This year, the author of the text for the Radio Dictation of National Unity – 2026 is writer and veteran of the Russian-Ukrainian war Artur Dron, while the readers are Ukrainian language and literature teacher Artur Proidakov and public figure and volunteer Dasha Astafieva. This was announced live on Ukrainian Radio by Yuliia Sheludko, coordinator of the Radio Dictation and producer at Ukrainian Radio, reports UNN.
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The 27th Radio Dictation of National Unity will be broadcast across Ukraine and around the world on October 27, Ukrainian Writing and Language Day.
Artur Dron is a Ukrainian writer, author of the poetry collection "We Were Here" (2023), the prose book "Hemingway Knows Nothing" (2025), and the new book "St. Panteleimon's Hospital," which is currently in print. In March 2022, Dron joined the Armed Forces of Ukraine and served as part of the 125th Separate Territorial Defense Brigade. He took part in combat operations in Donetsk, Kharkiv, and Zaporizhzhia regions. In October 2024, he suffered a serious injury and was demobilized. His books focus on military service, the memory of fallen heroes, and his personal experience of living with the reality of war.
The Radio Dictation unites us every year. Through my text, I want to show how language unites everyone, working separately with each person. I want people to write the Radio Dictation and feel how we use the same words while each thinking about something personal
The voice of the Radio Dictation of National Unity will be Ukrainian-language advocate and the first teacher in the history of Ukraine to be named among the top ten teachers in the world in the 2023 Global Teacher Prize, Artur Proidakov. The reader is also the author of the book "Who Does It Like That!? How to Teach a Child to Learn" and executive director of the educational foundation "MriiDii."
It is a great honor and an incredible responsibility for me to read the Radio Dictation. As a Ukrainian language and literature teacher, I realize that the Radio Dictation stopped being merely a test of literacy long ago. It is that solemn moment when thousands of Ukrainians in different cities and countries simultaneously write one text in Ukrainian. And it is another opportunity to record an important fact: language truly unites us
This year, the text of the nationwide dictation will also be read in the voice of Dasha Astafieva — a public figure who, since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, has shifted her activities toward volunteering and supporting the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Today, Dasha is the founder of the UnderBooks reading app, which promotes Ukrainian literature.
For me, this event is yet another proof that dreams come true! Thank you for choosing us, and thank you for believing in us. Ukrainians must dream, unite, stand together, and win. The Radio Dictation of National Unity is a unique tradition that every conscious Ukrainian should honor. Let's write together!
We would like to add
Last year, the Radio Dictation of National Unity was read live by theater and film actress Nataliia Sumska, while the text was written by writer and translator Yevheniia Kuznietsova. Her text, "We Have to Live!" became an impetus for popularizing dialect words and increased interest in old and long-forgotten words.
A duet reading of the Radio Dictation is something new for our audience and for us ourselves. It is a certain experiment with which we hope to meet the expectations of listeners who are drawn to a prominent media personality, as well as those who were waiting for a teacher-reader. Life moves quickly, so we wanted to introduce innovations. The duet is one of them. We recognize the risks, but from the perspective of the project's dramaturgy, it is original and interesting