--- title: "Producer Nikitin Explains Why Verka Serduchka Won’t Translate Old Hits into Ukrainian: “A Song Must Remain in the Period It Was Written In”" description: "Producer Yuriy Nikitin, in an interview with Vasyl Tymoshenko, explained why Andriy Danylko does not translate Verka Serduchka's old hits into Ukrainian: according to him, a song must remain in the period of life it was written in. Meanwhile, the producer announced new Ukrainian-language premieres by the artist." date: 2026-10-21T15:01:00.384Z lang: en url: https://xab.info/en/posts/nikitin-explains-why-danylko-does-not-translate-old-hits tags: [verka-serdyuchka, andrey-danilko, yuri-nikitin, ukrainian-music, language-question] author: "Inna Kinsheva" publisher: "XAB.info" --- # Producer Nikitin Explains Why Verka Serduchka Won’t Translate Old Hits into Ukrainian: “A Song Must Remain in the Period It Was Written In” ![Producer Yuriy Nikitin and the artist as Verka Serduchka in the studio during an interview](https://xab.info/media/2026/10/21/nikitin-obyasnil-pochemu-danilko-ne-perevodit-starye-hity-na-ukrainskiy/nikitin-obyasnil-pochemu-danilko-ne-perevodit-starye-hity-na-ukrainskiy-1.webp) ## Key Points - Producer Yuriy Nikitin explained that Danylko does not translate old hits into Ukrainian because he considers every song part of a specific period of his life. - Nikitin stated that he respects the artist's position and does not interfere with his creative choice, calling Danylko “a great artist, practically a genius.” - The producer announced new Ukrainian-language premieres: Danylko has already released several songs in Ukrainian and is re-recording compositions by Poklad and Rybchynsky. - Nikitin called the persona of Verka Serduchka a part of Ukrainian culture and a special phenomenon in the history of domestic pop music. Producer Yuriy Nikitin, in an interview with blogger Vasyl Tymoshenko, explained in detail why Andriy Danylko, who performs as Verka Serduchka, has no intention of translating his Russian-language hits into Ukrainian. According to Nikitin, the artist adheres to a steady creative principle: every composition belongs to the period of life in which it was created, and that is precisely why he sees no need to change its language. At the same time, the producer announced new musical premieres in the Ukrainian language, which he said are being prepared for listeners. ### “A Song Must Remain in the Period It Was Written In” Nikitin emphasized that Danylko has “a very consistent position on many things” and is not inclined to abandon it. The producer cited his own biography as an example: “Well, I was born in the USSR. You can feel differently about this... Why should I translate what I played back then into Ukrainian?” Thus, according to him, the artist perceives old songs as part of a specific stage of his life, rather than as material subject to linguistic revision. ### Respect for the Artist's Creative Choice The producer stated that he respects Danylko's decision and does not consider it permissible to interfere with his creative choice. “I deeply respect his position. This is the position of an artist taking the stage, a great artist, practically a genius. How can one influence it?” Nikitin noted. He also emphasized that Serduchka's creative path should be treated with an understanding of the context in which her songs were created. ### A New Ukrainian-Language Stage and Anticipated Premieres At the same time, Nikitin pointed out that Danylko is not limited to his old repertoire. According to him, the artist has already released several songs in Ukrainian, is working on his own material, and is reinterpreting well-known compositions by Ukrainian authors, in particular Ihor Poklad and Yuriy Rybchynsky. “He is writing songs in Ukrainian, has already released more than one... I hope that a premiere of a new song awaits us any moment now. All these songs are in Ukrainian,” the producer stated, although he did not name a specific release date. ### The Place of the Persona in Ukrainian Culture Nikitin also emphasized that he does not consider Verka Serduchka to be an ordinary stage project, calling Danylko's persona and work a part of Ukrainian culture with a special place in the history of national pop music. Reminding audiences of the language of the artist's work is also important in a historical context: among the early works are compositions with characteristic surzhik, as in the song “Gop-gop, chida-gop,” while in 2022 Danylko presented the Ukrainian-language track “Ye propozytsiya” (There Is a Proposal), which became one of the markers of his new creative stage. Previously, the language issue surrounding the artist had been raised repeatedly: after the performance of Russian-language hits at a Kyiv complex, an inspection was initiated by the language ombudsman, while representatives of the star's team explained that Serduchka spoke “Poltava surzhik,” performed original songs, and regularly helps the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Ultimately, no punishment followed, though the ombudsman noted the situation for “ethical reasons.” Nikitin's statement became a new public explanation of the artist's own position regarding his old repertoire. ## Fact-Check & Sources - [Продюсер Никитин объяснил, почему Андрей Данилко не будет переводить свои хиты на украинский: "Позиция гения"](https://styler.rbc.ua/ukr/people/prodyuser-nikitin-poyasniv-chomu-andriy-danilko-1792593872.html) - Primary source: Nikitin's quotes, announcement of Ukrainian-language premieres, mention of “Gop-gop, chida-gop” and “Ye propozytsiya” (2022). - [Продюсер Никитин объяснил, почему Верка Сердючка не переводит старые хиты на украинский язык](https://ua.news/ru/culture/prodiuser-nikitin-poiasniv-chomu-vierka-serdiuchka-ne-perekladaie-stari-khiti-ukrayinskoiu) - Confirms the essence of Nikitin's statement and work on a new Ukrainian-language program, covers of Poklad and Rybchynsky. - [Почему Верка Сердючка поет по-русски во время войны: продюсер раскрыл настоящую позицию Данилко](https://tsn.ua/ru/glamur/pochemu-verka-serdyuchka-poet-po-russki-vo-vremya-voyny-prodyuser-raskryl-nastoyaschuyu-pozitsiyu-danilko-3195919.html) - Adds context: Tymoshenko's interview, previous language ombudsman inspection, team's explanation about “Poltava surzhik” and aid to the Armed Forces of Ukraine. - [Продюсер рассказал, почему Данилко не переводит песни на украинский язык](https://glavred.info/starnews/prodyuser-rasskazal-pochemu-danilko-ne-perevodit-pesni-na-ukrainskiy-yazyk-10805960.html) - Confirms the general thesis regarding the reason for not adapting songs to the Ukrainian language. ## FAQ ### Why, according to the producer, does Danylko not translate old hits into Ukrainian? Yuriy Nikitin explained that Danylko considers every song part of a specific period of his life and therefore sees no need to change its language: “if a song was written in a certain period, it must remain in that period.” ### Is Verka Serduchka preparing new songs in the Ukrainian language? Yes. According to Nikitin, Danylko has already released several Ukrainian-language songs, is reinterpreting compositions by Ihor Poklad and Yuriy Rybchynsky, and is preparing a new premiere, although the producer did not name a specific release date. ### Does Nikitin view the artist's decision critically? No. The producer stated that he respects Danylko's position and does not interfere with his creative choice, calling the artist “a great artist, practically a genius.”