Svyatoslav Vakarchuk
Date of Birth: 14.05.1975
Place of Birth. Education. Born in Mukachevo, Transcarpathian Region. He has two university degrees (Theoretical Physics and International Business), which he obtained at I. Franko Lviv State University. He defended his doctoral thesis on 'Supersymmetry of Electrons in the Electromagnetic Field'. For several years, he taught at I. Franko Lviv State University.
Artistic Career. The band 'Okean Elzy', thanks to whose work Svyatoslav Vakarchuk became known (he is the author of most lyrics and music, singer, band leader), was founded in 1994. After graduating from university, Vakarchuk could have continued his studies abroad, but ultimately chose a career as a musician. The band successfully performed at various festivals, and together with 'O. E.' Svyatoslav went to Kiev to record the debut album 'Tam, de nas nema' (1998).
The band has repeatedly received the title 'Best Rock Band', their songs and videos have won multiple awards.
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In 2008, he released the first solo album 'Wnətʃi', which he recorded together with musicians from 'Okean Elzy' and 30 other invited musicians.
At the end of 2011, he introduced the new musical project 'Brussels', in which he presented songs that did not fit the concept of the group 'Okean Elzy'. As a musician, Svyatoslav invited for the work on this album Dmytro Shurov, Max Malyshev, Pjotr Tchernyavsky and Serhiy Babkin .
In 2013-2016, Vakarchuk participated in the Ukrainian show 'The Voice of the Country' as a mentor for young musicians.
In spring 2016, the band 'Okean Elzy' released the album 'Bez ə' and began a two-year world tour that ended on June 17, 2017, in Lviv.
Political Career. In 2004, Svyatoslav Vakarchuk actively participated in the Orange Revolution and publicly supported the opposition presidential candidate of Ukraine, Viktor Yushchenko.
After Viktor Yushchenko's electoral victory in 2005, Svyatoslav Vakarchuk became an advisor to the President of Ukraine. He was a UN Special Ambassador and was involved in social projects to combat human trafficking. He was actively engaged in charity work.
In the early parliamentary elections of 2007, he ran as number 15 on the list of the pro-presidential block Our Ukraine - People's Self-Defense, actively advocating for the introduction of socially responsible politics and politicians in Ukraine. In November 2007, he received a deputy mandate and became a member of the Committee on Freedom of Speech and Information in the Parliament.
For several consecutive years, Svyatoslav Vakarchuk was listed by the magazine Korrespondent among the hundred most influential people in Ukraine - as the frontman of the most popular rock band and as a citizen with an active life approach.
On September 11, 2008, MP Vakarchuk submitted a statement to the parliamentary office resigning from his mandate. 'This decision was the result of long reflections over several months and seems to me to be an honest step towards the voters,' he said. The Verkhovna Rada prematurely terminated his deputy mandate in December of the same year.
According to the deputy, the VI Verkhovna Rada failed to fulfill its main task - 'to make Ukraine a European state'. 'Constant inter-party and intra-party disputes, which those who should advance Ukraine as a modern state are permeated with, have demoralized society in the country and undermined its reputation abroad,' he noted.
Svyatoslav Vakarchuk believes that the political life of the country has 'shrunk to a fierce power struggle, in which national interests become victims'. 'Under these conditions, the only way to be oneself is to leave,' the deputy believes.
The parliamentarian thanked the voters for their trust and noted that he does not consider his entry into politics as a step in his career as a singer. Svyatoslav Vakarchuk also announced that he would return to active public life.
In the 2019 presidential elections contrary to expectations, he did not run for office. He publicly supported no one running in the elections.
On May 16, 2019, Vakarchuk presented his political party Holos on Starytsky Hill and declared that he was going as party leader to the early parliamentary elections. In the elections to the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine IX convocation in 2019, the Holos party received 17 deputy seats in the Supreme Rada of Ukraine IX convocation, having received 5.82% of the votes. Since August 2019, Svyatoslav Vakarchuk has been a deputy of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine IX convocation. Member of the Committee for Foreign Policy and Interparliamentary Cooperation.
On June 18, 2020, Vakarchuk announced that he would resign from his deputy mandate. On June 19, Vakarchuk left the Holos faction to leave the Verkhovna Rada. On June 26, 2020, the delegates of the extraordinary party congress of the party Holos decided to prematurely terminate the deputy mandates of the party leader Svyatoslav Vakarchuk.
Band Discography. Albums: 'Tam de nas nema' (1998), 'Jananebibuv' (2000), 'Model' (2001), 'Supersymmetry' (2003), 'Twi Formats' (2003), 'Gloria' (2005), '1221' (Best-of Album, 2006), 'Mira' (2007). Singles: 'House of Glass' (1996), 'Cold' (2002), '911 (Silent Ocean)' (2004), 'Thank you' (2004), 'Happy Times' (2006), 'Dolce Vita' (2010), 'Earth' (2013), 'Without Borders' (2016).
Solo Projects: 'Vnochi' (2009), 'Brussels' (2011).
Personal Life. Wife - stylist Lialia Fonareva, with whom Svyatoslav Vakarchuk raises his daughter from the first marriage. In June 2021, Svyatoslav Vakarchuk and Lialia Fonareva announced that they would separate after more than 20 years of living together.
On June 19, 2021, Svyatoslav Vakarchuk's son Ivan was born. On June 21, 2022, daughter Solomia was born.
Father - Ivan Vakarchuk (1947-2020), former Minister of Education and Science of Ukraine in the second government of Yulia Tymoshenko, was rector of Lviv State University until 1990.
Hobbies. He is fascinated by Japanese culture. Favorite authors - Yukio Mishima and Haruki Murakami. Some of his favorite bands include The Beatles, Rolling Stones, Queen, Pink Floyd.
He speaks fluent Ukrainian, English, Polish, and Russian.
06.05.2022.