Participant in the regional contest “Young Person of the Year – 2026” “Leaders of Knowledge” category: Ruslan Muntean
Ruslan Muntean grew up in a cozy village. Music has been a part of his life since childhood: his grandmother sang folk songs, his father taught him his first guitar chords, and later he took accordion lessons at music school. Inspired by his schoolteacher, he set a clear goal for himself—to become a teacher.
In 2011, Ruslan enrolled at Sloviansk Pedagogical University. By his fourth year, in the fall of 2014, he had already begun teaching music at Sloviansk School No. 4. The start was challenging, but the young teacher quickly found a way to connect with his students. He explained to the children that music is a universal language for everyone. Under his guidance, shy students began to sing, perform at city concerts, and win competitions.
With the start of the full-scale invasion in 2022, the educational process changed. The teacher and students were evacuated, but classes continued. Ruslan now teaches online: together with the children, they rehearse their repertoire via video chat and edit videos.
Despite the decrease in the number of students and the reduction of class time to 30 minutes per week, Ruslan continues to teach. For his students, music has become a way to cope with stress and regain a sense of stability during these difficult times.