“Pain for the whole country”: the winner of the talent show “Everybody dances” died at the front (photos)
9 January 17:22
A talented choreographer, winner of the talent show “Everybody dances” Volodymyr Rakov, died at the front. This was reported by the artist’s colleague Galina Peha, "Komersant Ukrainian" reports.
“On January 6, my closest friend and colleague, Volodymyr Rakov, was killed while performing a combat mission,” she wrote on her Instagram page.
Friends, colleagues, and Ukrainians who followed the life and work of Volodymyr Rakov left the following comments under Halyna’s post:
- “One of the most talented dancers I was lucky enough to know personally. My condolences to all his family. May you rest in peace and eternal memory, Warrior. It is very sad and painful. Very much,” wrote Dmytro Monatik
- “What an indescribable loss,” wrote Yulia Sanina, leader of The Hardkiss
- “I don’t believe it … it’s impossible. Vova, you are an incredible person. It’s a pain for the whole country,” commented Maxim Orobets, HHI World Hip Hop Champion and leader of Max Dance & Explosion
- “Vova… a well-mannered, talented, beautiful person in every sense,” wrote Ukrainian singer and TV presenter Volodymyr Dantes
- “It is so painful and sad, such talents, heroes, the color of our country…. Low bow to the warrior”
- “It took my breath away when I realized that I didn’t even know the man, I just watched him on TV. It is incredibly sad. Eternal memory to the hero!”
- “In 2013, a photo of Volodymyr, such a young and so skillful 19-year-old winner of “Strictly Come Dancing” hung in my room as a motivation, as a reminder to work on my goals as a teenager and to persevere in my pursuit of them. I admired his skills and performances then and now. Eternal memory to the hero.”
- “I thank Vova for every minute of his life that he gave to each and every one of us with his bravery and courage.”
- “About 7 years ago, I was riding in the Kyiv subway and saw that a very familiar guy I used to support in “Strictly Come Dancing” sat down opposite me, he was traveling with a cute blonde girl, I asked for an autograph (I had a notebook at hand) and he modestly signed it to Vova from Vova Rakov.”
What we know about Volodymyr Rakov
Volodymyr Rakov was born in 1995 in Yevpatoria, Crimea. As a teenager, he became interested in acrobatic rock ‘n’ roll. This style of dance required a high level of physical fitness, so Vladimir had to work hard to develop his physical abilities.
In 2013, he became a participant in the popular show “Strictly Come Dancing” and eventually won. After winning, he continued to dance, participated in competitions and was an actor in Vasyl Kozar’s Kozar Dance Theater. The choreographer was also invited to shoot music videos for famous Ukrainian artists.
In 2015, the dancer, together with his Apache Crew, took part in the prestigious Hip Hop International Championship in San Diego.
From 2017 to 2019, Rakov was an artist of the Traum Theater Salome Germany.
In 2019, Rakov starred in the first Ukrainian full-length dance action movie “Let’s Dance”.
The dancer joined the Armed Forces of Ukraine after the full-scale invasion in 2022 and served in the 2nd Rifle Battalion of the 24th King Danylo Brigade. After Rakov went to war, he decided to delete all his social media accounts.
