"With tears in their eyes": how and where Ukrainians wrote the Radio Dictation of National Unity 2026

27 October, on the Day of Ukrainian Writing and Language, Ukrainians wrote the All-Ukrainian Radio Dictation of National Unity. People from across the region and around the world joined the flash mob.

The dictation text was titled "A Letter That Does Not End." 24 The Channel reports how and where the dictation was written this year and what impressions Ukrainians had.

How Ukrainians wrote the Radio Dictation in 2026 year

This year the dictation was written by cultural figures, educators, soldiers, veterans, schoolchildren with parents, diplomats, energy workers, members of the clergy, officials, actors, bloggers, and others. Many Ukrainians took part for the first time.

The author of the text is writer and veteran of the Russian–Ukrainian war Artur Dron. There were two readers: Ukrainian language and literature teacher Artur Proydakov and singer, public figure, and volunteer Dasha Astafieva.

During the Radio Dictation, funds were being raised for the "Dronopad" project from the Return Alive charitable foundation. They managed to collect nearly one million hryvnias. The fundraising is still ongoing.

Artur Proydakov advised not to be afraid of mistakes, since this dictation is a kind of ritual for uniting Ukrainians.

Ukrainian Radio host Olena Zelinchenko drew listeners' attention to a telling example of "how Russia is trying to destroy the Ukrainian word." On screen were burnt Ukrainian books after Russian shelling.

Footage from the Radio Dictation 2026 year / video screenshot

Culture Minister Tetyana Berezhna agreed that the Radio Dictation is the main cultural and educational event of the year in Ukraine.

We unite to show that we value and respect our native Ukrainian language, our literature. And very importantly: we show that we are always ready to learn as Ukrainians

– she said.

Soldiers in the Mykolaiv region say that this dictation brings the unit together and unites the whole country. And they stressed: "Everything will be Ukraine!"

Footage from the Radio Dictation 2026 year / video screenshot

Ukrainian servicemen also confessed whom they would write a letter to. Vitaliy Hirenko, a defender of Snake Island and a border guard who spent more than three years in Russian captivity, admitted: "I would write a letter to my brother who is defending Ukraine on the Kharkiv front. I would write: 'Hold on!'",

Our soldiers said they wrote with tears in their eyes.

Many Ukrainians joined the dictation in Canada. Also in Sweden, Germany, Poland, and other countries around the world.

To be specific, Ukrainians wrote the dictation at the Akademik Vernadsky station, at a metro school in Kharkiv, on a train, at work, on positions, during a tour abroad, at the Dnipro Hydroelectric Power Plant, in cafés, bookstores, and so on.

What people are saying online

Ukrainians are speaking positively both about this year’s dictation text and about its reading:

Impressions are wonderful! The readers read very well! It was comfortable to write.

Good text and it was comfortable to write thanks to the readers.

Good text!!! Good readers!!! The host, correspondents, and camera operators worked professionally! This time everyone prepared well and the flash mob did its job — it united Ukrainians; writing was a pure pleasure!

Dasha and Artur dictated excellently!

Ukrainians about the Radio Dictation 2026 year / screenshot

Khrystyna Hoyanyuk, record-holder for writing the Radio Dictation and a longtime winner, says that this year’s text is very good. Ms. Khrystyna noted that she thought it would be worse, "but the text was well read."

And Dasha Astafieva, who faced a wave of criticism before the flash mob, after reading the text declared: "I want to tell all my haters: 'Get up and go!'.'"

By the way, Artur Dron reminded ahead of time: "Our language is for all of us. It is for everyone who comes to it. It is for everyone. For everyone…".

We also informed when the correct text of the Radio Dictation will be published 2026 year.