Father of murdered Ukrainian writer Volodymyr Vakulenko died after years of waiting for justice

Volodymyr Vakulenko Sr., the father of Ukrainian writer Volodymyr Vakulenko, who was killed by Russian forces during the occupation of Kharkiv Oblast, died on June 2. His funeral took place on June 4, writer Iryna Novitska, Vakulenko’s former wife, told Chytomo.

According to Novitska, Vakulenko Sr. had recently been injured in an accident while lighting a stove when flames spread to him. He was hospitalized in intensive care. His condition briefly stabilized, but later deteriorated sharply, he was placed in an induced coma and did not regain consciousness.

“He was a kind man, intelligent, skillful, and very patriotic… Volodya loved him very much, and he was so attached to Volodya that he could not survive his death”, Novitska shared with Chytomo.

Vakulenko Sr. had been taking care of the family home, created a small museum in memory of his son, and restored “Vovchyn sad”, which had been damaged by Russian military forces. He had also been waiting for the posthumous awarding of the Gold Star to his son.

Documentary filmmaker Amanda Bailly wrote that Vakulenko Sr.’s death “will not be counted in the official statistics of those killed”, but that he would have been alive if not for Russia’s war, the killing of his son, and the grief that followed.

His death came almost at the same time as that of Marjane Satrapi, the Iranian-French author of “Persepolis”. Reuters reported, citing a family statement released to AFP, that Satrapi died at the age of 56 “of sadness” a little over a year after the death of her husband. Satrapi’s death was widely reported by international media.

Vakulenko Sr.’s death received far less international attention, despite its connection to one of the most widely documented cases of Russia’s violence against Ukrainian writers.

Volodymyr Vakulenko was a Ukrainian writer, poet, children’s author, civil society activist, participant in the Revolution of Dignity, and author of 13 books. He came from the village of Kapytolivka near Izium, which was occupied by Russian forces in spring 2022.

On March 24, 2022, Russian occupiers abducted Vakulenko. His body was later found in a mass burial site near Izium. During the occupation, Vakulenko kept a diary and hid it before he was abducted. He told his father that he had buried the notes under a cherry tree and asked him to hand them over after the occupation ended. On Sept. 24, 2022, writer Victoria Amelina, together with Volodymyr Vakulenko Sr., dug up the diary.

On Oct. 1, 2025, on Defenders Day, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyi awarded the title of Hero of Ukraine to Vakulenko posthumously.

Related: ‘A path that leads you to a different light’. Things we’ve learned from Volodymyr Vakulenko-K