Nazariy Nazarovych Yaremchuk (1951 - 1995)

Born 30 Nov 1951 in Rivnya, Vyzhnytsia Raion, Chernivtsi, Ukraine SSR

Died 30 Jun 1995 at age 43 in Chernivtsi, Ukraine

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Biography

Nazariy Yaremchuk is Notable.

Nazariy Yaremchuk was born in Ukraine

Nazariy Yaremchuk (pronounced here) was one of the most beloved pop singers of Ukraine during the Soviet era and the early years following Ukrainian independence.

Birth and Youth

Nazariy was born 30 Nov 1951, in the village of Rivnya, in Chernivtsi, Ukraine, which was then part of the Soviet Union. His family was of the East Slavic ethnic group known as the Hutsul, who span parts of western Ukraine and Romania.

Nazariy's mother had been married previously and had a son named Stepen. Her husband apparently died during World War II. After the War, she married her husband's widowed father, which was apparently not entirely uncommon amongst the peasant class of that era. Nazariy's father had at least two other children by his first marriage, Dmitry and Emilia, and together Nazariy's parents had three children, Bogdan, Ekaterina. and Nazariy.

Nazariy's father died when Nazariy was just twelve years old. His mother was then forced to send him away to boarding school. He graduated from Vyzhnitsky Secondary School No. 1, in 1969. He then studied Geography at Chernivtsi State University. Not finding school to his liking, he dropped out and took a job as a seismographer with the Soviet Army.

Musical Career

In September 1970, Nazariy resumed his studies at the University, while also performing with the ensemble band, Smerichka. That year, Smerichka released its first record and was invited to appear in a musical film called Chervona Ruta. Nazariy's performance in the film boosted him to national fame. In the spring of 1972, Smerichka was invited to participate in the television music contest Allo, my ishchem talanty! The group's subsequent win, despite refusing to perform in Russian, further propelled their fame. In time, however, the band's increasing popularity combined with their strong nationalistic sentiments, became a concern for the Soviet leadership. Smerichka was denounced at party meetings and an organized campaign to break up the group was somewhat successful. The band continued to perform for several more years, but the ensemble's composition constantly changed and the popularity of the group declined as Nazariy became more popular as a soloist. Then, in 1982, Nazariy was named musical director of Smerichka, and the band went through a revival.

Also 1982, Nazariy tried his hand at acting, appearing as a sailor in the Soviet television film, Usmishky Nechyporivkky. One of the songs performed in this film, "Hay, zelenyy hay", became one of Yaremchuk's best known songs.

In 1986, Nazariy performed with Smerichka at the site of the Chernobyl disaster, and in 1987, they performed for Soviet troops in Afghanistan. During that trip, the band's aircraft came under fire several times and Nazariy returned home suffering from acute stress disorder.

The 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union and declaration of independence by Ukraine allowed Nazariy to tour for the first time outside of the former Warsaw Pact nations. In 1991 and 1993 he performed in North America and Latin America, and it was during these tours that he was able to meet for the first time his half-brother Dmytry, who had moved to Canada prior to Nazariy's birth.

Marriages and Children

In 1975, Nazariy married Olena Shevchenko, a singer with the band Smerichka. They had two children, Dmitry (b. 1976) and Nazariy Jr. (b. 1977). In 1990, the couple divorced and Olena moved with her boys back to her parents home town.

In February 1991, Nazariy married his second wife, Daryna, at Kosiv, Ukraine. She was the divorced mother of a young daughter, Vera. Nazariy and Daryna also had a daughter, Mariya, born in 1991.

All three of Nazariy's children grew up to be well-known Ukrainian pop stars.

Death and Legacy

Having initially sought treatment in Canada, Nazariy passed away from stomach cancer 30 Nov 1995, at his home in Chernivtsi, Ukraine,

In 1987, Nazariy was awarded the title People's Artist of Ukraine and he was a posthumously awarded the Shevchenko National Prize.

Sources

• Wikipedia entry for Nazariy Yaremchuk

• Biography of Nazariy Yaremchuk at MyLandRover.com. Includes interview with sons. (Russian)

• Biography of Nazariy Yaremchuk at Blogspot.

• Biography of Nazariy Yaremchuk at Roduna.org

• Find a Grave, database and images (accessed 15 February 2023), memorial page for Nazariy Yaremchuk (30 Nov 1951–30 Jul 1995), Find a Grave Memorial ID 220182279, citing Central Cemetery of Chernivtsi, Chernivtsi, Chernivetska, Ukraine; Maintained by Sergey Degtev (contributor 49417077)https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/220182279/nazariy-yaremchuk

Acknowledgements

• This profile has been contributed to by the members of the WikiTree 15 Nations Global Tour of 2023