People of Culture Taken Away by the War. 2024
Since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the ranks of our heavenly defenders have been replenished with people of art: actors, artists, sculptors, philologists, and historians. In this material, PEN Ukraine keeps tracking losses among cultural activists whose stories appear in the information field. As of January 2025, we have collected 153 names. This is not an official monitoring, since we realize that there are much more deceased artists than we know of. The 2022 monitoring can be found under this link. The 2023 monitoring can be found here.
On December 28, musician, music editor, and military serviceman Anton Vovk was killed in action. He was part of the show band Molodist, had worked at STB TV Channel since 2011 and been a senior music editor at the Starlight Production company since 2020. Vovk served in the ranks of the 95th separate air assault brigade.
On December 25, it was reported that poet, prose writer and military serviceman Oleksii Bezpaltsev was killed while performing a combat mission in the Kharkiv region. In his civilian life, Bezpaltsev had published two short prose collections and was actively engaged in the artistic life of Kharkiv. He had fought in the Pokrovsk direction for almost a year and was appointed to the Kupiansk direction shortly before his death.
On December 10, actor and military serviceman Yakiv Tkachenko was killed at the frontline. He performed at the drama and comedy theater and music and drama theater in Dnipro. In 2003, he began his career in cinema and TV shows. In 2018, he was longlisted for the Zolota Dzyga National Cinema Prize for the Best Supporting Actor in the movie Pryputni. Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, he enlisted in the territorial defense of Dnipro and had fought near the town of Vuhledar. He was concussed and severely wounded but chose to return to the frontline after rehabilitation. Yakiv Tkachenko was demobilized from the army in February 2023, yet he enlisted again in 2024 and returned to the frontline within the 3rd separate assault brigade.
On December 2, musician and military serviceman Yurii Melofon was killed while performing a combat mission. In his civilian life, Yurii was the author of the Moon Records label and a DJ. Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, he got involved in volunteering work, and later he enlisted in the 35th brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
On November 25, poet, prose writer, and screenwriter Myroslav Herasymovych was killed in Avdiivka. He was widely involved in civic activities: he took part in the Orange Revolution and the Revolution of Dignity. Since the first days of the full-scale invasion, he enlisted in the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Herasymovych fought at the hardest sections of the front, such as, for example, Kurakhove.
On November 20, local historian of the town of the town of Iziaslav in the Khmelnytskyi region, cultural activist and military serviceman Volodymyr Fedotov was killed at the frontline. Volodymyr was actively engaged in the preservation of historical sightseeing spots in his hometown, and he founded the Zaslavie Association for Cultural Heritage NGO. Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, he became a mining engineer.
On November 19, it became known that actor and defender of Ukraine Petro Velykyi was killed in action. Most probably, this happened on November 15 in the Kursk direction. In his civilian life, he was an actor in the Chernihiv Taras Shevchenko Regional Music and Drama Theater. Petro Velykyi graduated from Kharkiv Institute of Arts named after Ivan Kotliarevskyi. Since the beginning of the full-scale war, he took up arms to defend Ukraine.
On November 18, poet Lidia Rodytelieva-Protsyk was killed in a Russian attack of Hlukhiv in the Sumy Region. Her two poetry books were published in 2007 and 2019 respectively. Her texts were published in local newspapers and literary almanacs. The poet died in a boarding house where she moved from the borderline town of Pustohorod which suffered from Russian attacks.
On October 29, musician and military serviceman Mykola Sostin was killed in the Pokrovsk direction. Throughout his music career, he played in several Kharkiv bands, such as Darklighter, black metal band Zavod, and metal band Soom. Mykola Sostin enlisted in the army on August 3, 2024. He served in the 25th separate airborne brigade within the Ukrainian Air Assault Forces.
On October 21, military serviceman, writer, historian and theologist Yurii Kaniuk was killed in action in Toretsk. Yurii’s book A Letter from the Stellar Void was published in 2018. Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, Kaniuk took up arms to defend Ukraine within the ranks of the 100th separate mechanized brigade of the Ukrainian Ground Forces.
On September 27, ballet dancer of Klaipeda State Music Theater (Lithuania) and military serviceman Artem Kovbasynskyi was killed in action. In 2019, Kovbasynskyi graduated from Kyiv Serge Lifar Dance Academy and later moved to Lithuania. After the beginning of the full-scale invasion, he returned to Ukraine to defend his native country in the ranks of Ukrainian army.
The death of poet and military serviceman Taras Illia was confirmed on September 23. Illia was a 2013 laureate of the International Oles Honchar Prize for his poetry book Roots of the Ocean ("Коріння океану"). He was a son of poets Valentyna Otroshchenko and Valerii Illia. Taras Illia enlisted in the Ukrainian army in June 2024 and was killed in action soon.
The death of Ukrainian musician and military serviceman Pavlo Dmytrash was confirmed on September 13. Previously, Dmytrash had been considered missing. He was a percussionist with the symphonic orchestra of Ivano-Frankivsk philharmonic. Since the first days of the full-scale invasion, Dmytrash took up arms to defend his country. He was the commander of the 2nd division of the 79th separate Taurica air assault brigade and he went missing while completing a combat mission near Novomykhailivka in the Pokrovsk district of the Donetsk region.
