31 July 2025

A conversation with Ostap Ukrainsky about language, consciousness, and colonial heritage

(Photo: Intent)

<span>Is there a 'correct' Ukrainian, and what place does surzhyk occupy in the language space? </span>Intent<span> </span><span>spoke</span><span>about this </span><span>with writer, translator, and cultural activist Ostap Ukrainets, an author who explores language not only as a tool of communication but also as a space of identity, historical memory, and political influence.</span>

Ostap Ukrainets is a Ukrainian writer and translator. He is the founder and creator of the YouTube channel Your Underground Humanitarian. He actively works with public opinion, often publicly commenting on Soviet narratives and language policy. He writes in the genres of fantasy and historical fiction, often using complex and ambiguous philosophical or historical references. Since March 2024, he has been mobilized into the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

Watch the interview about understanding Odesa integration, linguistic heritage, and Soviet politics on Intent.

Катерина Глушко

You may also like:

June 21, 2026

The Amazing South: Lower Dniester National Park—Home to the Great Cormorants

June 20, 2026

A judge from the Odesa region was unable to overturn his dismissal

A company in Odesa was selected to provide meals to low-income residents for 11 million

Eight players have left the "Chornomorets" soccer club

A shelter in the "Fairy Tale Tunnel" in Odesa has been left in a state of disrepair

A ship belonging to the shadow fleet in the Odesa region has been put up for sale for 20 million

A second drone strike was recorded in the Odesa region today

A Russian drone struck a gas station in the Odesa region

A play in Odesa recounted the story of Sviatoslav Karavansky and Nina Strokata

Vylkove's municipal landfill turned out to be located within a nature reserve

Rescuers have been searching for a day in the sea off the coast of Odesa Oblast for a girl who was swept away by the current

June 19, 2026

Residents of Kyiv tried to flee abroad from the Odesa region

The number of open beaches in the Odesa region has reached 27

Environmentalists have calculated the damage caused by the strike on Odesa, in which a child was killed

Sociological Battles: A Study in Odessa Was Accused of Manipulation