8 24 жовтня 2009 р. КУЛЬТУРА Remembering Volodymyr Ivasiuk (1949 – 1979)

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 Volodymyr Ivasiuk 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 Volodymyr Ivasiuk was born in the city of Kitsman, Chernivtsi Oblast specialised or higher education to back the claim of “professionalism” least a hundred years!” His death certificate reported that he died 24-27 on 4th March 1949. He is best known as a composer and poet, however 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. he was a man of many talents, having earned a degree in medicine, and “professional” composers were entitled to; in this sense, say, The Beatles Hanging from a noose – suicide. The death certificate was issued on May he also demonstrated a talent in art, photography and cinematography. would be considered “amateurs”) caused a measure of discomfort 21, 1979, and even back then, a mere three days after the body had been His father, Mykhailo Ivasiuk, was a well known writer from Bukovyna among the bureaucrats “responsible for music.” Their primary task was discovered, without any evidence or investigation it had been written in and his mother, Sofia, a teacher from the Zaporizhia Oblast. to make sure that “the Soviet people” listened to music prescribed – or at black and white that Volodymyr Ivasiuk had committed suicide. Olesya Sandyha in her biography of Ivasiuk wrote ‘in 1949 when least approved of – by the Soviet authorities. Rock bands, that were given This immediately raises the question that if the composer had indeed on March 4, a baby son was born into the family of Mykhailo and Sofia. the unusual name of “vocal and instrumental ensembles (VIE)” found hung himself on 24-27 April, and was not found until 18 May, whether “My joy was darkened somewhat by two black trickles that appeared, as themselves under heavy pressure and were obliged to sing “politically he could have remained hanging from a tree for 21-24 days. Volodya though burned into his skin, on both sides of his nose. It was as though correct,” “patriotic” songs, and songs “glorifying friendship between the weighed 80 kg (176 lb), such that hanging for so long; the noose would our boy was crying with black tears (the nurse put the wrong medicine 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 from an eye dropper into his eyes — O.S.). The thought that my son than three songs by “amateurs” and Ivasiuk was one (since most of the weather was warm and dry. The body would have decomposed during could have lost his eyes in black tears is so horrifying that it makes VIEs were “amateurs” it also meant they could not sing their own songs). this interval, and from it would have emanated an intolerable odour. me faint,” wrote Mykhailo Ivasiuk, a writer, well-known in Bukovyna, 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 describing the day when he brought his newly-born son and his wife compromising – which Ivasiuk hated to do.’ autopsy photographs.’ home from hospital. The child, almost miraculously, did not lose his sight, Volodymyr moved to Lviv to formally study composition at the Lviv Furthermore, according to Olesya Sandyha, ‘neither his parents, nor but the story of what had happened shortly after his birth, told him by conservatory of Music. Upon graduating from the medical institute, he his friends accepted the conclusions of the investigation. They categorically his parents, must have inculcated the young Volodymyr with a desire to 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 become a doctor.’ Department of Pathological Physiology for his next degree. However talking about killing himself, or even had chosen a tree on which to hang As early as the age of 5, Volodymyr began to learn to play the violin his life took in many disappointments. This distressed immensely. The himself. It is so hard to imagine Volodymyr would go to a beech forest at a music school, he later also learnt to play the piano. His father was composer who supervised his studies at the conservatory, refused that gave the name to his native land (beech is buk in Ukrainian; hence offered a teaching position at the University of Chernivtsi when his 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 family moved to the city, and Volodymyr, who has already graduated instrumental ensemble,” that is) played his songs. The composer’s refusal would have been so out of character! from secondary school, went to study, quite unexpectedly at a medical 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 centre. It is difficult to understand why, but maybe it was due to pressure authorities to put his name on the list of those who contributed to the considered most likely – a Lviv criminal grouping wanted something from from his parents ‘to become a respectable citizen and have a good staging of a play based on the novel “Praporonostsi” (Standard-bearers) him and when he refused they killed him; and the KGB machinations that profession’. However he studied at the institute for only a short time for by Oles Honchar, a writer of a considerable prominence. Ivasiuk wrote eventually resulted in his death. The Soviet secret service had kept Ivasiuk a very honorable reason. Olesya Sandyha takes up the story, ‘Volodymyr 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 was expelled for taking part in “an act of criminal desecration.” The well-known figure in the Ukrainian theatre. The play was well received as a dangerous “purveyor of nationalist ideas.” His death could have “act” had taken place when Volodymyr had lived in Kitsman. He and 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 several other young people, in whose company he spent much of his free prize was awarded but Ivasiuk’s name was absent from the list of those Ukrainian national spirit.’ time, overturned the plaster bust of Lenin in a park, probably accidentally who had taken part in staging the play. Whether it was deliberately M. Masly continues the sordid tale, ‘and truly, the administration rather than with “a premeditated, malicious intent to besmirch the 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. glorious image of the leader of the proletariat.” The investigation took 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 some time “to find all the perpetrators involved,” and when the institute similar story happened a couple of years later). Lviv administration, V. Dobryk to plead with him to permit a monument was informed that one of its students had been involved in “an act of 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 political disloyalty,” he was immediately got rid of. Being “a politically 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,” unreliable person” in the Soviet Union spelled trouble and could ruin all 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 the chance of a more or less successful career.’ expelled from the conservatory altogether for lack of progress in studies that have the right to consecrate his memory?” In reply, Dobryk (what Volodymyr’s chosen career path was now blocked, so he found any and for failing to meet conservatory standards.” evil irony that such a soulless individual should have a name denoting work that was available to him. He was given a post in the forge shop of a His lagging behind was caused by several reasons. Firstly, he devoted goodness) pressed a concealed button and said in Russian to the lackey factory. The noise levels within the department of the factory could have very much time to writing that suite for “Praporonostsi”. Secondly, he did who entered, “Take that lady out.” Following this visit, Sofia Ivanivna been detrimental to his hearing, but fortunately he was given another have to work to earn his living and working full time did not leave much Ivasiuk received the “insult in the name of Dobryk.” position, the factory’s choir artistic director. Thank to Volodymyr’s efforts time for the conservatory studies. Thirdly, he continued to write songs Volodymyr Ivasiuk was buried at the Lviv Lychakiv cemetery on May the choir became one of the best in Bukovyna. The choir not only sang and other musical pieces which also took a lot of time. 22 1979. Thousands of people attended the funeral; there were speeches, the usual Ukrainian songs, but also Volodymyr’s own compositions. 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 After a further attempt to enter a medical institute, which was composer with about a hundred songs to his name. He turned to “as a mentally deranged suicide” and his songs were banned from the unsurprisingly unsuccessful, Volodymyr resigned himself to a career doctors for help – he suffered from fatigue, irritability, insomnia and radio and television; no expressions of sympathy were allowed to appear in music, medicines loss, and Ukrainian’s music gain. He joined the 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 ‘Trembita’ Dance and Song Ensemble at the institute and the ‘Karpaty’ 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 Ensemble at a local community centre. In both he played the violin and 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 offered his songs to be performed and he resumed his studies at a music as a nervous breakdown after his expulsion from the conservatory. He were opened to journalists only years later. school. The next five years in Chernivtsi were filled with music, romance, produced the medical conclusion given to him at the hospital But no matter how hard the Soviet successes and failures. and was reinstated at the conservatory. His new teacher was authorities tried to suppress the songs According to Olesya Sandyha, ‘Volodymyr was an ambitious person Leshek Mazepa, a composer, who immediately appreciated the of Ivasiuk, they failed dismally. Most as far as his music career was concerned, and given his modesty and extraordinary talent of his pupil, and did his best to encourage of his songs continued to be performed timidity in relations with women, he must have decided he did not have him to work along the chosen lines without undue pressure. and now, thirty years later such hits of time for both women and work. Also, his meteoric rise to fame induced Ivasiuk tried hard indeed, and in one year covered the his as “Chervona Ruta” continue to him to work ever more intensively which left little time for anything programme for two, successfully passing all the exams. He be popular. There are song festivals else. His reluctance to make his private affairs publicly known may have continued writing songs which kept winning prizes. An album, annually held in Ukraine, at which contributed to our lack of knowledge of his romances. His sister Halyna Volodymyr Ivasiuk’s Songs Performed by Sofia Rotaru, was an Ivasiuk songs are performed. Two such said of him, “Volodymyr was always loath to let anybody into the sphere instant hit, and several of his songs were released in the United festivals, “Chervona Ruta” and the of his private feelings.” There is still another thing that could have led to States and Canada. He received thousands of letters from fans International Young Singers Pop Song our knowing so little about his private life. It was not in the Ukrainian writing from all over the country, and his tours were always Festival in memoriam of Volodymyr tradition to make public things private, no matter how “public” the unqualified success. However, as his popularity grew, the Ivasiuk, are attended by thousands of person was; and in Ivasiuk’s case the fact that his life ended so tragically attention the Soviet secret service was paying to him also grew. fans – it is the best evidence that the and abruptly, made him an iconic figure, cleansed of “all too human He felt it, and though there seemed to be all the reasons for him songs of “an amateur composer”, “the feelings and emotions.” to enjoy life, to keep writing songs and bask in the admiration of father of Ukrainian pop song” who will “Kolyskova” (Lullaby), was Volodymyr’s first song, written in his friends and fans, he looked increasingly worried and anxious. never turn 31, live on. teens, the lyrics were his father’s. Volodymyr won first place at a regional In Khmelnystsky, in April 1979, Ivasiuk was a jury member contest with his song, “Vidlitaly zhuravli” (Storks were flying away), and in the first All-Ukrainian Pop Song Contest. He never returned Yaroslaw Tymchyshyn he was only seventeen. In 1970 he wrote and released his most famous home to his parents. Ivasiuk’s grave