Ukrainian dancer Volodymyr Rakov has been killed in action – he was 30
Volodymyr Rakov, a dancer, choreographer, and winner of the 6th season of Everybody Dance! – the Ukrainian show based on the American format So You Think You Can Dance – was killed in action on 6 January 2025. He was 30. Yet another Ukrainian, and another Ukrainian artist, to lose their life defending their country after the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Rakov was born in 1994 in Yevpatoria and became well known in 2013 after appearing in the television dance competition. He became a choreographer on the show for the following two seasons. As part of the dance group Wonder Crew, he won first place in the Team Division at World of Dance Berlin 2018.
His fellow dancer Galina Peha, who participated in the third edition of Everybody Dance!, announced his death on Instagram.
Rakov appeared in several films and many videos. One of his most well-known was for the song 2am by Foals, which was filmed by director Tanu Muiño who said, “I don’t want to believe it,” on her Instagram story.
Rakov once danced with choreographer Anatolii Sachivko’s Apache Crew, who wrote, “Let us be worthy of your heroism. Eternal memory, Volodymyr Rakov!”
Rakov more recently worked as an assistant choreographer on the TV series Dancing with the Stars (Strictly Come Dancing) and played the role of a dancer in the Ukrainian film Let’s Dance!.
Ukrainska Pravda reported that after the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Rakov joined the Armed Forces of Ukraine, serving in the 2nd Infantry Battalion of the 24th Mechanised Brigade.
Ukrainian choreographer Alexei Ratmansky commented, “Russia continues to murder Ukrainians daily – today 13 civilians were killed and 30 injured by the ballistic missile strike on Zaporizhzhia. How do they say it? “From Russia with Love”. They also like saying “Don’t mix arts and politics”…
He quotes a ballerina from the Bolshoi, who danced last weekend in Rome, and whose interview with Italy’s main newspaper was translated here, who said, “We don’t speak about war at work.”
Ratmansky continues, “Volodymyr Rakov and dozens of his Ukrainian colleagues along with the hundreds of other Ukrainian artists also didn’t want to mix ‘arts and politics’, but they were not given a choice. Russia just killed them mercilessly on their own land, in front of the whole world. This is the world we live in now… RIP Volodymyr. Eternal Memory to the Hero!”
Graham Spicer, aka ‘Gramilano’, is a writer, director and photographer based in Milan. He was a regular columnist for Opera Now magazine and wrote for the BBC until transferring to Italy. His articles have appeared in various publications from Woman’s Weekly to Gay Times, and he wrote the Danza in Italia column for Dancing Times magazine. Graham was the historical advisor on Codice Carla, the 2023 documentary on Italian ballerina Carla Fracci.
Graham also works as a dance photographer, and his photos have appeared in many books, theatre programmes, and magazines, including Dancing Times, Dance Spirit and Ballet2000, as well as all the major Italian newspapers.
He is a member of the Dance Section of The Critics’ Circle.
This is so desperately sad.
I hope you won’t interview any more Bolshoi dancers ……..
I think that the interview was from Italia’s Corriere newspaper and that it was translated in part here.
Awful news. How can the apologists inside Russia live with themselves?
God rest his brave soul, and the souls of all who give their lives to defend their country against the invasion.