Vasyl Slipak (1974–2016) was an outstanding Ukrainian opera singer of a rare range (bass-baritone and countertenor), a native of Lviv who built a brilliant career in France and for more than fifteen years sang on leading European stages, including the Paris National Opera.
With the beginning of the armed aggression against Ukraine, Slipak left his successful career abroad and became a volunteer, defending his homeland in the Donbas under the call sign “Mif” (Myth). On 29 June 2016 he was killed by a sniper's bullet near the village of Luhanske in Donetsk Oblast. He was posthumously awarded the title Hero of Ukraine. Vasyl Slipak's figure became a symbol of self-sacrifice and of the inseparable unity of the artist and the citizen: a man of world renown who gave his life for the freedom of his people. Music festivals and vocal competitions are dedicated to his memory.
