On 18 May he was found hanged in a forest located on the outskirts of Lviv. The body was discovered by an off-duty soldier who was testing his radio. The official cause of death was listed as suicide but the exact circumstances remain unknown to this day. His celebrity status in the Soviet Union and his cultural contributions to the Country in general, and Ukrainian in specific, drew the attention of authorities. His songs, mostly about love to local geographical features and customs, could be perceived as rousing nationalist sentiments in listeners, but Ivasyuk was never confirmed to be politically active.