As a language learner, it’s crucial to immerse yourself in content that genuinely interests you in your target language. By doing so, you become attuned to natural (not textbook) intonation, expand your vocabulary, develop the ability to grasp entire phrases, understand meaning in context, and observe how people speak in everyday life.

That is why we have created the Ukrainian Lessons Podcast and posted on the blog about the best Ukrainian movies and best Ukrainian radio stations online.

Today, we’re excited to introduce you to some fantastic Ukrainian YouTube channels with Ukrainian subtitles, perfect for surrounding yourself with authentic Ukrainian language no matter where you are!

Ukrainian YouTube Amid the War

Before russia’s full-scale invasion, many Ukrainian YouTubers used Russian to reach a broader audience. However, in the past three years, there has been a significant shift, with many creators transitioning to Ukrainian. This movement has greatly increased the availability of high-quality Ukrainian content across genres like history, literature, language, science, etc.

Let’s show our support for these great Ukrainian YouTube channels, which not only educate and entertain but also promote Ukrainian identity and values.

Подорожі — Traveling

ХАЩІ

Level: intermediate to advanced (fast casual speech with Ukrainian captions)

The creators offer a fresh look at Ukraine’s countryside, highlighting both the beauty and the challenges of little-known towns and regions. They showcase not only nature and architectural landmarks, but also the struggles of dying villages and forgotten, disadvantaged residents. 

Their journeys often involve risky adventures, like accessing abandoned castles or hidden forest paths, to offer new perspectives on familiar places. 

Explore their playlists “ЗНИКАЮЧА УКРАЇНА” (“Disappearing Ukraine“) and “ВІЙНА” (“War“) for their latest poignant explorations. The hosts speak Ukrainian quickly with a Western accent, but captions are available to help you follow along.

Join Ukrainian Lessons team on a virtual tour that highlights our top places to visit in Ukraine (with photos and cultural insights)!

ТЕРЕН

Level: intermediate to advanced (clear and fast-paced speech with Ukrainian captions)

Oleksandr Budko (call sign ТЕРЕН) is a young war veteran in his twenties who lost his legs defending Ukraine and has since won the hearts of many with his patriotism and charm. 

His YouTube channel isn’t just a travel blog, but a smart way to raise awareness about social inclusion and the need for accessible cities in Ukraine. 

Teren invites popular Ukrainian public figures to explore their hometowns — with a twist: both must complete part of the journey in a wheelchair! His videos combine humor with important social topics, lively interviews, and adventures, all with Ukrainian captions for easier comprehension.

Узол і Манько

Level: beginner to advanced (clear and fast-paced speech with Ukrainian captions)

A Ukrainian couple, Maks and Olia, are seasoned travelers who have spent five years exploring cities, villages, and natural resorts across Ukraine and the world. 

Their goal is to showcase Ukraine’s beauty and inspire others to discover it, whether for a weekend or a longer vacation. The videos include captions, mostly in Ukrainian, with some in English, making the channel accessible even for beginners!

Do you want to visit Ukraine’s famous towns, like Lviv? This is our cultural guide, where we gathered the best places to visit in Lviv to better understand the city!

Історія — History

Історія без міфів

Level: intermediate to advanced (clear speech with visualization and Ukrainian captions)

“History without Myths” is one of the most popular Ukrainian-language channels covering both Ukrainian and world history. Hosted by Vladlen Maraiev, PhD in History, it explores a wide range of topics, with a focus on the 20th and 21st centuries. 

The channel aims to debunk myths and stereotypes about Ukraine while promoting interest in history and Ukraine’s global role. The content is narrated in clear, moderately paced Ukrainian, with captions and text quotes — perfect for language learners looking to tackle tricky historical questions.

Локальна історія

Level: intermediate to advanced (clear Ukrainian)

This is another excellent Ukrainian platform focused on history! It’s a leading popular project with its own journal, website, and YouTube channel, offering expert insights into Ukrainian and world history.

What sets them apart is their interviews with prominent Ukrainian historians, researchers, and public figures who specialize in specific historical periods or events. This ensures viewers get reliable information backed by decades of research. 

Their YouTube channel features playlists in video or podcast formats (all with Ukrainian subtitles) on topics like Christmas, the Ukrainian Insurgent Army, war songs, the Ukrainian diaspora, and more!

Explore the most significant events of Ukraine’s history in simple, slow-paced Ukrainian with a short Ukrainian Lessons Podcast history course – with vocabulary overview and English explanations!

Культура — Culture

Суспільне: Культура

Level: intermediate to advanced (clear Ukrainian with visualizations and Ukrainian captions)

Suspilne Kultura is a channel from СУСПІЛЬНЕ, Ukraine’s largest independent media outlet, featuring national TV and radio content. 

It offers a variety of interviews, book and art discussions, documentaries, history content, music, and films. 