On September 9, it was announced that the master of folk instruments and military serviceman Serhii Pavlichenko was killed in action. He made banduras, kobzas, lyres, and guslis. Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, he voluntarily enlisted in the army. Serhii Pavlichenko belonged to the history club Chorni Zaporozhtsi ("Black Zaporizhians") and took an active part in all Ukrainian protests on the Maidan Nezalezhnosti.
On September 2, theater actor and military serviceman Ihor Levytskyi was killed near Bakhmut in the Donetsk region. He had been part of the team of Ivano-Frankivsk Drama Theater for over 20 years and enlisted in the army for the first time ever since the time of the ATO. In the first months of the full-scale invasion, he enlisted in the 10th separate mountain assault brigade.
On August 30, 18-year-old artist Veronika Kozhushko was killed in Russian shelling of Kharkiv with guided aerial bombs. Veronika took an active part in the city’s creative life. She covered shopper bags with watercolor portraits of Ukrainian writers, illustrated poetry of Serhii Zhadan and Mykhail Semenko.
On August 27, defender of Ukraine, historian and doctoral student at the Ukrainian Catholic University Mykola Haievoi was killed in action in the Kursk oblast of Russia. As a scholar, Mykola was interested in Ukrainian radical nationalism of the 20th century. He made research on Yaroslav Stetsko’s life and activity. Since the beginning of the full-scale war, Mykola Haievoi voluntarily enlisted in the Armed Forces of Ukraine. He served in the 95th separate air assault Polissia brigade within the Air Assault Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
On the same day, it became known that defender of Ukraine, vocalist of Kyiv Academic Ukrainian Folklore Theater Berehynia, Oleksandr Serdiuk was killed in action. The 41-year-old singer enlisted in the Armed Forces of Ukraine at the end of April 2024.
The death of defender of Ukraine, actor of Dnipro National Theater Andrii Kasianov was reported on August 26. Among his last roles, there was that of Georgian artist Niko Pirosmani in the performance titled Million of Red Roses.
On August 20, museum worker and military serviceman Leonid Lavrenchuk was killed in action. In his civilian life, he was an employee of the National Museum of Folk Architecture and Folkways of Ukraine. Lavrenchuk voluntarily enlisted in Ukrainian army twice: in 2014 and 2022.
On July 19, troupe manager of Mykolaiv academic theater Iryna Ponomarenko was killed in Russian shelling of the city. Ponomarenko had worked in all the three theaters of Mykolaiv. She had been the vice-director of Mykolaiv academic theater for 12 years, then became the troupe manager for the following 9 years. She also took care of 18 homeless dogs.
The death of musician, member of the Troisti Muzyky band, and serviceman Mykola Lenok was reported on July 15. Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, Lenok enlisted in the Armed Forces of Ukraine. in 2022, he served as a combat medic in the 136th separate battalion of the Territorial Defense of Brovary. He also joined the music band of his military unit.
On July 12, ballet dancer of Chernihiv Ukrainian academic people’s choir and serviceman Volodymyr Opanasenko was killed in action in the Donetsk region. He spent over 20 years in profession. Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, Opanasenko took up arms to defend Ukraine and soon became a rifle platoon commander.
On July 11, it became known that Vitalii Markytan, assistant director of Odesa music and drama theater, was killed in action. Vitalii had been working at the theater since 2021, and he defended Ukraine at the frontline since the very first days of Russian full-scale invasion.
Writer, lawyer, and military serviceman Vasyl Palamarchuk was killed in action on July 3. In 2014-2015, Palamarchuk partook in combat as a soldier of the 28th mechanized brigade. After the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, he stood up again to defend the country. Palamarchuk’s book The Military Rubbish, in which he described his military service in the ATO times, was published by Bilka Publishing House in 2019.
On June 24, it became known that choreographer, dancer, and military serviceman Anton Smetskyi was killed at the frontline. In his civilian life, Anton used to work with well-known Ukrainian performers. He voluntarily enlisted in the Armed Forces of Ukraine at the beginning of the full-scale invasion and served as a miner. In the fall of 2023, Smetskyi struck a mine; consequently, he lost his leg and underwent rehabilitation. Afterwards, he decided to return to the frontline.
On the same day, head of Sosnytsia Y. S. Vynohradskyi Museum of Local History Yurii Pomaz was killed in the Luhansk region. In his civilian life, Pomaz was actively involved in development of tourism in his native Chernihiv region. He enlisted in the Armed Forces of Ukraine in May 2022.
The death of military servicewoman, stylist, and costume designer Shura Riazantseva was reported on June 11. Riazantseva had a call sign "Yalta" because she was born in Crimea and longed for partaking in its liberation from the Russian occupation. In 2013, she participated in the Revolution of Dignity and saved the wounded activists. Her story was included into the documentary film The Female Face of the Revolution. In her civilian life, Riazantseva worked for Ukrainian TV channels and teams of Ukrainian celebrities as a stylist and costume designer. Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, she enlisted in the Territorial Defense Forces and had recently joined a new unit of the Air Assault Troops of Ukraine.
