Volodymyr Ivasyuk

Volodymyr Mykhailovych Ivasiuk Володи́мир Миха́йлович Івасю́к
Volodymyr Ivasyuk in 1972
Born	4 March 1949 Kitsman, Chernivtsi oblast, Ukrainian SSR
Died	18 May 1979(1979-05-18) (aged 30) Lviv, Ukrainian SSR
Occupation	Poet and composer
Nationality	Ukrainian
Period	1970-1979
Notable awards

Volodymyr Mykhailovych Ivasyuk or Volodymyr Ivasiuk (Ukrainian: Володи́мир Миха́йлович Івасю́к) (4 March 1949 – 18 May 1979) was a Ukrainian songwriter, composer and poet. He is the author and composer of the widely popular song "Chervona Ruta" popularized by Sofia Rotaru in 1971, and later covered by other singers.

Ivasyuk was born in Kitsman, Chernivtsi Oblast. His father Mykhaylo Ivasyuk was a well-known writer from Bukovyna. His mother Sofiya Ivasyuk, from the Zaporizhia Oblast by birth, was a teacher in a local school. He had two sisters, Halyna (b. 1943) and Oksana (b. 1960). As early as the age of five, Volodymyr began learning to play the violin at a music school. Later, he learnt to play the piano as well. In 1964 he created an ensemble - "Bukovyna" - in his school and wrote their first songs, the first of which was "Lullaby".

After Volodymyr had already graduated from secondary school, his family moved to the city of Chernivtsi where his father was offered a teaching position at the Bukovinian State Medical University. Volodymyr went on to study at the Lviv Medical Institute while he continued his musical career. He joined the "Karpaty Ensemble" at a local community centre and played the violin and offered his songs to be performed.

He became an overnight national sensation in the Soviet Union, after a public performance on 13 September 1970 of his compositions "Chervona Ruta" (Ukrainian for 'Red Rue') and "Vodohray" with Olena Kuznetsova. In 1971 his "Chervona Ruta", performed live in Moscow with Vasyliy Zinkevych and Nazary Yaremchuk, and won the Best Song of the Year award of the Soviet Union. His composition "Vodohray" won the best song award the next year as well. "Chervona Ruta", sung by Sofia Rotaru, was featured in the musical-film Chervona Ruta.