On the stage of the popular Ukrainian show 'Ukraine Has Talent' (Ukraina Maye Talant), 11-year-old Kira Kasynets from Uzhhorod demonstrated an outstanding achievement that representatives of the National Register of Records of Ukraine officially recorded live on air. The schoolgirl recited from memory a tongue twister in Ukrainian consisting of 1,328 words, equivalent to 2,780 syllables, in just 7 minutes and 35 seconds. The result was confirmed in the category of 'The longest tongue twister among Slavic languages, recited from memory by a child in Ukrainian.' The judging panel unanimously gave three 'yes' votes, and on stage the girl triumphantly raised a certificate bearing the national symbols, making it one of the most memorable moments of the new season of the project.
Preparation and performance technique
Kira spent several months preparing for this new performance. According to her parents, the girl learned the text itself relatively quickly, but most of the time was taken up with painstaking work on articulation, the clarity of pronunciation of each word, and maintaining a high recitation speed without a single mistake. The main task was to get through the entire tongue twister at a very fast pace, without skipping or 'swallowing' a single word. It was precisely the combination of speed, accuracy, and the volume of the text that made the result a record in the given category. During the performance, Kira held a framed printed copy of the text in her hands, which became a visual symbol of her achievement, while the show's host, dressed in a distinctive yellow-and-black outfit with an emblem, read comments from a folder, accompanying the performance.
Not her first entry into the record register
For Kira Kasynets, this is far from the first official recognition of her abilities. Three years ago, when she was only eight years old, the girl had already made it into the National Register of Records of Ukraine: in a live broadcast on one of the TV channels, she recited a 1,035-word tongue twister in 6 minutes and 23.95 seconds. Thus, over three years the young record-holder increased the volume of the text by 293 words and reduced the time by a single unit, which testifies to systematic work and progress. She dedicated her previous record to the Armed Forces of Ukraine and called on her fellow citizens to join the fundraising drive for a DJI Mavic 3 FMC drone; the required amount was raised within a few days.
A record dedicated to helping those in need
This time Kira decided to dedicate her achievement to Superhumans Center, an organization that provides assistance to military personnel and civilians affected by the war, in particular dealing with prosthetics and comprehensive rehabilitation. A 'jar' for donations has already been opened, and the schoolgirl is calling on Ukrainians to support the initiative. 'My first record was my dream, and the world one became its fulfillment,' 11-year-old Kira said. 'But I want these 1,328 words to be not only my personal achievement but also to help someone take their step forward.' She added: 'A true record is not how high you climbed yourself, but how high you helped someone else climb.'
Linguistic gift and creative biography
According to her parents, Kira's outstanding language abilities manifested in early childhood: already at one year old the girl clearly pronounced about 80 words, which significantly exceeds the average for that age. From the age of four, Kira began learning by heart and reciting dozens of poems by adult Ukrainian authors, particularly falling in love with the works of Lina Kostenko. In 2023, the schoolgirl created her own video project 'Lina Kostenko: An Answer to Everyone,' and also filmed a tribute film to Kuzma Skryabin. Under the pseudonym Lady Kira, she released several songs, including 'Goodbye, My Dear School' and 'Mama' in a duet with the artist TAYANNA. Thus, the 1,328-word tongue twister became just one of the many creative and intellectual achievements of the young woman from Uzhhorod.
