Sviatoslav Vakarchuk facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Sviatoslav Vakarchuk
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Sviatoslav Vakarchuk in 2022
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| Background information | |
| Native name |
Святослав Вакарчук
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| Birth name | Sviatoslav Ivanovych Vakarchuk |
| Also known as | Slava Vakarchuk |
| Born | 14 May 1975 Mukachevo, Zakarpattia Oblast, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union |
| Genres | Rock |
| Occupation(s) | Singer, politician |
| Years active | 1994–present |
| Associated acts | Okean Elzy |
| Scientific career | |
| Thesis | Суперсиметрія електрона в магнітному полі (2009) |
Sviatoslav Ivanovych "Slava" Vakarchuk (Ukrainian: Святослав Іванович Вакарчук; born 14 May 1975) is a famous Ukrainian musician, politician, and public activist. He is best known as the lead singer of the rock band Okean Elzy. Vakarchuk also served as a member of the Ukrainian parliament. He founded a political party called Voice in May 2019.
Vakarchuk has always been active in supporting important events in Ukraine. These include the Orange Revolution and Euromaidan protests. He is involved in many projects that help society and culture. He is one of the most successful musicians in Ukraine. He also has a special degree called a PhD in theoretical physics.
Sviatoslav Vakarchuk is the son of Ivan Vakarchuk. His father was a physics professor at Lviv University. He also served as a former Ukrainian Minister of Education and Science.
Contents
Biography
Early Life and Education
Sviatoslav Vakarchuk was born in the city of Mukachevo in western Ukraine. He grew up in a family of scientists. Both his mother and father were university professors who studied physics. His father, Ivan Vakarchuk, was also a former Education Minister.
Vakarchuk studied at Lviv University. While there, he earned a PhD in a field called supersymmetry. After finishing his studies, Vakarchuk moved to Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine.
Musical Journey
Vakarchuk started his band, Okean Elzy ("Ocean of Elza"), in 1994. This was when he was still a student at Lviv University. The band quickly became very popular in Ukraine.
In 2005, Vakarchuk appeared on the Ukrainian version of "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?" He answered all the questions correctly. He won the grand prize of 1 million Ukrainian hryvnia. He generously donated all his winnings to orphanages in Ukraine.
In 2013, Okean Elzy went on a big tour. They played concerts in many cities. These included places in Ukraine, Russia, Belarus, the US, Canada, and Western Europe. This tour was to support their album "Zemlya."
In December 2013, Okean Elzy performed during the Euromaidan protests. This showed their support for the people.
In the summer of 2014, the band celebrated their 20th anniversary. They held huge concerts in Ukraine's biggest stadiums. Their show at Kyiv's Olympiyskiy Stadium set a new record. Over 75,000 people attended, making it the largest concert by a Ukrainian band.
In 2024, Okean Elzy released two albums in the same year. This was something they had never done before. To celebrate, they went on a tour across Europe and the US. These concerts were also held to support Ukraine. At the shows, they organized auctions and collected donations for Ukraine. The band toured almost everywhere, even in new places like Philadelphia. This tour also marked the band's 30th anniversary.
Political Involvement
In 2007, Sviatoslav Vakarchuk became a member of the Verkhovna Rada, which is the Ukrainian parliament. He was part of a committee that focused on freedom of speech. He also worked with other countries. In 2008, he decided to leave parliament. He explained that he was frustrated by the constant disagreements. He wanted to focus on making real changes for the country.
Vakarchuk has also worked on solo music projects. In 2008, he released "Vnochi" (In the Night). In 2011, he released "Brussel" (Brussels).
In 2015, Vakarchuk took part in a special program at Yale University. He later joined Stanford University in 2018. There, he studied politics and leadership. He started speaking at political events. This made people wonder if he would run for president.
In May 2019, Vakarchuk announced he was starting a new political party. It was called Holos, which means "Voice." The party aimed to take part in the July 2019 parliamentary election. Vakarchuk said that if elected, he would continue to play music. However, political work would be his main focus. He believed that parliament was the place where real changes could happen.
Vakarchuk was elected to the Verkhovna Rada in July 2019. His party received 5.82% of the votes. In June 2020, he asked to end his time in parliament. He said he would still be involved in politics. He wanted to work on activities for his party outside of parliament. His party then officially ended his role as a member of parliament.
Vakarchuk is also very active in social and cultural projects. He founded a charity called "Lyudi Maybutnyoho" (People of the Future). This foundation supports projects like "A Book Creates a Man" and "The Country's Education." He also helped with a campaign called "People Are Not For Sale." In 2003, he became an Honorary Ambassador of Culture in Ukraine. In 2005, he became a Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations Development Programme.
During the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, Vakarchuk joined the Ukrainian army. He became part of the territorial defense battalion in Lviv Oblast in March 2022.
Family Life
Sviatoslav Vakarchuk has two children. His son, Ivan Vakarchuk, was born on June 19, 2021. His daughter, Solomiya Vakarchuk, was born on June 21, 2022.
The Ukrainian magazine Korrespondent has recognized him as one of the 100 most influential people in Ukraine.
Vakarchuk speaks several languages fluently. These include Ukrainian, Russian, English, and Polish.
Awards
- Merited Artist of Ukraine (2005)
- Vasyl Stus Prize (2014)
- Honorary Citizen of Lviv (2015)
- Honorary Citizen of Kyiv (2015)
- Order of Liberty of Ukraine (2016)
Discography
Vakarchuk has released many studio albums with his band, Okean Elzy:
- Tam, de nas nema (Where there is no us, 1998)
- Ya na nebi buv (I was in heaven, 2000)
- Model (2001)
- Supersymmetry (2003)
- GLORIA (2005)
- Mira (Measure, 2007)
- Dolce Vita (2010)
- Zemlia (Earth, 2013)
- Bez mezh (Limitless, 2016)
- Lighthouse (2024)
- Toy den (2024)
They also released one live acoustic album:
- Tviy format (Your Format, 2003)
