A male ballet dancer who specialises in classical ballet. A female actress who has received several awards. A biathlete, to be precise. An actor who had been posting stunning photos on Instagram to his almost 13,000 followers until he joined the group and published two last images of himself looking great in camouflage before joining the group.
These are just a few of the Ukrainian celebrities that have been assassinated since Russia invaded the country on February 24. Their deaths add a new depth to the shock and grief that the nation is experiencing as a result of the conflict.
A hospital in the Ukrainian capital city of Kyiv confirmed on Thursday that Artem Datsishin, one of the country’s most prominent dancers and a former principle dancer with the National Opera of Ukraine, had passed away. According to messages on social media by two of his pals, he had been injured by Russian artillery fire earlier in the month.
Mr. Datsishin was a previous recipient of the renowned Serge Lifar award, which was established in honour of a Ukrainian ballet dancer and choreographer who is regarded to be one of the twentieth century’s most prominent ballet dancers and choreographers.
“I don’t know how to describe my sorrow,” Tatiana Borovik said on Facebook, in a post announcing the date of Mr. Datsishin’s burial.
According to the Kyiv Post newspaper, the actress Oksana Shvets was murdered in a rocket strike on the Ukrainian capital on Thursday. As a member of the city’s Young Theater, she had already been recognised with the Merited Artist of Ukraine award in 1996. On the theater’s website, there is a shot of her dressed in costume onstage.
According to Oleksandra Matviichuk, director of Ukraine’s Center for Civil Liberties, the conflict is narrowing the gap between famous and regular Ukrainians since so many non-celebrities are making heroic sacrifices. It has also caused many individuals to devote their attention to questions of life and death rather than to their desire for celebrity.
Yevhen Malyshev, a 19-year-old biathlete who died in a training accident, was mourned by the International Biathlon Union. He died while serving in the military, the organisation said in a Twitter statement on March 2nd. Combined cross-country skiing and rifle shooting, the biathlon is a popular winter sport.
A Crimean actor named Pasha Lee was slain in Irpin on Sunday, according to local media and the Odessa International Film Festival. Lee was an actress from Crimea. Russian and Ukrainian troops have engaged in fierce battle in the city of Zhytomyr, 15 miles northwest of the Ukrainian capital.
Mr. Lee, who was 33 at the time, worked in the theatre and the film industry. In addition, he worked as a television personality, performer, and composer.
Prior to the conflict, his Instagram page was a reflection of his opulent lifestyle. One photo showed him on a boat, another showed him scuba diving, and a third showed him in Dubai.
On March 1, he was seen sitting at a table with army fatigues and a beret, according to the Daily Mail. His most recent Instagram photo, from March 4, shows him dressed in combat gear, this time sitting next to a lady who is also dressed in military gear. They were being bombarded, according to the caption, which also said that “we grin because we will manage.”
