---
title: "\"Ukrainians have a different kind of swearing\": Larysa Nitソoй explained the difference between Ukrainian and Russian profanity"
description: "Writer Larysa Nitsoi explained the differences between Ukrainian and Russian profanity, pointing out the sacredness of the mother image in Ukrainian culture, and spoke about wartime children's folklore."
date: 2026-10-02T11:20:01.000Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/larysa-nitsoi-on-ukrainian-and-russian-profanity
tags: [larisa-nitsoy, culture, language, ukraine, folklore]
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

# "Ukrainians have a different kind of swearing": Larysa Nitソoй explained the difference between Ukrainian and Russian profanity

![Writer Larysa Nitsoi during an interview](https://xab.info/media/2026/10/02/larisa-nitsoy-ob-ukrainskih-i-russkih-matah/larisa-nitsoy-ob-ukrainskih-i-russkih-matah-1.webp)

## 🎯 Key Points

- Ukrainian profanity appeals to physiology rather than the desecration of the mother.
- In children's fairy tales and fantasies, Russia is unanimously recognized as the main evil.
- There is plenty of high-quality Ukrainian-language content in all areas today.

Famous Ukrainian writer Larysa Nitsoi shared her vision of deep cultural and linguistic differences between Ukrainian and Russian profanity. In a detailed interview as part of the project "Don't Interrupt!", she thoroughly analyzed lexical features, noting a fundamentally different approach to the formation of swear words and stable expressions in both languages.

### Features of linguistic profanity and folklore

According to the writer, the key difference lies in the images and value orientations underlying the swearing. Nitsoi emphasized the special sacred attitude toward the mother in Ukrainian society, while Russian profanity, in her words, is built on perversions and the desecration of the maternal image. Ukrainian profanity predominantly appeals to physiology or natural waste, without crossing the dangerous line of sexual deviations and perversions, which is also directly reflected in folk folklore and fairy tales.

### Fairy tale therapy and children's perception of war

During the conversation, the writer also touched upon the topic of modern children's creativity and fairy tale therapy, which she actively practices during classes in summer children's camps. According to Nitsoi, modern Ukrainian children pass the war through their own perception, which is vividly reflected in their fantasies and invented magical objects to fight evil. The main evil for young Ukrainians today is unanimously Russia and its leadership, but children's solutions are distinguished by surprising mercy, a deep understanding of ecology, and strategic thinking.

### Myths about the shortage of Ukrainian content

Special attention in the interview was paid to the widespread opinion about the alleged shortage of high-quality Ukrainian-language content. Nitsoi called such statements a lie, emphasizing that such complaints only expose people who continue to graze on Russian information resources. Modern social media algorithms form personal bubbles, but the objective reality is that today Ukraine has created enough high-quality content in all key areas and genres.

## 🔍 Fact-Check Verification

- ["У украинцев другая ругань": Лариса Ницой объяснила разницу между украинскими и российскими матами](https://styler.rbc.ua/ukr/people/v-ukrayintsiv-insha-layka-larisa-nitsoy-poyasnila-1790933783.html) - Оригинальное интервью писательницы Ларисы Ницой проекту Styler.

## ❓ FAQ

### Q: What is the main difference between Ukrainian and Russian profanity, according to Larysa Nitsoi?
**A:** The writer believes that Russian profanity is built on perversions and the desecration of the mother, whereas Ukrainian swearing appeals to physiology or natural waste.

### Q: How do children react to the topic of war in Larysa Nitsoi's fairy tales and exercises?
**A:** Children see the main evil in Russia and Putin, offering ecological and metaphorical ways to defeat it, such as growing an impassable forest.