My timeline
DataUnlocker 2.0 is generally available
After more than two years of steady work — with many twists, lessons, and iterations — I’m happy to share that DataUnlocker 2.0 is now live! What is DataUnlocker? In simple terms, DataUnlocker helps websites recover visibility into the user actions that are often lost due to ad blockers and privacy tools. Today, many businesses rely on tools like Google Analytics or Facebook Pixel to understand what users are doing on their site, track revenue, or measure conversions from their
A day in Kosovo
Kosovo is one of the "youngest" countries in Europe, having declared its independence in 2008 (fact: Ukraine has not recognized Kosovo's independence). Its capital, Pristina, is known for its vibrant street life and unique blend of cultures. I was especially impressed to see a very big Ukrainian flag displayed on the central square, a symbol of solidarity that stood out during my visit. The main reason for my trip was to see the National Library of Kosovo, famous for its striking and unconven
A few days in North Macedonia
North Macedonia! If you want to name one country that renamed itself in the past years, that's North Macedonia. After the visit I continued my journey to Greece's Macedonia - the reason for the name change. Both Greece and North Macedonia wanted to claim the name "Macedonia" - and in February 2019 it was renamed to "North". The country itself feels like a peaceful piece of land to live in, with its own language, style and governance. Mountains and lakes around Skopje make it a really b
A weekend in Belgrade, Serbia
Visiting Serbia was part of my ongoing journey to visit every country in Europe—after this trip, only North Macedonia and Kosovo remain on my list. My time in Belgrade was short, but it left a strong impression. The city itself is quite compact compared to other European capitals; you can easily walk across the center in under an hour. During my stay, I noticed groups of people regularly crossing one of the main bridges—a routine that started with anti-corruption protests back in November 2
A week in Barbados
Who in Europe even thinks of Barbados as a destination? Barbados was a result of the spontaneous decision to go somewhere "very far" from Poland. Indeed, it was over 14 hours of flights and 3 layovers! The island was nice with great nature. Having monkeys just at your villa is so wonderful. Some nature sights and beaches are also worth it all. Two things I didn't like about Barbados is food and the stylishness of places on it. Food (especially vegetables) feels like typical American l
Vatican and the Sistine Chapel
My second visit to Vatican City, and this time I came prepared. Unlike my first rushed trip in 2020, I actually took my time to appreciate the Sistine Chapel properly - Michelangelo's ceiling is one of those things that photos simply cannot capture. Standing there, neck craned upward, I finally understood what all the fuss was about. Vatican City remains the world's smallest independent state, with just about 800 residents and 0.44 square kilometers of territory. Yet it draws over 5 million vi
A few days in Andorra
Andorra became my 68th country, and what a unique one it is. This tiny principality tucked between France and Spain in the Pyrenees mountains is technically a co-principality - ruled jointly by the President of France and the Bishop of Urgell. With just 77,000 residents and 468 square kilometers, it's one of Europe's microstates that somehow maintains its independence since the 13th century. What I Experienced The country is essentially one long valley surrounded by peaks, and the main tow
Dr. Nikita Savchenko – Officially a PhD!
