his parents and older sister reported him missing to the police. An investigation follows, until the Lviv district attorney put a temporary pause on the search. On 18 May he was found hanged in a forest located on the outskirts of Lviv. The body was discovered by an off-duty soldier who was testing his radio. The official cause of death was listed as suicide but the exact circumstances remain unknown to this day. His celebrity status in the Soviet Union and his cultural contributions to Ukraine drew the attention of authorities. His songs, mostly about love to local geographical features and customs, could be perceived as rousing nationalist sentiments in listeners, but Ivasyuk was never confirmed to be politically active. Ivasyuk’s funeral was attended by over 10,000 people. After his death his compositions were removed for a time from sale and radio play. In June 2019 a new official Forensic examination concluded that Ivasyuk could not have hanged himself without the help of someone else. Ivasyuk is buried at Lychakiv Cemetery. Among his legacy was the first Soviet rock-opera, whose scenario and songs were specifically written for performance by Sofia Rotaru. In 2009, President Viktor Yushchenko awarded Ivasyuk the Hero of Ukraine medal posthumously. Remembrance There is a museum in Chernivtsi dedicated to preserving his memory and he has statues in Lviv and Kitsman. In 2015 former Nohinska street in Dnipro was renamed to Volodymyr Ivasyuk street. References External links Pages to memories of Volodymyr Ivasyuk Volodymyr Ivasiuk’s biography published in “The Great Ukrainians” series 'The owls did it’ – Taylor & Francis Online 1949 births 1979 deaths Soviet composers Soviet male composers Ukrainian composers Ukrainian male poets Ukrainian songwriters Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic people Lviv Conservatory alumni Recipients of the title of Hero of Ukraine Recipients of the Shevchenko National Prize Burials at Lychakiv Cemetery 20th-century Ukrainian poets 20th-century classical musicians 20th-century male writers 20th-century male musicians