Hi! My name is Alexandra Zakhvatayev, but you can call me Alex! I am the woman behind the vision of Your MOVA, a language-learning platform born out of lasting resilience to genocide and language weaponisation.

I have been apart of the Ukrainian language movement ever since russia’s full-scale invasion into Ukraine in 2022.

Currently I’m based in a subtropical coastal region along the Gulf of America known as SW Florida, where I earned my Bachelors in Communications with a focus on Public Relations from Florida Gulf Coast University. I work as a full-time home-school mama as well as a certified fitness trainer who specializes in women’s wellness for other mamas.

But I’ve also made time to find creative ways to fight war through many volunteer projects across numerous global organizations. I have tutored Ukrainian refugee children with NicerFl , sponsored and sheltered refugees of war in my own home via U4U, traveled Ukraine to teach the English language as well as a course on democratic freedoms with Ukrainian Catholic University (UCU), filmed and publicly screened my independent documentary titled LVIV FREE OR DIE, been published numerous times in the press including USA TODAY, Naples Daily News, and my local paper Cape Coral Breeze, as well as traveled to Washington DC multiple times to speak to Congress with Protect Ukraine Now and volunteered with Ukraine Defense Support to raise supplies and funds to purchase military equipment for the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

My hidden passion which I have kept mostly secret until now, however, has been to learn the Ukrainian language, which I hope to pass on to my children so we may preserve this beautiful language and culture for many generations to come.

As an American who married into Ukrainian roots, I feel a heavy responsibility to keep alive our culture and rights to of democratic freedoms and soverignty. The use of language itself is paramount to first and foremost preserve and exercise our natural right to free speech!

After years of private study with some of the best Ukrainian teachers out there, I have decided to share my love of learning by launching this free program to mutually benefit my fellow foreign volunteers of Ukraine.

Your MOVA (Your “LANGUAGE”) is intended to be a global community of Ukrainian language learners. Our mission is to motivate each other toward our goals, practice the Ukrainian language daily, make learning a way of life, and enjoy the journey.

I hope you join me as we continue our journey to practice, learn, and grow in the Ukrainian language.

-Alex

Southwest Florida, USA