On October 30, 2024, I defended my PhD work at the Institute for Information Recording of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine. This milestone marked the culmination of years of research and dedication to the field of Information Technology, specifically within Computer Science. My thesis, titled "A Method of Decentralizing Knowledge Bases for Decision Support Systems", explored innovative ways to ease blockchain applications adoption and in particular bring decentralization to knowledg
Trip to Romania
Romania - home to Dracula's legend, the famous Transfăgărășan highway, and some of Europe's most underrated natural beauty. With a population of around 19 million, Romania offers a fascinating mix of medieval history, Carpathian wilderness, and a surprisingly affordable travel experience. Fun fact: Romania has one of Europe's largest populations of brown bears - around 6,000 of them roam the Carpathian Mountains. Spotting one was my main goal for this trip... which remained unfulfilled :)
Product Owner at Cyber.fund - Building Y App
I joined Cyber.fund as a Product Owner to help bootstrap Y App (Y Nation) - a next-generation decentralized identity (DID), wallet, and DeFi application. Working in a small team of founders (CEO, PM, CTO, Designer), I was responsible for: Assembling product requirements and user stories Designing user flows and conducting UX research Benchmarking competitors and conducting market research Shaping the product vision for the decentralized identity space The projec
Car trip to Slovenia
Slovenia turned out to be one of those countries that exceeded every expectation. We drove across the entire country over three days, and I genuinely loved everything about it - the alpine scenery, the pristine lakes, the efficient infrastructure, and the surprisingly affordable prices. With just 2 million people and a territory slightly smaller than New Jersey, Slovenia packs an incredible variety of landscapes. In one day you can drive from Mediterranean coastline to Julian Alps to rollin
A lovely evening at San Marino
San Marino is one of those places that makes you realize how arbitrary country borders can be. This microstate of just 34,000 people sits entirely on a mountain surrounded by Italy, claiming to be the world's oldest surviving republic - founded in 301 AD by a stonecutter fleeing religious persecution. The entire country is essentially one mountain, Monte Titano, with the historic center perched at the very top. The views from up there are absolutely gorgeous - you can see the Adriatic coast
It's Malta time
My second time in Malta, and this time I had a whole week to explore - plus a wonderful excuse: my friend's wedding! Having already seen the highlights during my 2020 visit, I could now dig deeper into what makes this archipelago so special. Malta is a fascinating mix of influences - Phoenician, Roman, Arab, Norman, Knights of St. John, British, and finally independent since 1964. With just 500,000 people crammed into 316 square kilometers, it's one of the most densely populated countries i
Level up in finance: completing an advanced trading course
So I decided to get a deep understanding of a few things: How markets work (all 3: Crypto, Forex and Indexes) How traders live and whether the life of a trader is indeed a breeze How to perform analysis of markets and what to watch for Success and failure stories Merciless market rules I've got all the answers by passing the most fully-packed "Supercharged" course by Cryptology - an awesome Ukrainian growing crypto community. Trading is defi
Maastricht, Netherlands
Half a day in Maastricht was enough to make me fall in love with the Netherlands for one thing I already love: cycling. The biking infrastructure here is legendary, and seeing it in person finally made me understand why the Dutch are considered the world leaders in urban cycling. The Netherlands is one of the most densely populated countries in Europe, with 17 million people in a territory half the size of South Carolina. Yet their cities feel spacious and calm - largely because they've des
A day in Luxembourg
Luxembourg City was gray and overcast on the day of my visit, but even the weather couldn't diminish the impression. This tiny country has created one of the wealthiest economies per capita in the world, and the capital city reflects that prosperity while somehow avoiding feeling soulless. Luxembourg is a genuine oddity - a Grand Duchy of 650,000 people wedged between France, Germany, and Belgium. It has three official languages (Luxembourgish, French, and German), hosts several major EU in
Quick trip to Belgium
Short weekend-style trips are my favorites when it comes to Europe, and Belgium is perfect for exactly this kind of visit. Brussels made an immediate impression - a city living its full life, buzzing with activity, somehow managing to be both a major EU capital and a genuinely livable place. Belgium is a fascinating country precisely because it's barely a country at all. With 11.5 million people split between Dutch-speaking Flanders, French-speaking Wallonia, and a small German-speaking com
A few days in Albania
My second visit to Albania, this time in the off-season. We came specifically to explore the mountains around Krujë, a historic town perched on the slopes of Mount Sarisalltik. Having seen the coast during my 2021 trip, I wanted to experience a different side of this underrated country. Albania has transformed dramatically since the fall of communism in 1991. With 2.8 million people and a turbulent 20th-century history (it was the most isolated country in Europe under Enver Hoxha's dictator
