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Wednesday, September 14, 2022
Ukrainian ballet dancer Oleksandr Shapoval was killed on the battlefield
NPR: The National Opera of Ukraine announced, with "indescribable sadness," the death of Oleksandr Shapoval, one of the company's former principal dancers and a teacher at Kyiv State Choreographic College.
3 comments:
Maggie Latham
said...
It is sad that we are hardly still hearing about the genocide in the Ukraine anymore these days. It is such a dramatic change to transition from being a dancer to a volunteer soldier, but he clearly is passionate about serving his country and cares about protecting it and those he loves who live there. Obviously Shapoval was a highly decorated artist, dancer, and teacher who was lost far too soon, but we are not seeing any current articles about other people who have perished in this conflict lately who were even younger or less well-off, or perhaps civilians who were not fighting in the war. None of that is to say that he is not a remarkable person who should not be celebrated and remembered, there are just so many senseless deaths and it seems as though we are not focusing enough on this ongoing conflict as we should be.
It is so heart-breaking that even though the war is still going on in Ukraine, we rarely hear about any of it, as it is no longer on the forefront of our news. It is saddening to know that people are still in danger and still being killed constantly, and no one is able or willing to do anything significant in the states. I am saddened that this war has taken yet another talented artist from this world. Only being 48 Shapoval would have gone on to continue his art form in any other circumstances. I hope that all who knew him are well and live on and uphold his memory so no one forgets about his dancing and what he did for his country. It is nice to know that he was awarded the “Honored Artist of Ukraine” award for his high achievements in the arts. I hope that his fame goes down in history, just like all the other countless lives which the Russian-Ukraine war has taken all too soon.
This devastating war on Ukraine should be a demonstration to everyone that when in need, truly good people step forward. I think that in the US, we have a lot of false Oleksandr Shapoval. A lot of people who preach American ideals and cheer when we bomb other countries, but would never actually step out on that battlefield themselves. Any Oleksandr Shapoval in the US would not have fought. They would have relied on the working class and minorities to be drafted or forced to fight so they could continue to live their lavish lives. Even the president of Ukraine is putting in more war effort to be there with his soldiers than I’ve ever seen before by a political leader. In the US, you would never seen this be done.
I housed Ukrainian refugees for five months and to see the devastation they went through was life changing. Hearing about their family members being stuck there and dying in the war was heart breaking. I am very greatful that there are people like Oleksandr Shapoval who don’t prioritize themselves just because they have high status in society.
3 comments:
It is sad that we are hardly still hearing about the genocide in the Ukraine anymore these days. It is such a dramatic change to transition from being a dancer to a volunteer soldier, but he clearly is passionate about serving his country and cares about protecting it and those he loves who live there. Obviously Shapoval was a highly decorated artist, dancer, and teacher who was lost far too soon, but we are not seeing any current articles about other people who have perished in this conflict lately who were even younger or less well-off, or perhaps civilians who were not fighting in the war. None of that is to say that he is not a remarkable person who should not be celebrated and remembered, there are just so many senseless deaths and it seems as though we are not focusing enough on this ongoing conflict as we should be.
It is so heart-breaking that even though the war is still going on in Ukraine, we rarely hear about any of it, as it is no longer on the forefront of our news. It is saddening to know that people are still in danger and still being killed constantly, and no one is able or willing to do anything significant in the states. I am saddened that this war has taken yet another talented artist from this world. Only being 48 Shapoval would have gone on to continue his art form in any other circumstances. I hope that all who knew him are well and live on and uphold his memory so no one forgets about his dancing and what he did for his country. It is nice to know that he was awarded the “Honored Artist of Ukraine” award for his high achievements in the arts. I hope that his fame goes down in history, just like all the other countless lives which the Russian-Ukraine war has taken all too soon.
This devastating war on Ukraine should be a demonstration to everyone that when in need, truly good people step forward. I think that in the US, we have a lot of false Oleksandr Shapoval. A lot of people who preach American ideals and cheer when we bomb other countries, but would never actually step out on that battlefield themselves. Any Oleksandr Shapoval in the US would not have fought. They would have relied on the working class and minorities to be drafted or forced to fight so they could continue to live their lavish lives. Even the president of Ukraine is putting in more war effort to be there with his soldiers than I’ve ever seen before by a political leader. In the US, you would never seen this be done.
I housed Ukrainian refugees for five months and to see the devastation they went through was life changing. Hearing about their family members being stuck there and dying in the war was heart breaking. I am very greatful that there are people like Oleksandr Shapoval who don’t prioritize themselves just because they have high status in society.
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