KAZKA - Biography and discography, all albums and songs

KAZKA is a Ukrainian pop group founded in Kyiv in 2017 by vocalist Oleksandra Zaritska and multi-instrumentalist and sound engineer Mykyta Budash. In 2018, wind and folk instrument performer Dmytro Mazuriak joined them. The name KAZKA comes from the Ukrainian word “казка,” meaning “fairy tale.”

The group developed its own form of contemporary Ukrainian pop music, combining electronic production with expressive vocals, folk elements and the sound of traditional instruments. KAZKA’s international breakthrough is primarily associated with the song «Плакала»: in 2018, it became the first Ukrainian-language composition to enter the Top 10 of the global Shazam chart, while its official music video later surpassed 500 million views on YouTube.

KAZKA’s main album discography includes KARMA (2018), NIRVANA (2019) and SVIT (2021). In addition to «Плакала», the group’s best-known works include «Свята», «Дива», «Сама», «Палала», «Пісня Сміливих Дівчат», «Поруч», «М'ята», «Тону», «Мушлі», «Золото» and «Все по колу».

The creation of KAZKA

The group’s story began with the collaboration between Oleksandra Zaritska and Mykyta Budash. Before KAZKA, Zaritska had not had a long professional music career: she gained recognition through appearances on television vocal competitions and worked for some time in karaoke bars. By that point, Budash already had experience as a sound engineer, studio musician and member of alternative projects.

Work on what would become KAZKA began before the project was officially launched. The first song was «Свята», created in early 2017.

The members later named March 1, 2017, the release date of «Свята», as the official birthday of KAZKA.

The group’s name was chosen shortly before the premiere. The musicians settled on the word “казка” because of its simplicity, accessibility and wide range of associations.

«Свята» and the first success

The debut single «Свята» quickly received significant airplay on Ukrainian radio and television. In the year of its release, the song became one of the most actively rotated Ukrainian tracks.

Musically, the main characteristics of the future KAZKA sound were already present: Oleksandra Zaritska’s distinctive vocal style, electronic rhythm, a melodic pop structure and the Ukrainian language.

Later, the group began using folk instruments much more actively, although the musicians themselves emphasized that they did not want to build their music solely around superficial ethnic stylization. For KAZKA, national identity is primarily connected with the Ukrainian language, musical intonation and the natural integration of traditional instruments into contemporary pop arrangements.

KAZKA on X Factor

In 2017, Oleksandra Zaritska and Mykyta Budash took part in the eighth season of the Ukrainian version of X Factor.

At the audition, the group performed «Свята», which had already gained recognition by that time. KAZKA reached the live shows and left the competition after the fifth concert stage.

Participation in the television competition significantly increased the group’s visibility and introduced them to an audience that may previously have known the song «Свята» but not the performers themselves.

Dmytro Mazuriak and the transformation from duo to trio

At the beginning of 2018, Dmytro Mazuriak joined KAZKA.

The musicians met him during a lecture on traditional wind instruments. Mazuriak grew up in Bukovyna and had studied traditional instrumental music since childhood.

His collection includes dozens of wind and folk instruments, including the sopilka, trembita, ocarina and other types of traditional and ethnic wind instruments.

With Mazuriak’s arrival, folk timbres became an important part of KAZKA’s recognizable sound. At the same time, these instruments usually do not exist separately from the electronic foundation but are integrated into contemporary pop arrangements.

First Ukrainian National Selection for Eurovision

In 2018, already performing as a trio, KAZKA took part in Ukraine’s National Selection for Eurovision with the song «Дива».

The group performed in the first semifinal and finished in sixth place, failing to qualify for the final stage of the selection.

The group later viewed its participation primarily as an opportunity to gain additional live experience and present new music to a broad audience.

KARMA

On April 27, 2018, KAZKA released its debut studio album KARMA.

The album included:

• «Карма»;
• «Свята»;
• «Сама»;
• «Запала»;
• «Він»;
• «Дива»;
• «Танці»;
• «Ніхто»;
• «Мовчати» — a version of the song by Skryabin;
• «Плакала».

KARMA established the musical model of early KAZKA: Ukrainian pop songwriting combined with electronic production and selected folk elements, while Oleksandra Zaritska’s low vocal timbre became the central element of most compositions.

«Плакала»

The group’s biggest international success was «Плакала», included on the debut album.

The song was released in spring 2018, and by autumn its popularity had spread far beyond the Ukrainian music market.

