--- title: "From Hirano to Jimenez-Bravo: Six Celebrities Who Learned Ukrainian as Adults" description: "Styler (RBC-Ukraine) has gathered the stories of six celebrities — from Japanese journalist Takashi Hirano to Italian chef Marco Cerruti — who mastered the Ukrainian language only in adulthood through study and daily practice." date: 2026-09-17T06:52:01.000Z lang: en url: https://xab.info/en/posts/celebrities-who-learned-ukrainian-hirano-himenes-bravo-suhanov tags: [ukrainian-language, celebrities, hector-jimenez-bravo, takashi-hirano, amador-lopez, alexey-suhanov, marco-cervetti, ivan-lyulenov, rbc-ukraine, styler] publisher: "XAB.info" --- # From Hirano to Jimenez-Bravo: Six Celebrities Who Learned Ukrainian as Adults ![Celebrities who learned Ukrainian as adults, pictured against a backdrop of Kyiv with the Ukrainian flag and golden domes](https://xab.info/media/2026/09/18/znamenitosti-vyuchili-ukrainskij-yazyk-hirano-himenes-bravo-suhanov/znamenitosti-vyuchili-ukrainskij-yazyk-hirano-himenes-bravo-suhanov-1.webp) ## 🎯 Key Points - Six foreign and expatriate celebrities — Hirano, Jimenez-Bravo, Lopez, Lyulenov, Sukhanov, and Cerruti — mastered the Ukrainian language in adulthood. - Takashi Hirano has been living in Ukraine since 2008, works at Ukrinform, and published a book about Ukrainian culture in Japan. - Hector Jimenez-Bravo began actively learning Ukrainian after 2022 and in 2025 confirmed that he continues lessons with a teacher. - Alexey Sukhanov obtained Ukrainian citizenship in 2019, and Amador Lopez in February 2022; both consistently use Ukrainian in their public activities. - According to Focus (2026), Jimenez-Bravo left Ukraine, which creates a discrepancy with the narrative of his permanent residence and learning. For many foreign residents of the country, Ukrainian was not their native language, and some of them only encountered it after moving to Ukraine. They learned new words, got used to a different grammar, and then began using Ukrainian in their professional work and public life. The Styler project by RBC-Ukraine has gathered the stories of celebrities who have gone through this journey — from a Japanese journalist to an Italian chef. What unites them is one thing: they began mastering Ukrainian only in adulthood, through study, daily conversation, and constant practice. ### Japanese Journalist Takashi Hirano: From Tokyo to Ukrinform Takashi Hirano is a Japanese journalist and photographer who has been living in Ukraine since 2008. His interest in the country began in his school years, and his systematic study of Ukrainian started at the Tokyo University of Foreign Studies. After moving to Ukraine, Hirano first taught Japanese at Lviv National University, then worked at the Japanese embassy, and in 2018 became an editor of the Japanese-language version of Ukrinform. Having immersed himself so deeply in Ukrainian culture that he writes about Ukraine in Japanese, in 2020 he published a book in Japan titled "Ukrainian Fan-Book," dedicated to Ukrainian cuisine, language, culture, and traditions. ### Chef Hector Jimenez-Bravo: "Not Everything at Once, but Step by Step" The Colombian-Canadian chef Hector Jimenez-Bravo has been living and working in Ukraine for many years. In his own words, after the move he first studied Russian, since that was the language his surroundings spoke with him. His active mastery of Ukrainian began only after the start of the full-scale war. In 2025, Jimenez-Bravo admitted on social media that he is still learning Ukrainian and showed a lesson with a teacher: "Not everything comes easily at once, but I am improving my knowledge step by step." Thus, his story is not about instantly mastering a language, but about systematic learning and daily practice. ### Amador Lopez and Ivan Lyulenov: From Russian-Language Content to Ukrainian Venezuelan choreographer, singer, and showman Amador Lopez came to Ukraine more than 20 years ago, built his career here, created the group Rumbero's, and in February 2022 obtained Ukrainian citizenship. The artist emphasized that it was important for him to speak Ukrainian, and after receiving a Ukrainian passport he demonstrated this even more actively in public life. Moldovan humorist and singer Ivan Lyulenov, who became known to the Ukrainian audience thanks to the "League of Laughter," worked predominantly in Russian before the start of the full-scale invasion. In an interview with RBC-Ukraine, he said that he changed the language on his phone, started watching Ukrainian shows, and gave up Russian-language content. In his words, constant exposure to a Ukrainian-language environment helped him gradually start speaking Ukrainian. Lyulenov also began writing and releasing Ukrainian-language songs.