A special bonus for advanced Ukrainian learners is a playlist with national radio dictations — perfect for practicing Ukrainian writing!

To master Ukrainian printed and cursive letters with ease and inspiration, check out our Ukrainian Handwriting Book, packed with easy writing guides, thought-through explanations, and audio for each letter!

Ukraїner, The Expedition

Level: beginner to advanced (clear speech with Ukrainian captions)

This popular Ukrainian cultural project offers a wealth of video content in Ukrainian (with a separate channel in English).

It began by showcasing Ukrainian landmarks and nature through creative videos like “Україна з неба,” which reached millions of views and are ideal for beginners. However, since Russia’s full-scale invasion, the focus has shifted to documentaries and interviews on current Ukrainian topics to educate both Ukrainians and the world. 

You can explore various playlists like “ВІДНОВЛЕННЯ МІСТ” (“Rebuilding Cities”), “ПОВЕРНЕННЯ ДОДОМУ” (“Returning Home”), and “ЯК МИ ЗБИРАЄМО МІЛЬЙОНИ” (“How We Fundraise Millions”), as well as many on Ukrainian regions and their customs.

Do you want to watch more in Ukrainian? Have a look at our collection of Authentic videos in Ukrainian with Ukrainian subtitles or transcripts!

KozaMedia

Level: advanced (fast casual speech)

This YouTube channel offers an in-depth look at Ukrainian traditional culture, featuring detailed overviews of Ukrainian symbols (e.g. ВИШИВАНКА, ПИСАНКА, ОБЕРІГ) by ethnographers, artists, and researchers. 

You will discover authentic Ukrainian through short documentaries from villages, exploring long-standing customs and culinary traditions. Some videos include Ukrainian captions to help with listening comprehension.

Discover the history and meaning behind prominent Ukrainian state and national symbols with useful vocabulary and audio!

Українська мова — Ukrainian language

ідея олександрівна

Level: beginner to advanced (clear speech with Ukrainian or English captions)

On this channel, a young Ukrainian linguist shares fascinating and unconventional insights into the Ukrainian language and literature. She explores various dialects, the etymology of Ukrainian names and surnames, and the unique features of the language in literature and film.

Her narration is clear and easy to follow, with some videos suitable for beginners, as they include English captions!

Андрій Шимановський

Level: intermediate to advanced (clear speech with visualizations and Ukrainian captions)

The founder of this YouTube channel, Andrii Shymanovskyi, is a Ukrainian video blogger and social media promoter of the Ukrainian language. He gained popularity on TikTok and also acts in movies, TV series, and commercials while conducting his own educational МОВНИЙ МАРАФОН (“Language Marathon”).

Andrii aims to emphasize the importance of literary language norms in everyday communication, helping his audience improve their Ukrainian in a simple, unobtrusive format. 

On YouTube, he features videos on language norms and authentic Ukrainian words, along with interviews with notable public figures.

на всі двісті

Level: intermediate to advanced (clear speech with visualizations and Ukrainian captions)

This YouTube channel is especially dear to us, as it was founded by Anna Ohoiko, the creator of Ukrainian Lessons and the host of our podcasts.

For several years, Anna was teaching Ukrainian high school students how to prepare for their graduate exams in the Ukrainian language and literature in a clear and enjoyable format. She has released hundreds of videos, along with engaging articles and tests on her website to help students master tricky vocabulary and grammar rules. 

Here, you’ll find a wealth of learning materials covering stress marks, spelling rules, complex sentences, noun genders, Ukrainian cases, and much more — all featuring beautifully designed illustrations, Ukrainian captions, and exercises!

For beginner-friendly YouTube videos for learning Ukrainian, visit Ukrainian Lessons channel to practice Ukrainian alphabet, easy vocabulary and grammar!

Література — Literature

AnnikaBlog

Level: advanced (fast casual speech with some idioms)

If you’re an avid reader or looking for exciting titles to explore in Ukrainian, this video blog is an excellent source of inspiration! You’ll find book reviews, new releases, time management tips, and casual chats over a cup of coffee.

While Ania’s fast speech may be a bit challenging, captions and practice will help you get accustomed!

Are you interested in Ukrainian poetic masterpieces? Be sure to check out Season 6 of our Ukrainian Lessons Podcast, where we analyzed famous Ukrainian poems in slow Ukrainian!

Кіно — Cinema

Загін кіноманів

Level: intermediate to advanced (clear speech with Ukrainian captions)

The founder of the channel, Vitalii Hordiienko, is an actor passionate about cinematography both in Ukraine and abroad. He creates high-quality, meticulously curated video content that serves as masterful documentaries on cinema and broader cultural trends worldwide. 

His clear and easily comprehensible narration will excite you about masterpieces of Ukrainian cinema, such as “Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors”, beloved cartoons like “Cossacks”, and notable personalities like Volodymyr Ivasiuk.

