How to provide an audio guide in Ukrainian
A Ukrainian guide is added to a guide that already exists rather than built from nothing. The English stops are translated, reviewed by someone who reads Ukrainian, and narrated, and the Ukrainian version then sits behind the same QR code the English version already uses. Nothing on the wall changes, and no second sign is printed.
In practice a venue works through it in this order, and the review step is the one most often skipped and most often regretted.
- Settle the regional variant and register before any translation starts
- Translate the English stops, keeping the source text locked while that happens
- Have a Ukrainian reader review it, ideally someone who knows the collection
- Narrate the reviewed text, checking proper nouns and place names first
- Publish it behind the QR codes already on the wall, with no reprinting
What Ukrainian needs from your layout
Ukrainian runs around 10 to 20% longer than English.
Ukrainian Cyrillic includes characters that Russian does not, such as і, ї, є, and ґ. A font or keyboard set up only for Russian Cyrillic will not render Ukrainian correctly.
Ukrainian is not interchangeable with Russian
Ukrainian and Russian are separate languages with different alphabically distinct characters, vocabulary, and grammar. Offering Russian to a Ukrainian visitor is not a neutral substitution, and since 2022 it is often read as a political statement rather than a practical shortcut.
If you publish Ukrainian, publish it as Ukrainian, translated by a Ukrainian speaker. Place names should follow Ukrainian rather than Russian-derived transliteration.
Getting the Ukrainian narration right
Narration in Ukrainian raises questions that do not exist in English, and they are far cheaper to answer before a voice records anything than after.
- A Ukrainian voice rather than a Russian-accented one matters to listeners.
- The distinct Ukrainian г sound is frequently rendered as the Russian equivalent by generic voices.
- Ukrainian place names need Ukrainian transliteration, checked before recording.
Where Ukrainian fits in your language plan
Across the New Zealand museums using Journey Pal, between 50% and 60% of guide use is in English. That is our own usage data, and it is worth knowing before committing to a long list of languages: local-language listening is usually the largest share, and translations extend a guide rather than being the reason for one.
That makes Ukrainian an addition to a working guide rather than a prerequisite for launching. Get the source script right, publish it, then add Ukrainian where your visitor numbers justify the translation and, just as importantly, where you have someone who can review it.
Frequently asked questions
Can we provide an audio guide in Ukrainian at our museum?
Yes. The Ukrainian version is translated from your English stops, reviewed, narrated, and published behind the QR codes you already have on the wall, so adding it does not mean new signage, a new app, or new hardware.
Do we need a separate Ukrainian version of our signage as well?
Usually not. The physical sign can stay short and carry a QR code, with the full Ukrainian text and audio behind it, which avoids reprinting signage every time the content changes.
How much longer will the Ukrainian version be?
Ukrainian runs around 10 to 20% longer than English.
Do visitors need an app to hear the Ukrainian guide?
No. The guide opens in the visitor's phone browser from a QR code, and phone-language detection can take a Ukrainian-speaking visitor straight to the right version when it exists.
Make this easier for your visitors
Journey Pal helps museums, heritage sites, zoos, and attractions deliver audio guides and translations through QR codes, with no app download required.