On June 10, photo artist and photographer with the Armed Forces of Ukraine Arsen Fedosenko was killed in the Kharkiv region. Fedosenko was a graphic artist by training, but he had found himself a photographer yet in his student years. Since 2010, he had participated in cultural and artistic photo projects in cooperation with the National Philarmonic of Ukraine and the Embassy of Italy. He became a photographer with the Armed Forces of Ukraine since the very beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion.
On June 7, artist, musician, stylist, and serviceman Artur Snitkus was killed in the Donetsk region. Snitkus had served in the military even before the full-scale invasion, and he fought at the frontline since the autumn 2023.
On May 27, film director Kostiantyn Petryk was killed in action in the Donetsk region. In his civilian life, Petryk worked on such TV series as Voron and Vorobiov (2022), Angels (2020), Blood Brothers 2 (2020), The Gardener (2019), A Trip to the Center of Heart (2018), Seized (2018), Another (2018). Since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion, he enlisted in the National Guard of Ukraine and soon became a platoon commander.
On May 18, it became known that puppet actor and serviceman Eugene Nevynskyi was killed in action. Eugene went missing on July 27, 2023, in the Zaporizhzhia direction. Recently, his death was confirmed by an expertise. Since the very first days of the full-scale invasion, Eugene voluntarily took up arms to defend Ukraine. In his civilian life, he was a leading actor of Kyiv Puppet Theater and taught puppet making at Kyiv National Karpenko-Kary Theater, Cinema and Television University.
On May 12, serviceman and director of Mena Museum of Local History Vitalii Krutyi was killed in action in the Kharkiv region. Krutyi was an expert in cultural heritage and a well-known guide in the Chernihiv region. He had served in Armed Forces of Ukraine since December 2023.
On April 30, actor and serviceman Yevhen Shumilov was killed at the frontline. He performed in such projects as The Real Mystic, The Sydorenko Family, Agents of Justice, Material Evidence etc. Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, Shumilov stood up to defend Ukraine. He served as a combat medic of the 3rd assault brigade.
On April 3, it became known that journalist, writer, and serviceman Oleh Shemchuk was killed at the frontline. Oleh was known as an investigative journalist in Zaporizhzhia, but also, he was a beginning writer with many short stories and a novel Seven Days in the White World in his legacy. He enlisted in the army since the beginning of the full-scale war. On September 15, 2022, he went missing while performing a combat mission in the Bakhmut district. This year, his death was finally confirmed.
Cameraman and serviceman Oles Samchuk was killed on March 11 near Kreminna in the Luhansk region. Oles studied audio and visual arts at the Institute of Journalism of Kyiv National Taras Shevchenko University. He worked at video clips production, and he was an assistant cameraman. After having finished his studies in 2023, Oles voluntarily enlisted in the National Guard of Ukraine. Later he became an aerial reconnaissance officer within the Azov brigade. Oles Samchuk had the call sign Karkadé. He was 21 years old.
On February 22, volunteer, journalist, and serviceman Volodymyr Petrenko was killed in battle in the Kharkiv region. Since December 2023, the man had served in the Kupiansk direction. He used to work in the local media of the Zhytomyr region; particularly, he edited the website Polissya.today. During the last years of his civilian life, Petrenko ran a Ukrainian speaking club at Malyn central public library and was a member of the Malyn brass band.
On February 12, Maksym Shtatskyi, a scholar from Zaporizhzhia, was killed at the frontline. Maksym worked at the Khortytsia National Reserve, and he did a research in the history of Mennonites. During Russia’s full-scale invasion, he stood up to defend Ukraine within the ranks of the 79th separate air assault brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
Volodymyr Fedinchuk, actor of Kolomyia Drama Theater and Rivne Music Drama Theater, member of the folk-dance group Svarga, and serviceman, was killed at the frontline on January 22. Volodymyr stood up to defend Ukraine at the end of 2023. He was killed in the Donetsk region.
On January 7, the death of poet and serviceman Maksym Kryvtsov became known. Maksym participated in the Revolution of Dignity in 2013-2014 and voluntarily enlisted in the Armed Forces of Ukraine in 2014. Later he worked at the Center for Rehabilitation and Re-Adaptation of the ATO and JFO Veterans and at the Veteran Hub. Since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022, Maksym returned to the forefront where he wrote his poetry book, Poems from the Battlement. His poems were also included in anthologies such as BookLove 2.0. Love and War and Amidst the Sirens. New Poetry of the War (2023).
On January 4, the death of Victoria Tymoshenko, an actress with the Kharkiv Academic Drama Theater, became known. She died in the morning of January 2 due to a Russian attack on Kharkiv. Her heart stopped beating at the hospital. Victoria Tymoshenko was 84 years old. She survived the World War II and acted on stage since 1968. For her theater achievements, she was awarded the title of an Honored Artist of Ukraine.
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