Vasily Lomachenko completed his career: reputational fall on the background of sports glory | Boxing

Meatitized Ukrainian boxer Vasily Lomachenko He completed his sports career. In a different world where there would be no war in Ukraine, or in which a native of Belgorod-Dnestrovskaya had a conscious pro-Ukrainian position, this news would receive no less resonance than a cash departure from each of the legendary nicknames. Even despite the fact that the most common Ukrainian in Olympic boxing has not become an absolute champion among professionals.

However, the world in which we live is far from perfect. And it happened that one of the most talented and successful Ukrainian boxers of all time, the skill and technique of which has caused admiration for fans around the world, became a deep disappointment in the eyes of millions of Ukrainians, who have been suffering from terror from Russia for the 12th year. After all, at the moment when Ukraine is leading a war for survival, it is the civic position that is perhaps the most important criterion for evaluating a public person.

Many Ukrainians were counting on clear and unambiguous support from Lomachenko, but instead received pauses and ambiguous signals.

Championship and civic expectations

Lomachenko’s sports career is really impressive: in the amateur ring he became an Olympic champion and world champion twice, and in professionals he won titles in three weight categories. And he established a unique achievement, becoming the youngest world champion in several categories.

When the Great War knocked on the door, it seemed that Lomachenko finally took his head. In the first days of invasion he allegedly enrolled in territorial defense He refused to leave Ukraine in Odesa region – because of this, his battle against George Cambososos broke out. However, even in those stormy weeks of the post -apocalyptic spring, he found time for only a few common posts – and none of them mentioned Russia’s aggression.

Many other well -known Ukrainian boxers have explicitly pointed out that Lomachenko had to take advantage of his multimillion -dollar audience to tell the world about Russian crimes, but this did not happen. According to the former coach of the national team of Ukraine Dmitry Sosnovsky, the question « why Vasily has not yet publicly condemned Russian aggression » it is quite possible to put his father – they say, perhaps, they still consider us « brotherly peoples ».

Scandals instead of a clear position

Instead, Lomachenko repeatedly got into the scandalous subjects, where pro -Russian messages were featured. In May 2020, he, together with Alexander Usik, starred in the Russian religious documentary « Hello, Brother! Christ is Risen! » This video was jointly released by the Russian monastery and the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra-the project of the Orthodox Moscow Church. In it, Lomachenko talked about « friendship with the Russians » and stated that we are « essentially one people », thus playing on his own, the pro -Russian idea of ​​ »One Rus ».

Another scandal outbreak occurred in August 2022. After a long silence, Lomachenko unexpectedly published an interview with the Metropolitan of the UOC (MP) on Instagram for Russian Air Force. In this material, the priest glorified the hostilities of the Russian Federation and spoke of Ukraine in the spirit of old Moscow propaganda, in particular-the cause of the war again called the support of the LGBT community. The boxer’s subscribers broke out: « Vasya, you broke the bottom, » they wrote.

Vasily Lomachenko

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And at the beginning of 2023, Lomachenko seems to have chosen another « spiritual » challenge to the public-he published part of the preaching of the scandalous bishop of the UOC MP Longin. Thus, the New Year boxer began not with patriotic slogans, but with « good words » of the Moscow Church.

Other publications of Lomachenko added suspicion and questions. Thus, at the beginning of 2020, two years before the full-scale invasion, he outlined a video about the Russian special forces and the Orthodox spirit, thanking « Vedzhly people »-a phrase associated with the annexation of Crimea. And in the summer of 2021, the athlete starred in video together with Metropolitan Onufri and other UOC (MP). In general, his public participation in events with representatives of the Moscow Church and Russian structures constantly hinted at whose side is closer to him, and to whom he really thanked.

Silence of the Russian -speaking lamb

In his last address, where he announced his career, Lomachenko also chose a strange « tone » for the Ukrainian champion. He turned to fans in Russian and thanked God, the trainer, the family, the team, the team and even the United States, but not to Ukraine, Ukrainian fans or armed forces.

Even here, Vasily decided to do without mentioning war or native country. This is another reminder: although Lomachenko’s fists brought gold medals and championship titles to Ukraine, his words about independence and heroic resistance remain unspoken.

If Lomachenko could defend the honor of the country in the ring – why did he still not protect Ukraine in the war at least at least aloud? Instead of a clear position, we received a series of ambiguous actions and statements that speak for themselves.

Lomachenko’s career ended without a farewell blow to gong, but with a deaf echo of disappointment. His sports greatness will remain in history, but the moral trail is blurred and contradictory.

At a time when millions are fighting and losing, silence is not neutral. It’s a choice. And this is the « silence of the lamb » forever will remain near his records – as dirt that will not wash away any habit.