Ihor Poklad

He was honoured as People's Artist of Ukraine and Hero of Ukraine, among others.

Ihor Poklad studied at R. Glier Kyiv Municipal Academy of Music and Ukrainian National Academy of Music. The recorded working language is Ukrainian. Distinctions recorded are People's Artist of Ukraine, Order of Merit (Ukraine), 3rd class, Order of Merit (Ukraine), 2nd class and Honored Art Worker of the Ukrainian SSR.

• Honorific Prefix — Hero of Ukraine • Name — Ihor Poklad • Born — 10 December 1941 • Birthplace — Frunze, Kirghiz SSR, Soviet Union • Died — 9 July 2025 • Place of death — Vorzel, Ukraine • Known for — Cossacks • Awards — * Shevchenko National Prize • Hero of Ukraine • National Legend of Ukraine • Occupation — Composer • Spouse — Svitlana Poklad

• Illustration — Poklad and his wife Svitlana with Volodymyr Zelenskyy in 2021 Born on 10 December 1941 in Frunze, Kirghiz SSR (present-day Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan) in the family of a military serviceman, after World War II, Poklad with his family moved to Ternopil where he finished high school and a music school. After 1957 he continued his music studies in Kyiv, at the Glière Institute and Kyiv Conservatory, graduating in 1967. Poklad started off his career in the Academical Ensemble of Song and Dance of the Internal Troops of Ukraine. Already during his studies, between 1965 and 1968, Poklad worked as artistic director of the all-female Mriya vocal-instrumental ensemble and began to compose songs, such as "The Song Will Not Get Lost" to lyrics by Borys Oliynyk. During the 1960s and 1970s he created over 150 popular songs in co-operation with authors including Oliynyk, Yuriy Rybchynskyi, whom he met in the army orchestra, Vadym Kryshchenko, Dmytro Lutsenko, and Oleksandr Vratariov. Poklad's songs were performed by prominent singers such as Nina Matviyenko, Sofia Rotaru, Vasyl Zinkevych, Nazariy Yaremchuk, Ruslana, Tamara Gverdtsiteli, Muslim Magomayev, Yuri Gulyayev, Iosif Kobzon, Rashid Behbudov, Tamara Miansarova and others. Several songs became great hits around the Soviet Union. Starting from the 1970s, Poklad mostly created music theatre, television and films. He composed the musical Wedding in Malynivka for the Odesa Operetta Theater. It was successful and also played on many Soviet stages. He wrote scores for 27 films and several stage productions, as well as a number of documentaries and animated films. He was a member of the National Union of Composers of Ukraine, and participated in many cultural projects. Poklad was married to Svitlana. He underwent surgery in 2014. During the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, he and his wife lived in a basement in Vorzel for several weeks. Poklad died aged 83, on 9 July 2025.

Poklad's most prominent compositions combined Ukrainian folk aesthetics with rhythms and instruments of contemporary popular music, in particular big-beat, rock and disco. Some of his more than 150 songs are considered iconic, including "Green Maple" which won him recognition, "The Magic Violin" performed by Nina Matviienko, "Oy letily dyki husy" (Wild geese flew), "Song about the Mother" and "Zacharuy" (Enchant). His later works include the musical Wedding in Malynivka, music for animated films Cossacks and Eneida (cartoon), the rock opera Herod, and the film score The Witch of Konotop (film).

Ihor Poklad is recorded with the occupation film score composer. Recorded as a citizen of Soviet Union.