From: Euromaiden Press – Good morning World! Good morning Ukraine!
Ihor Mikhnevych, once a celebrated soloist with the Lviv Opera, performed in productions such as Zaporozhets beyond the Danube, Don Pasquale, L’Elisir d’amore, Carmen, Don Giovanni, La Boheme, and many others. For over two years, he has been defending Ukraine on the frontlines in the Sumy, Zaporizhia, and Donetsk sectors. Mikhnevych primarily serves as a rifleman and an evacuation paramedic.
“There have been many cases and different situations. More than once, we had to pull burned people from vehicles and carry the wounded for kilometers to the evacuation site. It’s hard because the trenches and our stretchers are not adapted. It’s difficult to carry a person on a stretcher, and it’s even harder to carry the dead. It’s a relief when a wounded man says something or complains of pain. This means he’s conscious, and you can determine his condition. He expresses everything he thinks, doesn’t choose his words, and swears at you because when you put a tourniquet on, it hurts. The wounded are angry at you and not kind. But you know that you’re saving their lives.”
Mikhnevych no longer sings operatic roles, reserving his voice for “Happy Birthday” and romantic folklore songs. He says he has lost his operatic voice and now focuses on his military duties.
Voice of Ukraine 