Trip to Ireland
Ireland became my 67th country, and we packed a lot into just four days. A road trip with friends through the Irish countryside in early December - dramatic weather, empty roads, and some of the most stunning coastal scenery I've seen anywhere. Ireland is a country of contrasts: 5 million people on an island roughly the size of South Carolina, split between the Republic and Northern Ireland. It has transformed from one of Europe's poorest countries in the 1980s to one of its wealthiest, thanks
Trip to Morocco
A spontaneous winter escape to Morocco! When I found $100 round-trip flights from Katowice, Poland, it was impossible to say no. Morocco has a population of around 37 million and sits at the crossroads of Africa and Europe, with a rich blend of Arab, Berber, and French influences. Fun fact: Morocco is one of the few places in the world where you can see goats climbing argan trees to eat their fruit - and yes, that was the main highlight of my trip! What I Experienced The warmth was a welc
Trip to Iceland
One of the most wanted destinations is done! That was a huge experience. We enjoyed a night with Northern Lights while we didn't expect it at all. This is an amazing experience. Amazing nature views & off-road adventures. Hot volcanic springs, for sure. Geysers! Experienced an off-road car crash with the group (but all turned out fine, it was just the car that had flipped over). Black beaches and Puffins, while they should not technically be there at this time! 10 hours of drivin
A day in Oslo, Norway
Norway became my 64th country, thanks to a day-long layover in Oslo. I packed as much as possible into those hours - and discovered why Scandinavians consistently top the happiness rankings. Norway is one of the world's wealthiest countries per capita, largely thanks to its massive oil fund (worth over $1.4 trillion - that's roughly $250,000 per citizen). With just 5.4 million people spread across a territory larger than Germany, it's also one of Europe's least densely populated nations. Oslo,
A week in Jordan
Jordan was a great destination for our 4-day trip. Route: Start at Amman. Next day, full-day visit to Petra, including Petra by Night show. Then move to Wadi Rum sands and spend a night there in a cave :) Then dive at Aqaba. In the evening, watch the sunset at the Dead Sea. Next day, depart from Amman.
Building Cirrina - A Web3 Finance Superapp
In early 2023, I joined Cirrina as Head of Technology to help build a Web3 superapp designed to simplify personal crypto finance management for everyday users. The Vision Cirrina set out to solve a fundamental problem: Web3 was built by geeks for geeks, making it too complicated for average users to manage assets across multiple wallets and services, understand transactions, and file taxes compliantly. Our vision was a beginner-friendly superapp that makes it
Weekend in Germany
A weekend trip to Germany to visit our relatives who had become Ukrainian refugees after the 2022 invasion. Germany, my 62nd country, took on a different meaning this time - less tourism, more family. Germany has taken in over a million Ukrainian refugees since February 2022, the largest such effort since World War II. With 84 million people, it's Europe's most populous country and its economic engine. But seeing it through the eyes of displaced family members gave me a different perspective t
Maldives
The Maldives became my 61st country, and what a way to end 2022. Three weeks across Christmas and New Year in what's probably the most photogenic destination on Earth. Also the first long overseas trip where I didn't bring my drone - the resorts have strict no-fly policies, so I finally just relaxed without worrying about aerial shots. The Maldives is a country of superlatives: the lowest-lying nation on Earth (average elevation 1.5 meters), spread across 1,200 islands of which only 200 are in
Talk at the University of Surrey
It was a great pleasure to be invited to talk at the University of Surrey, UK. It was a 1.5-hour talk with Q\&A for graduating students in crypto. Unfortunately the presentation itself wasn't recorded properly and was lost permanently :/ But what wasn't lost is the Q\&A session at the end, which is linked down below :) The topic of my presentation was: What is it like to be a crypto company? I talked through past experiences in multiple crypto companies I worked at, their successes and fail
Layover in Vienna
Another layover in Vienna - my second time visiting Austria's capital. There's something comforting about returning to a city you know. The imperial grandeur, the coffee houses, the efficient public transport - Vienna delivers exactly what you expect, every time. Vienna consistently ranks among the world's most livable cities, and walking through its streets you understand why. With 1.9 million people, it's a major European capital that somehow feels manageable. The Habsburg legacy is everywhe
Stay in Riga, Latvia
