On August 23, 2026, the premiere of the new season of the legendary show 'Ukraina Maye Talant' aired on the STB channel. Among the dozens of talented participants, Olga Khodos — a teacher from Volchansk — drew particular attention from the audience and the jury. She presented a sand animation on stage dedicated to her hometown, which was destroyed during the fighting. Her performance became one of the most emotional moments of the season's first episode and provoked an outburst from judge Artem Pivovarov, for whom Volchansk is his hometown.
Sand Animation as a Personal Confession
Before her performance, Olga Khodos explained why she chose exactly this format: "I want to show a part of my city, Volchansk, which is very much in pain here." On stage, she began drawing a picture out of sand while telling her story. "I was born in the city of Volchansk. This is my homeland. And I love it very much with my heart. My little house was located by the forest," she said, creating images of her native streets and home from the grains of sand. The climax of the performance was the phrase: "I saw from the drones how my hometown and my house were destroyed. A great many people died — both friends and relatives." In the finale, the audience gave a standing ovation, and all three judges expressed their support — Olga received three "yeses."
Pivovarov's Tears: "Nothing Was Left There, Just Earth"
Hearing that Olga was a native of Volchansk, Artem Pivovarov immediately got up from the jury's seat and walked onto the stage to hug and support her. "I am very glad to see you. Actually, for the first time in my life, as an artist, I am meeting someone from Volchansk," the singer said. Listening to Olga's story about her destroyed house and deceased loved ones, Pivovarov could not hold back his tears. "They destroyed everything. Nothing was left there. Just earth remained, no houses. Everything was simply leveled to the ground," the artist admitted. Elena Kravets also came out onto the stage to support her colleague, having been moved by the performance as well.
"This Is My Mission": Pivovarov on the Duty to Talk About Volchansk
At the end of the emotional dialogue, Pivovarov addressed the audience with a personal confession. "There is no house of mine. There is no house of yours, and there are no relatives of mine, no friends of mine, but the earth remained. The earth that gave us birth, that raised us. The earth that gave us many special moments. This is your and my place of power," he said. The artist also shared that he regularly sees his childhood home in his dreams: "Many times I dream that I am at home. It is an inexpressible pain, and it is hard for me to control it." Pivovarov emphasized that he considers it his duty to talk about Volchansk every time he is on stage: "It does not matter where I am, in which city, in which country. Every time I must say something about Volchansk. This is my mission. I believe that thanks to our Armed Forces of Ukraine — these are the only people who will be able to bring me home."
Premiere Context: Records and the First Golden Button
The first episode of 'Ukraina Maye Talant' 2026, which aired on August 23, became an event not only because of Olga Khodos's performance. According to STB and specialized publications, the premiere broke two ratings records of the season, and the first-ever "golden button" of the new format was awarded on air. The performance of the teacher from Volchansk entered the list of the most quoted moments of the episode, and the clip with Pivovarov's reaction spread across social media. Previously, the artist had repeatedly mentioned Volchansk in his performances, emphasizing that he lost his home and that "this is not just a house — I am from the city of Volchansk, my city is gone, completely gone."
