summer SCHOOL OF UKRAINIAN LANGUAGE AND HUZUL CULTURE
1 - 14 June 2026
1 - 14 AUGUST 2026
offline
in carpathians
This summer is not about progress charts or perfect endings.
It’s about making Ukrainian part of your life and not the part of your lessons.
Confidence in speaking Ukrainian does not come from knowing all the rules. It comes from live connections and using Ukrainian in real live situations many times. That’s why we speak Ukrainian in the lessons, but freeze, when we speak to other people. Because we placed language in the form of classed, in the boxes of perfection, in the tables with the endings. We also placed it online.
In this Summer Program I invite you to come as you are, leave all the academic learning experience behind and… rest! Rest, using the wrong Ukrainian as much as you want, play it, experiment, connect with hutsuls, listen to our dialect, read our poetry and music. Try do dance Ukrainian and look closer to her eyes without fear.
So come as you are and what you know – we will take care of the rest.
For two weeks, 15 participants from all around the world will gather in the heart of the Carpathians to:
Connect with local hutsul people
Speak Ukrainian every day in a supportive, non‑performative way
Learn the Ukrainian language in small groups with different teachers regarding their level
Watch the Ukrainian films and visit hutsul museums
Visit the artistic workshops and have the chance to initiate their own workshops for local communities
Do the hiking, visit the cheese factories, swim in the river, collect the mushrooms and berries
Deadline application for the first round: May 1, 2026
Deadline application for the second round: July 1, 2026
We’ll stay at Hotel Karmel, cosy wooden cottages in the heart of the Carpathian Mountains, surrounded by forest and mountain views.
THE PLACE WHERE we stay
The hotel is located in Verkhovyna, close to nature and just a short walk from the Black Cheremosh River. On the property, there are outdoor gazebos, space for evenings by the fire, and everything needed to feel at home in the mountains.
Contribution to the Summer School
5 % discount
If you apply before April
Frequently Asked Questions
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Carpathian mountains was one of the safest regions in Ukraine during the years of war. Particularly in Verkhovyna there was not a single explosion or missile. However, during your journey you will have to go through Lviv or other Wester Ukrainian cities. From time to time there might be attacks. If you are worried about that, I recommend you to choose the hotel with a shelter. Also you can contact me and I will send you more tips, so your trip will be as safe as possible.
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There is a direct and very beautiful train from Lviv/Kyiv or Ivano-Frankivsk to Vorokhta. From Vorokhta the bus will be orginized from our side to take you directly to our place in Verkhovyna.
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We invite 20 foreign participants from all over the world, who are learning Ukrainian and are related to the cultural sphere to take part in the Summer School. We are also planning to invite incredible Ukrainian artists and writers to help you discover the relation between the language and different artistic practices.
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That’s welcome. Groups are organised by level, and speaking is always supported.
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In the last week of the program we encourage students to work on their own individual or collective artistic project related to the language and place we are in. Our team will support you in that journey.
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By the end of the summer school, you will:
feel more confident speaking Ukrainian at your level
have a deeper, lived connection to the Ukrainian language and hutsul culture
create at least one finished creative work using Ukrainian
expand your active vocabulary through speaking, listening, and connecting
feel a sense of belonging to a Ukrainian creative community
gain experience presenting and discussing your work in Ukrainian