Latvia became my 59th country, and Riga turned out to be a neat, compact city - even when viewed mostly through rain. The weather stayed gray throughout my visit, so I embraced it and focused on night photography instead. Turns out Riga is actually quite attractive after dark! Latvia is the middle child of the Baltic states, sandwiched between Estonia and Lithuania. With just 1.9 million people (down from 2.7 million in 1990 - emigration has hit hard), it's a small nation with a complex histor
Stay in Tallinn, Estonia
Estonia became my 58th country, and my first impression landing in Tallinn was unexpected: this looks like Prague! The medieval old town with its red-roofed buildings, cobblestone streets, and Gothic spires gave me serious déjà vu. But Estonia has a very different story to tell. Estonia is the northernmost of the Baltic states and arguably the most digitally advanced country in the world. With just 1.3 million people, it punched above its weight by going all-in on digital governance after inde
One day at Helsinki, Finland
Finland became my 57th country, but honestly, Helsinki was more of a stopover than a destination this time. My main goal was to experience a cruise for the first time in my life - the ferry from Helsinki to Tallinn takes just 2.5 hours, but I opted for an overnight cabin to make it an adventure. Finland consistently ranks as the happiest country in the world, and Helsinki - home to about 1.5 million people in its metro area - reflects that Nordic quality of life. With 5.5 million people spread
Stay at Kaunas, Lithuania
Lithuania became my 56th country, kicking off a trip through all four Baltic-area nations before winter set in. I chose Kaunas over the capital Vilnius - wanted to see a more everyday Lithuanian city rather than the tourist-heavy center. Lithuania is the largest and southernmost of the Baltic states, with 2.8 million people. It was the first Soviet republic to declare independence in 1990, and that fierce independent streak still defines the national character. Basketball is practically a reli
Stay at Georgia
My second time in Georgia, and this time I spent over two weeks exploring properly. Tbilisi and Batumi - the capital and the Black Sea resort town - two very different sides of the same fascinating country. Georgia sits at the crossroads of Europe and Asia, with 3.7 million people in a territory roughly the size of West Virginia. It's one of the oldest wine-producing regions in the world (8,000 years of winemaking tradition), and the food is genuinely extraordinary. After the 2022 events, it a
Stay in Cambodia
Cambodia became my 55th country, and the main draw was obvious: Angkor Wat, the world's most famous temple complex. But spending a week here revealed a country with far more depth than just its ancient ruins. Cambodia is still recovering from one of the 20th century's worst tragedies - the Khmer Rouge regime killed an estimated 2 million people (about a quarter of the population) in the 1970s. With 17 million people today, the country has rebuilt remarkably, but the scars are visible. It's not
DeCash Send Release - Stablecoins!
As a CTO at DeCash, I'm glad to announce we have a release of our own stablecoin and the UI to manage it, send.decash.com. The technical part of it was polished really well and, compared to other stablecoins, offers: Paying fees in the transaction currency. No more "Ether" or any other currency needed except DeCash tokens to manage them. Lowest possible fees, just $0.01 per blockchain action. Quick finality
Stay at Phuket, Thailand
My second visit to Thailand, and this time I spent over two weeks exclusively in Phuket. After months of hopping between countries during my extended trip, it was nice to slow down in one place - even if that place happened to be Thailand's largest island and most famous beach destination. Thailand remains one of the most popular destinations in Southeast Asia, and for good reason. With 70 million people and an economy largely driven by tourism, manufacturing, and agriculture, it's managed to
Stay in Australia
Australia became my 54th country, and after three weeks there I can confirm: it's big, it's really cool, and it's really expensive. One of the top countries I've visited, and definitely one of the greatest places to live in if you can afford it. Australia is a country of extremes. The 6th largest country in the world by land area, yet with only 26 million people - most concentrated in a few coastal cities. The interior is largely empty outback. The economy is strong, the quality of life is exc
Travel to Singapore
Singapore became my 53rd country, though it was an accidental discovery. We'd planned to continue to Indonesia, but discovered during our Singapore layover that we needed a visa. Change of plans - we decided to properly explore Singapore for a couple of days, then head back to Malaysia to finish what we'd started there. Singapore is a city-state of 5.5 million people packed into just 730 square kilometers - roughly the size of a medium US city. It's gone from a fishing village to one of the wo
Stay at Malaysia
Malaysia became my 52nd country, and Kuala Lumpur quickly became my favorite discovery of the entire extended trip. We ended up staying almost two months (across multiple visits), and I'm convinced this is one of the best quality-of-life-to-price cities in the world. Malaysia has 33 million people spread across the Malay Peninsula and northern Borneo. It's a multi-ethnic nation - Malay, Chinese, Indian, and indigenous peoples - which translates into incredible cultural and culinary diversity.
