Ukrainian conductor shot and killed by Russian troops for refusing to participate in concert
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- 18 Oct 2022
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Ukrainian conductor, Yuriy Kerpatenko, was shot and killed in his home by Russian forces, according to the Ukrainian Ministry of Culture.
The 46-year-old musician was the conductor of the Mykola Kulish Kherson Music and Drama Theater, the Kherson Regional Philharmonic, and the Gileya Chamber Orchestra.
Kherson is a port city in Ukraine, and was the first to fall to Russian troops at the beginning of the war. The southern city has been occupied by Russian forces since 2nd March 2022. By May, it was estimated that 45% of the local inhabitants had fled the city.
Kerpatenko was one of the city’s residents who refused to leave. From February to May 2022, the conductor posted public messages on his Facebook profile, speaking out against the Russian invasion.
The Ukrainian Ministry of Culture said that Kerpatenko was killed because he refused to play in a concert that was organised by Kherson’s occupiers.
Kherson’s occupiers were reportedly planning a concert for 1 October 2022 (the International Day of Music). The Ukrainian Ministry of Culture said this event was organised to showcase a Russian-described “improvement of peaceful life” in the region.
The Gileya Chamber Orchestra – a chamber offset of the Kherson Regional Philharmonic – were pinned to perform at this occupier-organised concert, and as Kerpatenko was their main conductor, he was reportedly asked to conduct.
According to the Ukrainian Ministry of Culture, Kerpatenko refused to perform in the concert, and his noncompliance is what reportedly led to his death. Read More...
