Age: 28
Education: Journalism, Ivan Franko National University of Lviv
Profession: Political journalist
Did you know? President Volodymyr Zelensky half-jokingly offered him a position in his administration.
Roman Kravets has interviewed most of the Ukrainian establishment as a political reporter for Ukrainska Pravda, one of the country’s most trusted and respected media.
Where other journalists struggle to get a hold of top officials and behind-the-scenes players, he finds a way to get exclusives. “Over the last two years, I have interviewed all the key people in our country,” Kravets says.
His persistence helped him get where he is. But long before embarking on the journalism path, Kravets dreamed of becoming a priest.
He was born and raised in Ivano-Frankivsk, a city of 230,000 people in western Ukraine with nearly 60 churches and cathedrals. Growing up in a religious community, he decided to enter a theological seminary. The studies bored Kravets. But soon he found an activity that sparked his curiosity — writing news stories for the seminary’s website.
“I was interested in writing articles, learning something new and sharing it with the world,” he says.
Things started to get serious when Kravets asked the chief editor of a local newspaper to help him improve his writing. During his sophomore year, he quit the seminary and pursued journalism.
His first internship was at Ukrainska Pravda, which he earned by writing op-eds. After two internships there, Kravets was finally offered a position as a reporter. He worked tirelessly, spending much of his time covering the Ukrainian parliament.
“I went to all the fights, rallies, court hearings,” Kravets says. “Everyone knew me because I showed up everywhere.”
Back then, Kravets made connections that became useful when he shifted to in-depth stories.
One highlight was when he became one of the first journalists to interview Volodymyr Zelensky after he announced he was running for president in 2019. Kravets says he had been watching the possible candidate closely and predicted the move.
Their conversation was published on YouTube, collecting over 1.2 million views and making headlines in all Ukrainian media. In 2020, Kravets interviewed Zelensky again. It was one of just a couple of interviews the president gave to Ukrainian media.
Another interview that Kravets takes pride in was with notorious billionaire oligarch Ihor Kolomoisky. He was one of the first journalists to question Kolomoisky upon his return to Ukraine after two years of self-imposed exile in 2019.
Though interviewing top figures can be intimidating, Kravets is not afraid. He prepares thoroughly.
His popular video interviews broadened the audience of Ukrainska Pravda, while he became a rare example of a widely recognizable journalist who is not on TV.
Kravets believes his theological background helps him: Rather than judging people, he let’s them share first.
“My main strength is not writing stories, but that I know how to listen to people and ask them appropriate questions.”
