Vasyl Slipak

"Responsibility has increased at times. We have no right to be in depression. We must pull ourselves out at any cost. We have a unique chance and we have no moral right to lose it. We have no right to lose Ukraine! "- said the warrior, defender of Ukraine and well-known opera singer Vasyl Slipak. Today he should be 43 years old. But Vasyl, the callous "Myth", died in a battle on the Svitlodarsky arc on June 29, 2016 from a sniper's ball.

Vasyl was born on December 20, 1974 in Lviv. Guy has loved to sing since childhood. In the family, nobody related to music professionally - Vasyl's mother worked in the design bureau, father was a specialist in the production unit. But the grandfather, in honor of which the boy was called, had a unique voice, which passed on to the grandson.

At the age of six, Slipak's first performance took place - at the village wedding, Vasylko sang the song of the Marenichy trio "Silence around." Everyone was delighted. When the boy was 9 years old, his older brother Orest took him to the Lviv State Academic Choir "Dudaryk". There was formed the taste of the prominent Ukrainian opera singer. With “Dudarik”, Vasyl Slipak performed in the most prestigious concert halls of Ukraine and the world: from the National Opera of Ukraine to Carnegie Hall in New York. In the choir, Vasyl Spivak sang until 1994.

During his studies and after the end of the Lviv Conservatory, Slipak performed a lot and participated in various contests. In 1997, Vasyl successfully passed the selection for membership in the Parisian National Opera. His voice allowed him to begin a successful solo career in France and Europe. For almost twenty years Vasyl Slipak had lived abroad. Last concerts he gave on May 25-27, 2016, in the Temple of the Holy Trinity in Lyon, France.

Vasyl Slipak always had an active civic position. Immediately after gaining independence of Ukraine, he joined the "Faith and Light" movement, which was aimed to help people with special needs. Together with his brother Orest, he organized concerts in minors' colonies in order to morally support those who fell behind bars. During the events of the Revolution of Dignity, he could not come to Ukraine, because he had a contract with the Opera, but coordinated public actions in France aimed at supporting Ukraine, sent Ukrainians humanitarian aid, collected money, and organized charity concerts.

When the war started in Donbass, Vasyl created a charitable organization "Fraternité Ukrainienne / Ukrainian Brotherhood", helped Ukrainian defenders, and subsequently joined them. Slipak had been on the front for three times. For the first time he went on war in May 2014, fought at the Pisky near the Donetsk airport, participated in the battles for Avdeevka. In the war Vasyl Slipak took a callous "Myth" - in honor of the most beloved arias - the party of Mephistopheles in the opera of Charles Gounod "Faust."

For the second time Basil went to the front in September 2015, fought in the village of Vodyana near Mariupol, just on the line of collision. Subsequently, he returned to Paris. For the third and last time, Slipack returned to the Donbas on June 18, 2016 to deliver the collected help to the volunteer defenders. He planned to stay on the war for half a year. But after 11 days he died from a hostile ball, which was released by a sniper from a high-caliber rifle. Vasyl Slipak saved his brothers for the price of their own lives. At that time, Ukrainian troops repulsed an attack on a town of Lugansk and went on a counteroffensive.

On June 30, 2016, Vasyl Slipak was posthumously awarded with the Order "For Courage" of the 1st degree. He became the first Hero of Ukraine among volunteers. Theopera singer and warrior was buried on the Lion of the heroes of the Lychakiv cemetery in Lviv.

Vasyl Slipak is a lighthouse of the Ukrainian nation. Through his spiritual light, he pointed to the whole path, the path of goodness, devotion, sacrifice, and patriotism. Although he was forcibly extinguished, Ukrainians should go further and not change the road.