Travel to Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka became my 51st country, and I visited during one of the most dramatic moments in its recent history. The 2022 economic crisis was in full swing - the currency had lost 40% of its value, power cuts lasted 8 hours a day, and protests that would eventually topple the government were gathering momentum. Not your typical tourist timing. Sri Lanka is a teardrop-shaped island of 22 million people off the southern tip of India. It's incredibly diverse for its size - tropical beaches, misty h
A weekend in India
My second visit to India, and this time the mission was clear: see the Taj Mahal. I'd missed it during my 2016 visit, and it had been on my mind ever since. A quick weekend trip from Nepal was just enough to tick that box - though I was in such a hurry I only managed a single panorama of Delhi! India is overwhelming by any measure. 1.4 billion people, 22 official languages, thousands of years of history, and a pace of change that's reshaping the global economy. Every visit reveals just how lit
Travel to Nepal
Nepal became my 50th country - a nice milestone for a destination that absolutely lived up to its reputation. Three weeks here, and I can confidently say it's one of the most lovely countries I've visited. The combination of dramatic landscapes, warm people, and spiritual atmosphere is genuinely unique. Nepal is a landlocked country of 30 million people wedged between China and India, containing eight of the world's ten highest peaks including Everest. It's one of the poorest countries in Asia
Teaching in Saudi Arabia's hospitals
Saudi Arabia became my 49th country, and it was a work trip rather than tourism - though I got to experience plenty of both. I came on behalf of InterSystems to conduct database technology courses for local medical groups, a unique opportunity to see a country that only recently opened to tourists. Saudi Arabia is undergoing a transformation that's hard to overstate. Vision 2030, the crown prince's modernization plan, is reshaping a conservative oil kingdom into so
War in Ukraine
This is a day when Russia decided to invade my home, Ukraine. Missile strikes all over Ukraine, in all cities, Russian troops are attacking all across Eastern Ukrainian land border. Russia not being happy with the presence of independent Ukraine is a long story. But long story short, from my point of view, last 2-3 years before the war, with our new president Zelensky were amazing years for Ukraine. At the time of invasion, just 2-3 years after Zelensky stepped in: We've got an abso
Travel to Colombia
That's the second time I came to Colombia, now in a group of 8 IT specialists. Returning to a country always feels different - you're no longer a tourist discovering everything for the first time, but someone reconnecting with a place you've grown to appreciate. Fun fact: Colombia has two major cellphone carriers (Claro and Movistar). This time I purchased a different carrier from what I had a year ago. It turned out that I just wasted my money because my phone was locked to the previous carri
Travel to Panama
Panama became my 48th country during an overnight layover en route from Peru. Even just one night was enough to sense that Panama City is a unique, fast-paced place - and surprisingly expensive for Central America. Panama is best known for its canal, but it's evolved into much more - a regional hub for banking, logistics, and business. With 4.4 million people and a dollarized economy (US Dollar is the official currency), it feels more like Singapore than its Central American neighbors. The sky
Travel to Peru
Peru became my 47th country, and two weeks there confirmed what I'd always suspected: it's one of South America's absolute highlights. The Inca heritage, the Andes, the Amazon, the food - Peru packs an incredible diversity into one country. Peru has 33 million people and one of the most varied geographies on Earth. The coastal desert, the Andean highlands, and the Amazon rainforest create completely different worlds within the same borders. It's also one of the world's great food destinations
Travel to Uruguay
Uruguay became my 46th country, a quick side trip from Argentina. The weather was cloudy, but even a brief visit revealed why this small nation is considered one of the most progressive and livable countries in South America. Uruguay is South America's second-smallest country by population (3.5 million) and territory. Sandwiched between giant neighbors Brazil and Argentina, it's carved out a distinctive identity: secular, liberal, and remarkably stable. It was the first Latin American country
Travel to Argentina
