Vakarchuk was born on May 14, 1975 in the town of Mukachevo. Transcarpathian region of the former Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic. He spent his childhood and youth in Lviv where he went to school #4.

From 1991to1996, he studied at the School of Physics of Ivan Franko Lviv National University, specialty “Theoretical Physics”. His second higher education specialty is “International Economy”. In 1996, he began the post-graduate course at the Department of Theoretical Physics of Ivan Franko Lviv National University.

In 1994, he joined art rock group “Klan Tyshi” (“The Clan of Silence”) that was formed in 1992. In October 1994, the group got the name “Okean Elzy” (“Elza’s Ocean”). Sviatoslav Vakarchuk became its vocalist, author of most of its lyrics and music and eventually turned into the group’s leader. In April 1998, the group moved to Kyiv where they recorded their debut album “There, where we are not”.

In the summer of 2009, Sviatoslav Vakarchuk defended the PhD thesis in Physics/Mathematics at the Institute of Physics of Condensed Matter of Ukraine’s National Academy of Sciences. The title of his thesis is “Supersymmetry of an Electron in the Magnetic Field”. The work at the thesis took quite a lot of time due to the author’s engagement in many other activities but was successfully completed in 2009.

Sviatoslav Vakarchuk’s music pieces received a lot of national and international awards, were translated in many languages and made their author one of the most recognizable modern Ukrainian performers. Sviatoslav Vakarchuk is also an active influencer in Ukraine’s artistic life. He’s been part of many artistic projects as well as of civil disobedience actions.

Sviatoslav Vakarchuk is known for his strong pro-Ukrainian position. In 2004, he couldn’t stay away from the political events taking place in the country and performed actively at the Maidan. He is a UNO Good Will Ambassador involved in a plethora of social and cultural projects. Sviatoslav Vakarchuk has twice been elected a people’s deputy of Ukraine from different political parties. He was an active participant of events at Euromaidan.

During the first days of the russian invasion of 2022, Sviatoslav Vakarchuk went to the Territorial Center of Recruitment and signed the contract with Ukraine’s Armed Forces. He received the rank of Ukraine’s Armed Forces lieutenant. Since March 2022, Sviatoslav Vakarchuk has been attending the frontline positions in Kharkiv, Sumy and Zaporizhzhia regions. Kharkiv has taken a special place in his touring schedule. He regularly visited our city, supported civilians as well as militaries and Territorial Defense Forces. In shelters, Metro stations that housed a lot of Kharkivites at that time, he had concerts, sang to the people and talked to them trying to lift their spirits and give them moral support. All in all, he’s had more than a hundred trips to the frontline areas. His charitable foundation “People of the Future” is providing aid to those who suffered in hostilities. Together with Serhiy Zhadan and other public figures, Sviatoslav Vakarchuk collects humanitarian aid for the servicemen of Ukraine’s Armed Forces and Kharkiv Territorial Defense units.

Sviatoslav Vakarchuk has visited Karazin University many times. In May 2022, during the rock festival “Music of Resistance” held on the University premises Sviatoslav Vakarchuk turned to the Ukrainian students. He called them to believe in Victory and to start planning how to return to Kharkiv and resume their studies.

Sviatoslav Vakarchuk has supported and plans to support in future contacts between his native Ivan Franko Lviv National University and V.N. Karazin Kharkiv National University that, in his opinion, are the oldest and most well-known Ukrainian centers of education, science, culture, spirituality and enlightenment.

Awards: the Order of Liberty – for considerable personal contribution into the state, social, economic, scientific, technical, cultural and educational development of Ukraine; for the matter of Ukrainian society consolidation; for many years of diligent work. The title of the Honored Artist of Ukraine – for considerable personal contribution into social, economic, scientific and cultural development of Ukraine, weighty working achievements and active public position. Sviatoslav Vakarchuk is the laureate of Vasyl Stus Prize as well as other prizes.