultaneously mastering the accordion. During his school years, he showed himself in various fields and genres. The young man played in the choir, 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 Faculty 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 at his native university.
Creative Path
It was during his university years that Svyatoslav Vakarchuk's movement towards popularity 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 band received a new name - Okean Elzy. Initially, the members considered the name Okean. But later they added the word «Elza» to it, which made the name of the band recognizable and unique. Svyatoslav became a vocalist, wrote lyrics and music for the songs. Since then, the artist has been the unchanging leader of the super popular group today.
After graduating from university, Vakarchuk received the prospect of studying abroad. However, he chose music. In April 1998, Okean Elzy moved to Kyiv. The debut album «Where We Are Not» was released. The album became a breakthrough. A successful discographic debut instantly brought the group 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
Svyatoslav 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 hit parades 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 – Milosh Yelich, Denis Dudko and Denis Glinin – joined the recording of the compositions. Dennis Adu, Grigory Chaika and Vitalina Musienko also participated 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:
- «Bez boj»;
- «Tam, de nas nema»;
- «Vidpusti»;
- «Strilyai»;
- «Vyshche neba»;
- «911»;
- «Kvitka»;
- «Vse bude dobre»;
- «Peremoja»;
- «Koli mi dvoe» and many others
Creative collaborations
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 (together with John Reznik).
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 deputy's powers. The musician was an active participant in the Orange Revolution. The singer performed on the 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 areas 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 distinctions:
- Order of Freedom;
- title of Honored Artist of Ukraine;
- Vasyl Stus Award and others.
Interesting facts about the artist:
- is fond of Japanese culture. Favorite writers are Yukio Mishima and Haruki Murakami;
- his favorite musical groups are The Beatles, Rolling Stones, Queen, Pink Floyd;
- in addition to Ukrainian, he is fluent in Polish and English;
- is ambidextrous (equally good with his right and left hands).
