Twelve-year-old vocal artist Marko Serdinsky has claimed victory in the latest season of the talent competition Ukraine Has Talent, securing both a substantial cash prize and a two-room apartment in Kyiv ahead of its completion.
The triumph unfolded during a television season dedicated to marking the 35th anniversary of Ukraine’s independence. Competing against vocalists and performers from across the country, the young singer captured public attention with a rendition of Forget Sorrow originally performed by Vasyl Zinkevych. Viewer participation decided the outcome through the digital application Diia, recording a total of 91,975 individual votes. Serdinsky pulled ahead to win the top spot with 22,113 votes.
Podium Standings and Safety Measures During the Finale
The competition’s concluding stage featured strong showings from fellow finalists, reflecting the broad public engagement in the voting process. Daria Ponomarenko secured second place with 17,039 votes, while Sofia Tepla finished third by garnering 13,742 votes, according to reporting from UA.News.
Producers structured the broadcast schedule around ongoing security realities. To protect the participants and production crew from potential hazards during live programming, the core performances of the finalists were recorded in advance. Organizers prepared ten distinct variations of the results announcement before the live public voting concluded via Diia, allowing the network to broadcast the correct outcome immediately after the tally finalized.
Real Estate Award from Developer RIEL
Beyond the competition’s primary trophy, the victory brought a significant real estate prize. The real estate development company RIEL partnered with the television project to provide the winner with a two-room apartment in the capital.
On October 16, Serdinsky visited the developer’s sales and service office to complete the formal documentation for his future home. The property is situated in the Sister residential complex in Kyiv, a project featuring contemporary architectural planning and amenities geared toward residential comfort. Construction timelines place the official commissioning and handover of the building in the fourth quarter of 2027.
We are building not only square meters, but also a space for new stories, achievements and happy moments. And we are sincerely glad that one of such stories begins right in Sister.
Borys Tsomaya, marketing director at RIEL
Charitable Allocation of the Cash Prize
While the apartment documentation is finalized, the family noted that physical handover of the keys and the transfer of the cash prize are pending administrative and tax processing. Despite these logistical steps remaining underway, plans for the funds are already settled.
Serdinsky and his family decided to distribute a portion of the financial award to charitable causes. Part of the money will support the musical group Sick Solution, whose members performed alongside him in the final and now serve in the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
We thought that these funds should be directed to these two good causes.
Mother of Marko Serdinsky, via RBC-Ukraine
Another portion of the prize will assist Danyl Vintoniv, a young resident of Ivano-Frankivsk diagnosed with Duchenne muscular dystrophy. The family is raising funds for gene therapy using the treatment Elevidys at a clinic in Dubai, where estimated medical costs run near 2.9 million dollars. Amid these philanthropic efforts, the winner also intends to set aside a small share of the prize to acquire a PlayStation console and the new FIFA 27 game.