A famous singer from Belarus learned the Ukrainian language and moved to live in Kyiv

A Belarusian passport holder and singer, CHEEV, has no regrets about his decision to move from Minsk to Kyiv a few years ago. The singer has rapidly mastered Ukrainian to the point that he now forgets Belarusian words.

Vladislav Chyzhykov (his real name) shared this in an interview with OBOZ.UA. The singer acknowledges that the path back home is now closed to him.

CHEEV is a singer from Belarus, where he was highly popular. However, he has been residing in Kyiv for several years. He writes songs in Ukrainian and has mastered the language perfectly.

"I didn't intentionally set out to learn it; I just started speaking it, and that's it," Vlad tells OBOZ.UA. "It's very similar to Belarusian, my native language. Besides, I am a trained translator, so it came easily. I began using Ukrainian in everyday life in 2021, and before that, I spoke Russian. Interestingly, as I started using more Ukrainian, I began to forget Russian and Belarusian. Sometimes, even some surzhyk slips through one word in Ukrainian, another in Belarusian."

Singer CHEEV is a participant in the Ukrainian talent shows "X-Factor" and "The Voice." One of his most renowned songs, "Good Like That," has garnered more than 11 million views on YouTube. The singer released this track four years ago, and it quickly became a social media sensation, topping various streaming charts in Ukraine and Europe. Unexpectedly, three years later, the song regained immense popularity, reaching the top of radio charts throughout the last year. Renowned artists such as Nadiia Dorofeieiva, Nastia Kamenskykh, and others filmed videos for this track, sharing them on their social media pages.

Vladislav Chyzhykov holds Belarusian citizenship but aspires to obtain Ukrainian citizenship. He hasn't returned home in over two years, stating that the path back is closed to him due to his understanding of Belarusian laws: "I know Belarusian laws well." However, he expresses contentment, saying, "I live here and I like it. There is enough of everything here, believe me."

Vlad doesn't have Ukrainian roots but mentions that when he writes songs, Ukrainian words naturally come to him, although he occasionally consults a dictionary: "I check the synonyms and whether I've got the accent right."

The full interview with singer CHEEV will be available on OBOZ.UA tomorrow, November 30.

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