THIS INSIDE UKRAINian Heart STORY IS FROM USA
* All images and answers in the feature were provided by the WOW Woman Tetyana Denford.
Author, Translator, Ukrainian Loudspeaker, USA
“Tetyana Denford was born in a small American town into a Ukrainian family whose legacy, customs, and language shaped her from the earliest days of her life. Ukrainian was her first language, spoken exclusively at home until she started school at age six. Her family, especially the women, carried a deep-rooted pride in their heritage, and this cultural inheritance fueled Denford's life mission: to tell the story of Ukraine. Today, she is a dedicated activist and writer who shares Ukraine’s history, culture, and the urgent stories emerging from its frontlines in Ukraine’s struggle against the russian aggressor.
Denford’s activism goes beyond social media posts and advocacy; she helps bring Ukraine’s stories directly to global audiences. Most recently, she worked as a translator for the documentary 20 Days in Mariupol, which documented the horrifying atrocities committed by the russian federation on the territory of the besieged city of Mariupol. The film captures the unfiltered brutality inflicted upon Ukrainian civilians: images of mass graves, the bombing of a maternity hospital, and the harrowing struggles of the city’s residents as russian forces encircled them. Her work on the film, which later received an Academy Award, seems like a deeply personal milestone for Denford.
On Instagram, she reflected, “I’ve had the honor of working as a translator for Frontline PBS since 2014 and the Revolution of Dignity. The raw footage that I received from the frontlines in Ukraine, especially this past year, will stay with me forever. Please do not look away, please watch 20 Days in Mariupol, and encourage others to do so. Too many of us have worked too hard for too long to show you the truth: that Rxssia is a terrorist state. My life will genuinely never be the same, my perspective has altered, and there are things I have seen that will never leave my mind.”
Denford has taken on the role of cultural custodian, urging those in the Ukrainian diaspora to stand firm in their identity and support for the motherland. One particular quote from Tetyana’s interview encapsulated how I, a Ukrainian living abroad, have felt all these years and the pride I will continue to feel for the rest of my life: “A lot of us are parents. Many of us are business owners, artists, musicians, authors, students, and farmers. But every single one of us is a soldier now. The Ukraine you see on the news lately is the Ukraine that has always existed in all of us; we are always ready to defend who we are and what we want for our country.”
It is a privilege to highlight the extraordinary Tetyana Denford, a Ukrainian woman of unwavering strength and purpose. With a voice as compelling as her mission, she refuses to let the world turn its gaze from the suffering of her ancestral home. Her determination to confront the truth of russia’s atrocities is a call to all of us: to bear witness, to remember, and, most importantly, to act.”
- Olga Shmaidenko, Founder of WOW Woman.
1. Name.
Tetyana Denford.
2. What is your profession/career/title/self-label/designation? What does your average day look like?
I'm an author, freelance writer, editor, and Ukrainian, Russian, and sometimes Italian, translator.
3. What did you study in school?
Italian/English literature
4. What extracurricular activities/hobbies are you most proud of? Why?
Being a trained/professional opera singer is a fun hobby.
5. Where in the world do you feel “tallest” (i.e. where is your happy place)?
When I'm busy working!
6. Advice for other women?
Ignore the noise and the social media criticism- not everyone will like you, and that's a *them* problem, not a *you* problem.
7. What/who inspires you?
My Ukrainian ancestors.
8. What are (at least) three qualities you most love about yourself and why? What are your superpowers?
I'm curious, patient, and industrious. My superpower is that people tell me their stories and regard me as a safe space.
9. What advice would you give your 14-year-old self? What advice would your 14-year-old self give you in return?
To my 14-year old self: slow down, you don't have to try and be perfect for everyone. My 14-year old self would probably tell me the same thing.
10. Who is a WOW WOMAN in your world who inspires you and why? Can you nominate three (or more) women?
My friend Olia Hercules. She inspires me every single day with how honest and loving she is.