In October 2018, «Плакала» reached No. 9 on the global Shazam chart. It became the first Ukrainian-language composition to enter the Top 10 of the service’s worldwide ranking.

The success was especially unusual for a song performed entirely in Ukrainian and not created specifically for the international English-language market.

At the same time, its YouTube audience was growing rapidly. The official music video, released in September 2018, eventually surpassed 500 million views and became the most popular video in KAZKA’s catalog.

The group later also recorded an English-language version titled CRY, while in 2019 a collaborative version, PLAKALA, appeared with Dutch DJ and producer R3HAB.

Awards in 2018

KAZKA’s breakthrough was recognized by major Ukrainian music awards.

At YUNA 2018, the group received the «Відкриття року» award.

At the M1 Music Awards 2018, KAZKA won in two notable categories:

• «Прорив року»;
• «Хіт року» — for «Плакала».

Thus, in just two years the project went from its debut single to becoming one of the most prominent representatives of the Ukrainian pop scene.

The 2019 National Selection and Apart

In 2019, KAZKA again participated in Ukraine’s National Selection for Eurovision, this time with the song Apart.

The group reached the final and finished in third place, behind MARUV and Freedom Jazz.

After National Selection winner MARUV failed to agree on participation terms with the National Public Broadcasting Company of Ukraine, the right to represent the country was offered in turn to other finalists.

Freedom Jazz declined, after which KAZKA received the offer. The group also decided not to go to Eurovision outside the result of the National Selection. As a result, Ukraine did not participate in the 2019 contest.

NIRVANA

On December 27, 2019, KAZKA released its second studio album NIRVANA.

It contains ten tracks:

• «Випадок»;
• «Колишні»;
• Zemna;
• «Палала»;
• «Мало»;
• «Літаки»;
• «Твоєї крові»;
• «Чутки»;
• «Грай»;
• «Пісня Сміливих Дівчат».

While KARMA established KAZKA’s initial formula, NIRVANA expanded it through more varied electronic production, darker songs and experiments with form.

Among the most notable songs of the period were «Палала» and «Пісня Сміливих Дівчат».

Songs and collaborations before SVIT

After NIRVANA, the group continued actively releasing standalone singles and collaborative works.

In 2020, KAZKA recorded «Поруч» together with ALEKSEEV. During this period, new versions and live recordings of previously released songs also appeared.

In 2021, one of the main standalone singles was «М'ята», which continued the combination of electronic pop music with Zaritska’s characteristic vocals and ethnic timbres.

SVIT

The third studio album SVIT was released on November 5, 2021.

The standard digital version contains 12 tracks, including:

• «Красива серцем»;
• «Автовідповідач» with RUNSTAR;
• «Вирулю»;
• «Острів» with RUNSTAR;
• «Поруч» with ALEKSEEV;
• «Не своя» with ROXOLANA;
• «М'ята»;
• «Цілувати тебе»;
• «Зірочка» with Tina Karol;
• «Різдвяна».

The album presented KAZKA not only as a creator of individual hits, but also as a project capable of working with different artists and adapting its own style to a broader range of contemporary Ukrainian pop music.

KAZKA after the start of the full-scale war

After the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, KAZKA’s activities changed substantially.

During the first weeks of the war, the members were in different locations and continued working remotely. Oleksandra Zaritska took part in charity performances abroad and spoke to international audiences about what was happening in Ukraine.

Mykyta Budash was involved in fundraising, including money for vehicles for the Ukrainian military, while Dmytro Mazuriak helped convert premises in the western part of the country into accommodation for internally displaced people.

One of the group’s first musical responses was the song I AM NOT OK, created shortly after the invasion began.

In the following years, KAZKA continued to perform at charity events and use international concerts to support Ukraine.

New songs from 2023–2025

After SVIT, the group did not release another full-length studio album, focusing primarily on standalone singles and collaborations.

The catalog from this period includes «Без кохання», «не та Любов», «Тону», «Коли заснули сині гори», «Мушлі» and «Золото».

In 2025, KAZKA also released «АЛЛО, ПІДТРИМКА!».

Another notable collaboration was the song «Про тебе» with MONATIK. The track was included on his album «Вічно Танцююча Людина».

Dmytro Mazuriak in the Armed Forces of Ukraine

In June 2024, Dmytro Mazuriak announced that he had been mobilized and was serving in the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

At the time, the musician noted that he did not yet know how much he would be able to combine military service with KAZKA concerts.

Oleksandra Zaritska later clarified that Mazuriak remained part of the group, although because of his military service he participated in performances only when possible.

