Oleksandr M. Shapoval (Shapik)

Shapoval Oleksandr Mykolaiovych was born on February 9, 1975 in Kyiv. In 1993, he graduated from the Kyiv State Choreographic School, and in 1994 he joined the troupe of the National Opera of Ukraine. He was a soloist of the ballet of the Shevchenko National Opera of Ukraine. Over 28 seasons, he performed more than 30 parts in the classical, national and contemporary repertoire. He portrayed Vakula in "Evenings on a Farm near Dikanka", Maestro in "Caprices of Fate", and the one who breaks the dams in "Forest Song". He performed roles in the ballets "Don Quixote", "Julius Caesar", "Lady of the Camellias", "Carmen Suite", and others. He was a teacher of duet-classical dance at KSBC. He was a People's Artist of Ukraine. In 2001, Oleksandr Shapoval received the third prize at the S. Lifar International Ballet Competition. A year after the competition, Oleksandr danced his first solo role - the Prince in "Swan Lake". During the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine, he volunteered to join the Territorial Defense Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Since April 2022, he has volunteered for the Armed Forces of Ukraine, becoming a grenadier as part of the 112th Separate Mechanized Brigade. He was killed in action against Russian invaders near the Maiorska station in Donetsk region on September 12, 2022. The farewell took place in the building of the National Opera of Ukraine. He is survived by his wife and two children.