### Alexey Sukhanov and Marco Cerruti: Ukrainian as Part of a Public Image TV presenter Alexey Sukhanov was born in Russia, but has been working in Ukraine since 2012. A few years later he mastered Ukrainian and became one of the most prominent TV presenters consistently using it on air. In 2019, Sukhanov passed an exam and received a Ukrainian passport. Today, the Ukrainian language is an integral part of his public image. Italian chef Marco Cerruti, who has been living in Ukraine for many years, began learning the language right here. In 2023, while presenting his YouTube channel, he explicitly noted that he is actively studying Ukrainian and wants to communicate in it more and more in his videos. Now Cerruti travels around Ukraine, talks with local residents, and tells about the country's culinary traditions in Ukrainian. ### Contradictory Data Regarding Hector Jimenez-Bravo, a discrepancy is recorded in open sources. On the one hand, Styler and UNIAN report that the chef "has been living and working in Ukraine for many years" and continues to study the language, showing lessons with a teacher. On the other hand, the publication Focus (2026) publishes an article with a headline indicating that Jimenez-Bravo "left Ukraine and showed the reason." The difference in wording — "left" (a possible temporary trip) versus the steady narrative of permanent residence — does not allow his current status to be determined unambiguously. Jimenez-Bravo himself has not given a public comment about a move in available statements, so both versions remain in the field until clarification. Thus, the stories of Hirano, Jimenez-Bravo, Lopez, Lyulenov, Sukhanov, and Cerruti differ in their starting points and the speed of language acquisition, but they are united by a common principle: Ukrainian was learned not in school years, but through a conscious choice, daily practice, and professional necessity. ## 🔍 Fact-Check Verification - [Hector Jimenez-Bravo, Alexey Sukhanov, and Amador Lopez: Which Celebrities Learned the Ukrainian Language](https://styler.rbc.ua/ukr/people/ektor-himenes-bravo-oleksiy-suhanov-ta-amador-1789627440.html) - Первичный источник: полные биографии и цитаты всех шести персон. Даты переездов, гражданства, публикации книг — из устных заявлений самих героев. - [For the Devotees of "What's the Difference?" Two Friends from Kazakhstan Who Flawlessly Learned ... in 2.5 Years](https://www.obozrevatel.com/shou-oboz/dlya-adeptov-kakaya-raznitsa-dve-podruzhki-iz-kazahstana-kotoryie-za-2-5-goda-bezuprechno-vyiuchili-ukrainskij-yazyik-stali-zvezdami-seti.htm) - Материал о двух девушках из Казахстанa, не связан с основными персонами статьи. Использован лишь как контекст темы изучения украинского. - [Hector Jimenez-Bravo Admitted He Is Still Learning Ukrainian: Funny Video](https://www.unian.net/lite/stars/ektor-himenes-bravo-vidomiy-kuhar-vchit-ukrajinsku-13106298.html) - Подтверждает факт продолжающегося обучения Хименес-Браво украинскому языку (2025). - ["I Still Can't Believe It": Hector Jimenez-Bravo Left Ukraine and Showed the Reason (Photos, Video)](https://focus.ua/ukrayinskij-shoubiz/699961-ektor-himenes-bravo-vyehal-za-granicu-kuda-on-priletel) - Указывает на выезд Хименес-Браво из Украины. Неясно, временная ли это поездка или переезд. Создает нестыдку с нарративом постоянного проживания. ## ❓ FAQ ### Q: Which celebrities learned the Ukrainian language according to Styler? **A:** The Styler (RBC-Ukraine) article presents the stories of six people: Japanese journalist Takashi Hirano, Colombian-Canadian chef Hector Jimenez-Bravo, Venezuelan showman Amador Lopez, Moldovan humorist Ivan Lyulenov, TV presenter Alexey Sukhanov, and Italian chef Marco Cerruti. ### Q: When did Takashi Hirano come to Ukraine and what does he do? **A:** Hirano has been living in Ukraine since 2008. He first taught Japanese at Lviv National University, then worked at the Japanese embassy, and since 2018 has been an editor of the Japanese-language version of Ukrinform. In 2020 he published the book "Ukrainian Fan-Book" in Japan. ### Q: Why did Hector Jimenez-Bravo first study Russian and then switch to Ukrainian? **A:** In Jimenez-Bravo's own words, after moving to Ukraine it was Russian that was the language of his surroundings, so he started with it. His active mastery of Ukrainian began after the start of the full-scale war. In 2025 he confirmed that he continues lessons with a teacher. ### Q: Are there contradictions in the data about Jimenez-Bravo's current status? **A:** Yes. Styler and UNIAN describe him as a person who "has been living and working in Ukraine for many years" and is learning the language. At the same time, Focus (2026) publishes an article about him having "left Ukraine." It is not possible to determine unambiguously, based on available sources, whether this is a temporary trip or a move. ### Q: When did Alexey Sukhanov and Amador Lopez obtain Ukrainian citizenship? **A:** Alexey Sukhanov received a Ukrainian passport in 2019 after passing an exam. Amador Lopez obtained Ukrainian citizenship in February 2022.