Changes to the live lineup in 2026

At the beginning of 2026, another significant change took place.

Oleksandra Zaritska announced that KAZKA co-founder Mykyta Budash had taken an extended creative break and was not currently participating in the group’s live activities.

His guitar parts on stage are performed by Matvii Monakov, who had long worked with the project’s production team.

Budash’s departure from live activity was not accompanied by any public conflict, and the changes were presented as a new stage in KAZKA’s concert lineup.

«Все по колу»

On January 15, 2026, KAZKA released the single «Все по колу».

The track continued the period of standalone releases following the third studio album and became one of the group’s first new works in the year when its live lineup changed.

KAZKA’s musical style

The terms pop, electropop and electro-folk are most often used to describe KAZKA’s music, although the group’s work cannot be reduced to simply placing folk instruments over electronic rhythms.

The sound is built around several elements:

• Oleksandra Zaritska’s low and easily recognizable vocal timbre;
• contemporary electronic production;
• melodic pop structures;
• the Ukrainian language;
• sopilka, trembita and other wind instrument parts;
• selected folk intonations and rhythmic elements.

At the same time, the members emphasized from an early stage that they did not want to artificially highlight the “ethnic” character of every composition. Folk elements are used as one of the tools of their musical language rather than as a mandatory decorative feature.

Why «Плакала» became important for Ukrainian pop music

The international success of «Плакала» is significant not only within the history of the group itself.

Before it, Ukrainian-language songs rarely entered global digital rankings on such a scale. Reaching the Top 10 of the worldwide Shazam chart showed that the language barrier was not necessarily insurmountable for the international spread of contemporary Ukrainian pop music.

It is especially notable that the song was not created as an English-language export product. International audiences initially discovered the Ukrainian version itself.

This success became one of the most visible examples of the international spread of Ukrainian-language pop music even before the sharp rise in global interest in the Ukrainian scene during the 2020s.

Members of KAZKA

Oleksandra Zaritska — vocals, frontwoman and the permanent public face of the project since its foundation.

Mykyta Budash — co-founder, multi-instrumentalist, guitarist, keyboardist and sound engineer. He participated in shaping KAZKA’s original sound; in 2026 he took an extended break and is currently not part of the live lineup.

Dmytro Mazuriak — wind and folk instruments; member since 2018. Since 2024, he has been serving in the Armed Forces of Ukraine and joins the group’s activities whenever possible.

Matvii Monakov — guitarist who joined the live lineup during Mykyta Budash’s absence.

KAZKA studio discography

• KARMA — 2018;
• NIRVANA — 2019;
• SVIT — 2021.

Other notable releases

• «Свята» — 2017;
• «Дива» — 2018;
• «Плакала» — 2018;
• CRY — 2018;
• PLAKALA with R3HAB — 2019;
• «Поруч» with ALEKSEEV — 2020;
• «М'ята» — 2021;
• I AM NOT OK — 2022;
• «не та Любов» — 2024;
• «Тону» — 2024;
• «Мушлі» — 2024;
• «Золото» — 2024;
• «Про тебе» with MONATIK — 2025;
• «АЛЛО, ПІДТРИМКА!» — 2025;
• «Все по колу» — 2026.

Awards and achievements

• YUNA 2018 — «Відкриття року»;
• M1 Music Awards 2018 — «Прорив року»;
• M1 Music Awards 2018 — «Хіт року» for «Плакала»;
• «Плакала» — the first Ukrainian-language song to enter the Top 10 of the global Shazam chart;
• the official music video for «Плакала» surpassed 500 million views on YouTube.

KAZKA’s place in Ukrainian pop music

KAZKA emerged during a period of significant renewal in Ukrainian popular music, when more and more artists began building contemporary mainstream repertoires in the Ukrainian language and searching for their own balance between local culture and international production forms.

The group offered a recognizable combination of electronic pop, distinctive low-register vocals and traditional instruments without turning folklore into a separate stage attraction.

KARMA and «Плакала» brought KAZKA international recognition, NIRVANA expanded the electronic side of the group’s sound, while SVIT demonstrated a more open approach to collaborations and the contemporary Ukrainian pop scene.

KAZKA’s main achievement remains its ability to make contemporary Ukrainian-language pop music accessible to audiences far beyond Ukraine. The international success of «Плакала», three studio albums, numerous collaborations and the continuation of the group’s activities despite the war and lineup changes have established KAZKA as one of the notable Ukrainian pop projects of its generation.