Argentina became my 45th country, and after a week exploring, I can confidently say it was my favorite of all the South American countries I visited on this trip. Buenos Aires alone would have been worth the journey. Argentina is a country of extremes: the 8th largest nation by territory, with 46 million people spread from subtropical north to glacial Patagonia. It's given the world tango, Messi, and some of the best beef on Earth. The economy is perpetually troubled (inflation, currency contr
Travel to Paraguay
Paraguay became my 44th country, though I only had one day to explore - specifically in Ciudad del Este, the country's notorious shopping capital on the Brazilian border. Not exactly a typical introduction to a country, but memorable nonetheless. Paraguay is South America's most overlooked nation. A landlocked country of 7 million people, it rarely makes international news and draws few tourists. Yet it has fascinating history - it fought devastating wars against its neighbors in the 19th cent
Travel to Brazil
Brazil became my 43rd country - and the starting point for an extended South American journey. My friends and I, all working remotely in IT, decided to spend several months exploring the continent while continuing to work. Two weeks in Brazil was just the beginning. Brazil is a country of superlatives. The 5th largest nation by both territory and population (215 million people), it dominates South America geographically and economically. It contains most of the Amazon rainforest, over 7,000 ki
Traveling to Hungary
Hungary became my 42nd country - a quick trip with my younger brother just before the holidays. Budapest had been on my list for years, and even a short visit confirmed its reputation as one of Europe's most beautiful capitals. Hungary is a landlocked nation of 10 million people in the heart of Central Europe. Once half of the powerful Austro-Hungarian Empire, it retains much of the grandeur from that era. Budapest, split by the Danube into Buda (hills, castle) and Pest (flat, commercial), is
My project DataUnlocker crosses 400 clients worldwide
My successful side project DataUnlocker now has 400 users worldwide! 🎉 This project constantly grows, getting new users without spending a penny on marketing. My strategy now is still to validate that the ad blocking community is helpless against what DataUnlocker offers, and prove that it's reliable long-term before scaling this product. Even now, we have many happy companies proxying their analytics data.
Traveling to Moldova
Moldova became my 41st country, a short drive from Ukraine where I was visiting family at the time. It's one of Europe's least-visited nations, and that obscurity is part of its charm. Moldova is Europe's poorest country by GDP per capita, a small landlocked nation of 2.6 million people squeezed between Romania and Ukraine. It was part of the Soviet Union until 1991, and the Russian influence remains visible. The breakaway region of Transnistria still operates as a de facto Soviet state, compl
My Carbon Footprint project at Google Cloud Next
In the past year at Google I've been working on one of the most anticipated Google Cloud products - the carbon footprint. Specifically, I've been leading its UI development. As you can imagine, this product was not only about the UI: we had a team at Google of around 40 amazing people working together to make Carbon Footprint live and announced on October 12. \_«It allows companies to measure, track and report on the gross carbon emissions associated with the electricity of your cloud usage,
Back to crypto as a CTO and a Technical Product Owner at DeCash
It all began a year ago, when a small crypto company DeCash reached out to me with questions in regards to my open-sourced solution - delegated transactions for Ethereum. Since then, I started to do consulting for this company in my free time. Now I am pleased to announce that I am leading a few powerful technical products with multiple teams at DeCash to bring them to a mass market. I truly believe that th
Traveling to Albania
Albania became my 40th country - a milestone that marked the beginning of a Balkans road trip. After decades of isolation under communist rule, Albania has emerged as one of Europe's most surprising destinations. Albania spent most of the Cold War as the most isolated country in Europe, under the paranoid dictatorship of Enver Hoxha. He built over 170,000 bunkers across the country, preparing for invasions that never came. Today those bunkers dot the landscape, while the country rapidly transf
Traveling to Bosnia & Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina became my 39th country, a brief stop on the Balkans road trip. Even a short visit reveals layers of history - Ottoman, Austro-Hungarian, Yugoslav, and the scars of the 1990s war. Bosnia is a country of 3.3 million people with one of the world's most complicated political systems - a federation within a federation, with three presidents representing three ethnic groups. The 1992-1995 war, including the Siege of Sarajevo, left marks that are still visible and felt today.
