Yuri Kerpatenko was a Ukrainian conductor whose life and career are inseparable from his civic engagement and activism in support of Ukraine during the Russian invasion. He advocated for peace and the cultural heritage of Ukraine, using music as a means of protest and uniting people in difficult times. Kerpatenko was shot and killed by Russian troops in his home in 2022. His murder sparked widespread public outcry and highlighted the price artists and activists pay for their steadfastness and belief in freedom. He received the 2023 Václav Havel International Prize for Creative Dissent.