Vasyl Ivanovich Zinkevych is a Ukrainian pop singer, People’s Artist of the Ukrainian SSR (1986), laureate of the Taras Shevchenko National Prize of Ukraine (1994), Hero of Ukraine (2009).
Place of Birth, Education
He was born on May 1, 1945 in the village of Vaskivtsi, Iziaslav district, Kamianets-Podilsky region, Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic (UkrSSR). His father, Ivan Kharitonovich, led the church choir. According to his mother, Hanna Prokopovna, it was from his father that Vasyl inherited his talent and love for art.
After serving in the army in 1968, he returned to Vyzhnytsia to complete his studies at the Art School of Applied Arts.
In the period from 1986 to 1991, he studied at the Rivne Institute of Culture, where he received a degree in directing.
Career
In the period from 1968 to 1973, Zinkevych worked as the artistic director of the folk amateur dance ensemble “Smerechyna” at the Vyzhnytskyi House of Culture. At the same time, he took his first steps in the vocal school under the guidance of Levko Dutkivskyi, who headed the vocal and instrumental ensemble “Smerichka”.
In 1971, the first Ukrainian musical television film “Chervona Ruta” was filmed in the city of Yaremche. In the film, Zinkevych played the main role – a young miner Boris from Donbass, who sang songs to the music of composers Vladimir Ivasyuk and Valery Gromtsev. The culmination of the film was the performance of Ivasyuk’s song “Chervona Ruta”.
In the same year, Zinkevych, together with Yaremchuk and Ivasyuk, performed this composition at the concert of the television competition “Song of the Year” in Moscow. Then the song brought wide popularity to young artists and quickly sounded throughout the country and abroad.
In 1972, during the TV contest “Hello, we are looking for talents” in Moscow, Zinkevych, together with Yaremchuk and the ensemble “Smerichka”, performed the song by Levko Dutkivskyi “Goryanka”. The performance received first place, and the singer himself became a laureate of the All-Union competition.
In the period from 1973 to 1975, Zinkevych was a soloist of the vocal and instrumental ensemble “Smerichka” of the Chernivtsi Philharmonic, which was led by Levko Dutkivsky.
In 1975, he took part in the filming of the Estonian TV movie “The Smerichka Ensemble Performs” by Levko Dutkivsky.
In the same year, he moved to Lutsk, where he joined the vocal and instrumental ensemble “Svitiaz” under the direction of Valery Gromtsev. The team quickly gained popularity.
Since 1975, the singer performed as a soloist of the ensemble “Svityaz”, and since 1980 he became its artistic director in the Volyn Regional Philharmonic.
On October 20, 1978, Zinkevych was awarded the title of Honored Artist of Ukraine, and on January 3, 1986 – People’s Artist of Ukraine.
Marital Status
Zinkevych is married to Svetlana Zinkevych, who is a teacher by profession.
The couple has two sons – Vasyl, who was born on July 7, 1981, and Bohdan, who was born on February 9, 1983.
Vasyl Jr., together with Sasha Polozhynskyi, founded the band “Tartak”, and Bohdan, known under the pseudonym Zinchek, was the keyboardist of the band “Main Indicator”.
