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The Ukrainian opera singer nearly silenced by a bullet

Sergiy Ivanchuk dreamed of stardom, before he was shot in the chest by Russian soldiers

Sergiy Ivanchuk dreamed of stardom, before he was shot in the chest by Russian soldiers.

He was a volunteer helping refugees escape Eastern Ukraine during the early days of the 2022 invasion, when his car was attacked. He was hit in the legs, hand and back, and he was lucky to survive a punctured lung. When Sergiy woke up in hospital, he could barely talk, let alone sing, but he refused to give up his ambitions of being a world famous baritone.

Presenter: Asya Fouks
Producer: Harry Graham
Editor: Andrea Kennedy
Sound design: Joel Cox

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40 minutes

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  • Lives Less Ordinary

    Step into someone else’s life and expect the unexpected. Extraordinary personal stories