Actor and soldier Volodymyr Rashchuk spoke about his father, who lives in occupied Mariupol
The father of Ukrainian actor and soldier Volodymyr Rashchuk is in Mariupol, which is occupied by Russia. Rashchuk explained whether he is able to stay in touch with his father and how the full-scale war has affected their relationship.
Due to differing views and positions on the war, Volodymyr Rashchuk had not been speaking with his father, Anatoliy Rashchuk. However, over time, his father took the initiative to restore their relationship: “Now we’re talking and trying to do so even more often. He went through a difficult surgery. I think he realized that he was wrong about some things, that he wasn’t always right. He reached out to me himself.”
According to Rashchuk, he and his father avoid talking about the war. However, a distance remains between father and son because of the occupation. The actor noted that it’s difficult for his father, since it’s unclear whether they’ll ever be able to reunite.
“We don’t bring up politics or the war; we talk about neutral topics: health, our daily lives. He cries a lot because he understands that we don’t know when we’ll see each other—or if we’ll ever see each other at all. You can’t choose your parents, no matter how you look at it… He’s my dad. He used to live in Donetsk, but now he’s back in Mariupol. What can I say? He’s alive. If he’s not leaving, then he’s okay with it,” the defender said.
Volodymyr Rashchuk was born in Mariupol. He recalled his hometown and recounted how, at the start of the full-scale invasion, the Russians killed a close friend of his. The men had known each other since childhood; to Rashchuk, he was like family.
“I also had my best friend there. He was killed by a rocket in 2022, almost at the start of the full-scale war. He wasn’t just a friend—he was closer to me than a brother. Our moms used to go for walks together when we were still in strollers. It was a terrible loss; he was buried near his own home.”
Vladimir Rashchuk is currently serving in the Armed Forces of Ukraine. He is an officer in one of the brigades of the Ukrainian National Guard.
This was reported with reference to an interview the actor gave to Oboz.ua.
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