11. Where can others find you/your work (links to websites, blogs, etc.)?
- my book: Child of Ukraine
- work: Documentary: 20 Days in Mariupol
- email: tetyana.denford@gmail.com
- website: tetyanadenford.com
- Instagram: @tetyanawrites
- X: @tetyanaukrainka
- Substack: tetyana.substack.com
- YouTube: The Craft and Business of Books
picture by Clayton Cubitt
1. Where were you when the russian attack took place (full-scale but, of course, you can also write about the first seizure of land, and about Maidan, and Crimea)? Did you believe in the possibility of the RF attacking key cities of Ukraine and starting a full-scale aggression in 2022?
I saw it unfold on the television that night, and then started getting phone calls from family. It was always a possibility in the back of my mind, especially after Maidan, but I never thought it would actually happen.
2. What was your experience of the day the war started? Where did you go and what do you recall was your plan?
I remember I went into activist/work mode. I started making sure that I was involved in any project that was happening within the Ukrainian space, to make sure Ukrainians in Ukraine were being amplified.
3. How are your family and friends doing? Do you still have family in Ukraine? How often are you in touch?
Yes, I still have family in Ukraine, and we are connected. My friends and I are in touch via texts, social media, phone calls. Whatever is the best according to what that day has in store for them.
4. What concrete actions (big or small) have you taken and continue to take to help Ukraine and the Ukrainian people?
Donations, joining events and rallies, my translation work, amplifying Ukrainian stories (and writing about them), educating people who didn't know anything about Ukraine prior to 2022, using social media to amplify links to transparent charities that are directly helping defenders, civilians, and animals.
5 Do you feel the war changed you? How? Since the start of the war, has anything surprised you about yourself (how you have handled yourself, remained strong, found inspiration in unlikely sources, etc.), about your country, about your ideas about humanity? What have been some of your epiphanies?
I don't think it's changed me hugely, I've always been vocal about my heritage. The thing that it's changed is that more people have eyes on Ukraine which means that if I can use my privilege of time and safety to help the ones that need it most, I will get as many followers as I can to make sure people know how to help and where to look.
6. In your opinion, how do russians differ from Ukrainians? Do you want justice for Ukrainians? Do you think it is possible and what would you like to see happen?
The only fair justice for Ukrainians is allowing them to live forever in a democratic and free country (including Crimea) where Russia will never again be allowed to steal and occupy the land.
7. What do you want the world to know/realize/understand/appreciate about Ukrainians and Ukrainian women in particular?
Ukrainians are a very multi-layered and culturally rich people, with beautiful and intricate artistry, brave creators who have rebelled occupation and suppression with their art, and they are a proud and humble people. Ukrainian women are fiercely honest and outspoken about their rights, their thoughts, their goals and dreams. And the world sometimes thinks that Ukrainians are "far away" or "too different" to understand, but really, Ukrainians believe in freedom, democracy, love, and humanity. Just like most of humanity does. We are all connected.
8. What is it like to live outside the country right now and keep connecting to your friends, family and loved ones inside? Can you please describe to those who just can't relate to this on a personal level?
There is a guilt that resides for Ukrainians living in the diaspora where we feel like we're useless and "less Ukrainian" because we're not living there, we're not there with our families, we're not volunteering on a daily basis on the ground. But the diaspora is a bridge that can do the heavy lifting for Ukrainians while they're having to survive genocide. We can carry their messages to western audiences, I feel. And in order to get Ukraine to victory, we have to remember that we are ALL a family of Ukrainians, all around the world.
9. You are very vocal on social media. Is it difficult to keep reaching/moving foreign audiences with the message about Ukraine's struggle? What are your strategies? What have been some of your epiphanies about news cycles and humanity's attention span for conflict, suffering and devastation?
The more we keep focused and stay in our respective lanes, the better the stories will engage with an audience. If we try and do too many things in too many lanes, and try to be in every conversation, it diffuses our individual messages. I'm good at stories, translation work, sharing art and family history and culture, so that's what my focus is. I can't lecture others on what they do on social media, but that's what works for me- I'm not a journalist or activist, my lane is what I'm good at and what engages my particular section of the wider audience.
10. What will be the first thing you’ll do when Ukraine wins? What are your dreams for yourself and your family after the war is finished?
The first thing I'll do is book flights and organize a huge reunion for all of us.
