“Sviati Petrivtsi” is a podcast created by students of Staropetrivtsi Lyceum and Teach for Ukraine Fellowship alumnae Alla Shakhova and Hanna Zdor.
The first episode aired at the start of the 2023 academic year. The main goal? To better understand the local community of Stari Petrivtsi—and to listen to what young people have to say.
Familiar guests have already appeared on the podcast:
- Yaroslava Dyo, Chief Specialist at the Department of Digital Education and Skills Development at Diia.Osvita
- Nastia from the YouTube channel Smeshno ne bude (“It won’t be funny”)
Yaroslava
Nastia
In addition to the podcast, “Sviati Petrivtsi” also runs a TikTok account—it’s their way to connect more closely with their audience and give a glimpse into daily life at the Staropetrivtsi Lyceum.
In August 2024, Alla Shakhova received a grant from the Ukraine-Moldova American Enterprise Fund and Teach for Ukraine. Thanks to this support, the podcast team upgraded their equipment—purchasing two microphones and a MacBook Air, which is now used to record new episodes.
“This helps us bring in more guests without needing to move equipment around. Right now we have four microphones, and the next step is to set up a new studio space,”
says Alla Shakhova, a Teach for Ukraine Fellowship alumna.
“The podcast has had a huge impact on my life.
I stopped stuttering, became more comfortable talking to people, and I understand others better now.
I can even ask my teachers questions without being afraid of how they’ll react.
This podcast has become my biggest source of emotional support!”
says Liza, co-host of Sviati Petrivtsi.
The students have also created their own merch, with all proceeds going to support the podcast’s future.
“I think our podcast might help someone discover something new and exciting.
Anyone can tune in, hear our guests’ stories, and take away something valuable—or just have a great time,” says Anastasiia, who manages merch for Sviati Petrivtsi.
