Hundreds of people gathered in Kyiv to say goodbye to beloved Ukrainian ballet dancer Oleksandr Shapoval, who died in the fighting in eastern Ukraine, The Guardian reports.

the funeral of Oleksandr Shapoval, a former ballerina who died in battlePhoto: Serhii SUPINSKY / AFP / Profimedia

Some fell to their knees and others applauded as soldiers carried his coffin, draped with a Ukrainian flag, to the National Opera House in Kyiv.

Relatives, colleagues, soldiers and fans came with flowers in their hands, passing photos of the artist on stage and in the front row, reports AFP.

Shapoval’s two teenage daughters were in the crowd.

47-year-old Shapoval has been a dancer of the Kyiv Opera since 1994.

He retired and began teaching dance in 2021 before volunteering to defend his country on February 25, the day after the Russian invasion.

After the withdrawal of Russian troops from Kyiv, Shapoval fought in the industrial area of ​​Donbas.

Died during mortar shelling near Mayorsk, Donetsk region, on September 12.