Zhyve TV Launches Children’s YouTube Channel “Svitlyk”
Zhyve TV, a media resource of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, has launched a Christian children’s channel called Svitlyk (“Little Ray”).
It is a space for preschool and elementary school children, where they can find bedtime stories, prayers, educational videos about letters, numbers, virtues, and friendship, as well as fun adventures of the main characters in the spirit of Christian upbringing. Here, as the channel’s creators note, little hearts grow in goodwill.
Svitlyk is an angel who helps young viewers discover the beauty of the world and learn about it with love. The channel appeared on the eve of a favorite children’s holiday—St. Nicholas Day. According to the legend of the channel’s creators, God once saw that children spend a lot of time on social media, but the dazzling world is not always safe for a child’s soul. “And then the Lord created a little angel — Svitlyk. He taught him to travel through digital worlds, touch the hearts of little ones, and bring light, wisdom, and peace there,” say the channel’s creators.
The idea for Svitlyk came from Anastasia Vykhor, host and editor of Zhyve TV. According to her, the idea for such a channel arose two years ago. As a mother, she knows well what children find interesting on the internet, so she wanted to ensure that the content her children and others view is high-quality and safe.
“There are several high-quality Ukrainian-language channels on YouTube, but they are not focused on Christian education,” says Anastasia Vykhor. “So I presented this idea to Father Ihor Yatsiv, head of the Information Department of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, to create another ecumenical channel based on Zhyve Television. Its content will serve not only the children of the faithful of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, but also all children, especially those living in the diaspora, so that they do not lose their identity, do not assimilate, and remain connected to Ukraine and the Church. At the same time, this content develops and educates children and, to a certain extent, helps parents, because in their daily chores they sometimes have to leave their children in front of the screen.”
All videos on the channel are created with the involvement of catechists, priests, and heads of church commissions, which provides content that is useful for the entire Church.
Currently, the project is being implemented on a voluntary basis. “It is important to us that our children watch high-quality Christian content and that catechesis takes place. We carry out this ministry consciously, investing our energy and resources for the glory of God and for the development of children,” continues the channel’s author.
And although the main age group of Svitlyk’s audience is preschoolers and younger schoolchildren, the creators are already planning to expand the content by creating catechetical materials for older children in collaboration with the Catechetical Commission. According to Anastasia Vykhor, these videos will serve as supplementary materials for catechists in the future.
Currently, the channel offers two main projects. The first is “Ustynka,” a series of entertaining and educational videos created by a mother of three and a catechist with experience working as a kindergarten teacher. In these videos, children learn letters, first words, colors, and shapes, are introduced to the basics of catechesis, learn to be friends, and listen to Christmas stories. The second project is “Fairy Tales Under the Stars.” It is a collaboration with the publishing house “Svichado” and features original stories that are narrated for listening before bedtime.
In addition to video content, the channel publishes tasks for children to help them prepare for Christmas and their encounter with Christ. For conscientiously completing daily assignments, which children send to the email address together with their parents, the organizers promise gifts from Ustynka and the angel Svitlyk.
Subscribe to the “Svitlyk” channel to stay briefed with inspiring spiritual stories, useful catechetical materials, and regular videos that help you grow in the light of faith and stay connected to the life of the Church.
The UGCC Department for Information
