The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine and the Ukrainian Institute are presenting the “Hvylia / Dalğa” Award for the second time. For the 2026 award, the Ukrainian Institute received 31 nominations from 12 countries around the world.

This year’s “Hvylia / Dalğa” Award laureates are university professor Alla Nedashkivska, schoolteachers Olga Polisvyat and Gulnaz Adzhigeldieva, and director and cultural manager Fatima Osman.

The awards were presented to the winners by:

Mariana Betsa, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine
Iryna Klyuchkovska, chair of the Ukrainian language section jury and director of the International Institute of Education, Culture, and Diaspora Relations at Lviv Polytechnic National University;
Refat Chubarov, Chair of the Crimean Tatar Language Section Jury, Chairman of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People, President of the World Congress of Crimean Tatars, and Co-Chair of the National Commission on the Crimean Tatar Language;
Alim Aliyev, Deputy Director General of the Ukrainian Institute

The award recipients received statuettes designed by Ostap Ivanyshyn, a glass artist and professor at the Lviv National Academy of Arts.

Winners of the “Hvylia / Dalğa” Award

For promoting the Ukrainian language worldwide:

Alla Nedashkivska won in the category “Teachers of Ukrainian as a Foreign Language at Institutions of Higher Education in Ukraine or Abroad”

Professor of Slavic and Applied Linguistics at the University of Alberta; author of textbooks and digital resources for learning the Ukrainian language; founder of the international summer school “Ukrainian Language Through Living Culture”; co-founder of the International Association of Ukrainian Language Teachers; and vice president of the American Association of Teachers of Slavic and East European Languages.

From 2023 to 2026, Professor Nedashkivska presented more than twenty papers at academic and educational institutions in Canada, the United States, and Europe. One of the main focuses of her work has been rethinking the teaching of the Ukrainian language and Ukrainian studies in the context of the decolonization of Slavic studies. Her presentations in Ottawa, Warsaw, and Lviv were dedicated to this topic, as was the international roundtable she organized in 2026, titled “Teaching Ukrainian as a Foreign Language in the Context of the Decolonization of Slavic Studies,” which brought together researchers from Canada, Poland, and Ukraine.

Olga Polisviat was named the winner in the category “Teachers of Ukrainian as a foreign or heritage language in non-academic settings abroad, as well as civic, government, and cultural figures whose activities are aimed at promoting the Ukrainian language worldwide.”

Ukrainian language teacher at the Ukrainian School of the Immaculate Virgin Mary in London; school principal from 2004 to 2010; Member of the examination board of the Association of Ukrainian Teachers in Great Britain; head of the editorial team responsible for developing educational materials for children of the Ukrainian diaspora; co-author of a literature textbook and a series of workbooks for Ukrainian schools in Great Britain.

For promoting the Crimean Tatar language around the world:

Gulnaz Adzhigeldieva won in the category “Teachers of the Crimean Tatar language at educational institutions in Ukraine or abroad”

A philologist specializing in Turkic studies, an Honored Teacher of Ukraine, co-author of a new-generation textbook and model curricula on the Crimean Tatar language and literature for grades 1–9, co-author and host of 140 video lessons for the All-Ukrainian Online School, and author of educational and methodological materials.

Gulnaz Adzhigeldieva has been teaching the Crimean Tatar language and literature for over twenty years, and since 2023, she has been teaching at the Crimean Tatar Lyceum “Birlik School” in the village of Chaiky, Kyiv Oblast.

In April 2026, Gulnaz Adzhigeldieva was awarded the honorary title of “Honored Teacher of Ukraine” for her contribution to the development of education, her professionalism, and her many years of service as a teacher.

In the category “Public, government, and cultural figures whose work is aimed at promoting the Crimean Tatar language around the world,” Fatima Osman was named the winner.

Director, media manager, and cultural project manager; creator and director of “BÜLBÜL,” an educational multimedia platform for children; director of “Elifbe,” a series of video lessons on the Crimean Tatar language; co-director of the documentary film “1944. Crimea. Deportation.”

The multimedia platform BÜLBÜL— combines animation, music, and other interactive formats to create a natural and engaging language environment in which children are exposed to the Crimean Tatar language from an early age. “BÜLBÜL” shapes children’s first language experiences while also helping parents integrate the Crimean Tatar language into the family’s daily life. In June 2026, its second phase was launched: six animated cartoons, ten children’s songs, and ten audio stories based on Crimean Tatar folklore. The new series was produced with the support of UNESCO.