Prominent Ukrainian scientist and professor Ivan Vakarchuk has died, his son, the politician and musician Sviatoslav Vakarchuk said on April 4. He was 73.
The cause of death was not disclosed, but the press service of the Voice political party, founded by Sviatoslav Vakarchuk Jr., stated that his father died after “several years of illness.”
Сonsidering the anti-epidemic restrictions in Ukraine that ban mass gatherings of over 10 people, the farewell ceremony will be held privately, the son said.
Ivan Vakarchuk Sr. was born on March 6, 1947, in the Moldovan Soviet Socialist Republic. He grew up to become a recognized Ukrainian physicist and professor. In 1990, he was elected the rector of Ivan Franko National University in Lviv and held this position until 2007. Then, Vakarchuk held the post of education minister of Ukraine from 2007–2010.
Ukrainian physicist, professor and ex-Minister of Education Ivan Vakarchuk died on April 4 aged 74. Because of the quarantine restrictions imposed in Ukraine until April 24, the ceremony of farewell to Vakarchuk will be held privately.
In 2007, he was awarded the title of Hero of Ukraine.
Vakarchuk contributed greatly to the development of Ukraine’s education system, introducing the external independent testing, examinations that determine the level of academic performance of school graduates during their admission to higher education.
“Starting in 2008, nearly 500,000 Ukrainian children are graduating high school annually believing in the fair admission to universities. And this belief is worth something,” Ukrainian lawmaker Volodymyr Viatrovych said, paying a tribute to Vakarchuk.
Vakarchuk is the author of more than 240 scientific papers and books; he held a doctoral degree in physical and mathematical sciences.
“He was in love with science and faithful to it until the last breath,” his son Sviatoslav Vakarchuk said.