Geek Journal

Level: intermediate to advanced (clear, casual speech with Ukrainian captions)

Another charismatic YouTube blogger, Tyler Anderson, curates this popular channel, where you can find reviews of Ukrainian and international films, along with breaking news from around the world. 

With years of content creation, a great strategy is to explore his playlists, which cover everything from anime and popular TV series to cinematic trends in Ukraine and beyond. For a Ukrainian context, check out “УКРАЇНСЬКЕ КІНО” (“Ukrainian cinema”) or “УКРАЇНСЬКА АНІМАЦІЯ” (“Ukrainian animation”). 

If you want to boost your Ukrainian language or just learn more about Ukrainian culture, watch the films from this list of Ukrainian movies!

Наука — Science

Клятий раціоналіст

Level: advanced (clear speech with scientific terms and Ukrainian captions)

Myths about sleep, human temperaments, vaccinations, and air conditioning are just a few of the topics discussed by Artem Albul, the founder of this YouTube channel. 

He simplifies complex phenomena to counter misinformation and encourage viewers to explore scientific topics without falling for disinformation or anti-scientific theories. As Artem wittily puts it, his channel is “a propaganda of rationalism and a presumption of the scientific method.”

While the vocabulary is advanced, the captions and slower narration make listening a bit easier.

Кулінарія — Cooking

Євген Клопотенко

Level: intermediate to advanced (fast casual speech with visualizations and Ukrainian captions)

Let’s cook authentic Ukrainian dishes and practice Ukrainian with leading chef Yevhen Klopotenko! His charisma and talent have made him one of the most recognized Ukrainians abroad, serving as a “cultural ambassador” for Ukrainian cuisine to key politicians and journalists (he was featured in an episode of The Economist’s Intelligence podcast). 

On his YouTube channel, he creatively prepares well-known Ukrainian dishes like БОРЩ and СИРНИКИ, along with international delicacies, all infused with humor and an easy-going approach. You can also find many written recipes on his website!

Check out a comprehensive list of our favorite Ukrainian cooking channels that will help you practice the language in your kitchen!

КОСТЯНТИН ГРУБИЧ

Level: beginner to advanced (clear speech with Ukrainian or English captions)

Kostiantyn Hrubytch is a Ukrainian journalist and TV showman, famous for his program СМАЧНА КРАЇНА (Tasty Country), which has been airing for years. 

He now runs a YouTube channel, offering fantastic recipes for Ukrainian dishes while providing a great opportunity to practice your Ukrainian language skills at the same time.

Ukraine is famous for its cuisine! Here is our ultimate guide to Ukrainian Food: 40+ Ukrainian dishes with pictures.

Телебачення — Television

Сніданок з 1+1

Level: pre-intermediate to advanced (you can choose between various topics depending on your level)

It is a TV morning program called “Breakfast with 1+1 (name of the TV channel)”.

Every morning they have different short episodes about a great variety of topics: lifestyle, celebrities, fashion, health, fitness, traveling, interesting facts, and even Ukrainian language lessons for Ukrainians! You can choose what you like on their YouTube channel.

Новини — News

Суспільне Новини

Level: intermediate to advanced (clear speech with Ukrainian captions)

This channel offers a variety of content formats, including news digests, interviews, podcasts, and documentaries, providing relevant updates about Ukraine.

It focuses on key political developments, frontline news, and captivating (often heartbreaking) personal stories of soldiers and civilians amid russia’s war against Ukraine. You can explore their playlists to find the content that interests you most, such as news, war reporting, and news digests.

Do you want to stay informed and ready to discuss any pressing matters in Ukrainian? Explore our list of the most important and popular news sources in Ukraine.

Інтерв’ю — Interviews

Жовті Кеди

Level: intermediate to advanced (different accents)

This channel features conversations on a wide range of relevant topics, from updates on Ukraine’s political and military situation to technological breakthroughs and shifts in national identity.

Hosted by Yuliia Borysko, the channel invites prominent Ukrainian politicians, social activists, and university professors to discuss their areas of expertise, aiming to inform Ukrainian society with a focus on opportunities, development, and freedom.

Це ніхто не буде дивитись

Level: intermediate to advanced (different accents)

The channel’s host, Emma Antoniuk, employs a unique approach to interviews, engaging with Ukraine’s public figures across various fields — diplomats, veterans, singers, and artists, even those with radically opposing views. 

She poses creative, unconventional, and often uncomfortable questions. What sets her apart is that parts of the interviews focus on discussing the interviewees’ backgrounds and perspectives through the lens of their favorite books, using their metaphors and philosophical insights.

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Приємного перегляду! — Enjoy watching!

For real-life dialogues, adapted for Ukrainian language beginners, listen to our Ukrainian Lessons Podcast, packed with vocabulary and grammar explanations in English!