National Unity Radio Dictation — 2026: Author and Readers Announced

The text for the 2026 National Unity Radio Dictation was written by Ukrainian writer and veteran of the Russian-Ukrainian war Artur Dron. The dictation will be read by Artur Proydakov, a teacher of Ukrainian language and literature, and Dasha Astafieva, a singer, social activist, and volunteer.

Their names were announced live on Ukrainian Radio by Yulia Sheludko, the coordinator of the Radio Dictation.

Artur Dron is a Ukrainian writer, author of the poetry collection *We Were Here* (2023) and the prose book *Hemingway Knows Nothing* (2025).

In March 2022, Dron joined the Armed Forces of Ukraine and served in the 125th Separate Territorial Defense Brigade. He took part in combat operations in the Donetsk, Kharkiv, and Zaporizhzhia regions. In October 2024, the writer was seriously wounded and was discharged from the military.

In his books, Artur Dron explores themes of military service, the memory of fallen heroes, and his own experiences of living under wartime conditions.

The writer explained that the text of the Radio Dictation is meant to show how the Ukrainian language unites people while remaining personal to each individual.

“The Radio Dictation brings us together every year. With my text, I want to show how language unites everyone while speaking to each person individually. I hope that people will take the Radio Dictation and feel how we use the same words, yet each of us is thinking about our own personal experiences,” Artur Dron shared.

One of the voices for this year’s Radio Dictation will be Artur Proydakov—a teacher of Ukrainian language and literature, a promoter of the Ukrainian language, and the first teacher in Ukrainian history to be named among the top ten finalists for the 2023 Global Teacher Prize.

Proydakov called participating in the project a great honor and a responsibility. In his view, the Radio Dictation has long ceased to be merely a test of literacy and has become a symbol of unity among Ukrainians in various corners of the world.

“Reading the Radio Dictation is a great honor and an incredible responsibility for me. As a teacher of the Ukrainian language and literature, I realize that the Radio Dictation has long since ceased to be merely a test of literacy. It is that solemn moment when thousands of Ukrainians in different cities and countries simultaneously write the same text in Ukrainian. And it is yet another reason to reaffirm the important fact that language truly unites us,” commented Artur Proydakov.

The second reader will be Dasha Astafieva—a singer, social activist, and volunteer who actively supports the Armed Forces of Ukraine. She is also the founder of the book app UnderBooks, which promotes Ukrainian literature.

Astafieva reacted emotionally to the invitation to join the Radio Dictation and emphasized the importance of this tradition.

“For me, this event is yet another proof that dreams come true! Thank you for choosing us, thank you for believing in us. Ukrainians must dream, unite, stand together, and prevail. The Radio Dictation of National Unity is a unique tradition that every conscious Ukrainian should honor. Let’s write together!” Dasha Astafieva shared her feelings.

Project coordinator Yulia Sheludko explained that the duet reading will be a new feature of this year’s Radio Dictation. The organizers hope that this format will appeal to a diverse audience: both those who follow well-known media personalities and those who would like to hear the text read by a teacher.

“The duet reading of the Radio Dictation is something new for our audience and for us as well. It’s a bit of an experiment, through which we hope to satisfy the needs of listeners who are drawn to high-profile media personalities as well as those who were looking forward to a teacher-reader. Life moves fast, so we’d like to introduce some innovations. The duet is one of them. We’re aware of the risks, but from the perspective of the project’s dramaturgy, it’s original and interesting,” said Yulia Shelyudko.

The All-Ukrainian Radio Dictation of National Unity will take place on Tuesday, October 27, on Ukrainian Literacy and Language Day.

As is tradition, the event will be broadcast live on Public Broadcasting platforms. Anyone from any continent in the world will be able to participate in the dictation.

The broadcast will be available:

• on Ukrainian Radio and Radio Culture;
• on Ukrainian Radio’s YouTube channel;
• on the Suspilne Culture TV channel, website, and YouTube channel;
• on the suspilne.radio and “Diya” apps.

The National Unity Radio Dictation has become one of the largest Ukrainian-language flash mobs, bringing together Ukrainians and anyone interested in the Ukrainian language every year, regardless of where they live.

This year, during the All-Ukrainian Radio Dictation, funds will be raised for the “Dronopad” project of the “Come Back Alive” Charitable Foundation.

The initiative aims to strengthen the defense of Ukrainian airspace and support the military in countering enemy drones. Public Broadcasting will also participate in the fundraising effort as part of its partnership with the charitable foundation.

Last year, the text for the live-broadcast Radio Dictation was read by theater and film actress Natalia Sumska, and was written by author and translator Yevheniia Kuznetsova.

Her text, “We Must Live!” drew attention to Ukrainian dialectal expressions and archaic words, and also inspired participants to organize a flash mob using regional vocabulary.

In total, over 11,200 texts were submitted for grading in 2025. Most participants used email, though the organizers also received paper letters, notably from Italy, the U.S., and Belgium.

You can prepare for the Radio Dictation using the Ukrainian Radio program “Radio Dictation Without Mistakes,” the second season of which aired this summer.

The 2026 All-Ukrainian Radio Dictation of National Unity will take place on October 27, Ukrainian Literacy and Language Day.

2025 National Unity Radio Dictation: How Many Participants Wrote It Without Mistakes.

All-Ukrainian Radio Dictation 2025: Everything You Need to Know to Participate.