Ukrainian Audio Guide Project Hits Milestone with 100th Launch in South Africa
Ukraine’s First Lady Olena Zelenska has announced the launch of the 100th Ukrainian-language audio guide in a global landmark—this time at the Apartheid Museum in Johannesburg, South Africa, The Gaze reports.
The milestone marks a significant step in the cultural diplomacy initiative led under her patronage since 2019.
“This is a place that preserves the history of the struggle for justice and equality during the apartheid regime. Who better than Ukrainians, who are fighting for their lives and rights today, to understand this painful story,” Zelenska stated.
Launched during a time of full-scale Russian invasion, many of the audio guides were introduced “in the most difficult period for Ukraine,” she said.
“It means that already a hundred major world landmarks—including Versailles, the Tower of London, and the Sagrada Familia—speak to visitors in Ukrainian. Millennia of culture and history now speak in our language.”
The Ukrainian-language guides now operate in 53 countries, including France, Japan, the United States, Israel, Argentina, and Kenya. They are featured in global landmarks like the Vatican Museums, Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum, Yad Vashem, the Warsaw Uprising Museum, and George Washington’s Mount Vernon Estate.
According to Zelenska, the idea came to her in 2019 during a state visit to Germany when she discovered that Ukrainian was rarely available on global tours. “I decided that Ukrainian deserves to be heard. And it will be.”
“Why is this project important now? Because millions of Ukrainians scattered by Russian invasion have the right to hear the world in their own language. And because Russia is trying to erase our heritage and identity,” Zelenska emphasized. “Our language must be heard—as a language of culture and progress. It is our ambassador.”
Read more on The Gaze: 2025 Year Ukrainian Theatre Renaissance: Top Kyiv Performances Drawing Global Attention