Pavlo Kazarin (born December 3, 1983) is a Ukrainian journalist, publicist, TV and radio host, and philologist/literary critic. Born in Simferopol, he graduated from Tavrida National University, and worked in Crimea, Moscow, and Kyiv. Author of The Wild West of Eastern Europe. Winner of the Georgiy Gongadze Prize; since 2022, he serves as a sergeant in the Ukrainian Armed Forces, participating in battles including Bakhmut. His writing merges intellect, frontline experience, and a candid exploration of identity.
🖋 After Crimea’s annexation, he received a Russian passport to stay near his parents – but later renounced it. 🎤 Media pro: hosted shows on ICTV, UA: Pерший, 24 Channel, Radio NV, and Radio Liberty. 📚 The Wild West of Eastern Europe became a landmark essay on post-Soviet spaces. 🛡️ Frontline soldier: since Feb. 25, 2022, serving in the Ukrainian Armed Forces, including in Bakhmut. 🏅 Winner of the Georgiy Gongadze Prize for contributions to independent journalism. 🎙 In Moscow, he “realized” his Ukrainian identity – that he was not just Russian-speaking, but Ukrainian. 📈 Popular blogger – tens of thousands of followers where he blends analysis and the personal. 💬 Sees the internet as a new Gutenberg – reshaping how freedom of speech works. 📌 Curious: Russian colleagues joked the newsroom “smelled like a bonfire” – because he came from Maidan. 😄 Funny fact: His media career started by chance – he replaced a classmate in a broadcast, and was asked to continue.