Traveling to Montenegro
Montenegro became my 38th country, and I spent over a week exploring this tiny Adriatic gem. With dramatic mountains plunging into the sea, medieval walled towns, and prices still reasonable by Mediterranean standards, it's easy to see why Montenegro is on the rise. Montenegro is the smallest of the former Yugoslav republics (just 620,000 people) and one of Europe's newest nations, having declared independence from Serbia in 2006. The name means "Black Mountain," referring to the dark, foreste
Traveling to Croatia
Croatia became my 37th country, though I only had two days - essentially a side trip during the Montenegro exploration. Even a brief visit showed why Croatia has become one of Europe's most popular destinations. Croatia has 4 million people spread along one of the most beautiful coastlines in the Mediterranean. Since the 1990s war and EU accession in 2013, it's transformed from a recovering post-conflict nation into a major tourist destination. Game of Thrones filming in Dubrovnik certainly he
Traveling to Seychelles
Seychelles had been on my bucket list for years, and spending a week in this Indian Ocean paradise exceeded all expectations. The combination of pristine beaches, unique wildlife, and that distinctive granite boulder landscape makes it unlike anywhere else on Earth. Seychelles is an archipelago of 115 islands with a population of just 100,000 - one of Africa's smallest nations. It was uninhabited until the 18th century, which is why it feels so pristine. Fun fact: the Seychelles is home to the
Traveling to Georgia
Georgia quickly became one of my favorite countries. This small Caucasian nation packs an incredible density of experiences - ancient monasteries, dramatic mountain landscapes, world-class wine, and some of the most generous hospitality I've encountered anywhere. Georgia has 3.7 million people and claims to be the birthplace of wine - archaeological evidence suggests winemaking here dates back 8,000 years. The country sits at the crossroads of Europe and Asia, which has given it a unique cultu
Traveling to Cyprus
Two weeks in Cyprus during May 2021 - a perfect Mediterranean escape! With a population of around 1.2 million, Cyprus is the third-largest island in the Mediterranean and offers a fascinating blend of Greek and Turkish cultures. Fun fact: Cyprus has the highest concentration of bars per capita in the world, and Aphrodite, the goddess of love, was said to have been born from the sea foam near Paphos. What I Experienced Cyprus in May is glorious - warm enough for swimming, but before the sc
Traveling to Tanzania
Tanzania was my first African safari destination, and what an introduction to the continent. Eleven days exploring the Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater, and Zanzibar gave me some of the most memorable wildlife encounters of my life. Tanzania has 62 million people and contains some of Africa's most iconic landscapes - Mount Kilimanjaro (Africa's highest peak), the Serengeti plains, and the spice island of Zanzibar. It's one of the most biodiverse countries on Earth. Fun fact: the Ngorongoro Crater
My project DataUnlocker is now in public beta!
DataUnlocker is my first software-as-a-service project which turned to have a big demand and is now serving hundreds of customers worldwide! This is to record the date of its public launch. After 6 months of hard work on my DataUnlocker project and the successful closed beta testing, I made it available for everyone (in beta), just before the New Year! :) This was an intentional "soft launch", as no one will use it during the new year and
Photos and videos from Ukraine
A collection of photos and videos from my home country - Ukraine. With a population of around 40 million and a territory larger than any country entirely within Europe, Ukraine is a land of vast plains, historic cities, and resilient people. Fun fact: Kyiv is one of the oldest cities in Eastern Europe, founded around 482 AD. The city's golden-domed churches and chestnut-lined boulevards have witnessed over 1,500 years of history. My Ukraine These images capture Ukraine as I've known it -
Traveling to Colombia
My first trip to Colombia - spending Christmas and New Year in South America! With a population of around 50 million, Colombia has undergone a remarkable transformation from its troubled past to become one of Latin America's most exciting destinations. Fun fact: Colombia is the only South American country with coastlines on both the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, and it's named after Christopher Columbus, though he never actually set foot in the country. What I Experienced Arriving
Traveling to Mexico
A month in Mexico over the holidays was exactly what I needed in late 2020. From the Mayan ruins of the Yucatán to the beaches of the Pacific coast, Mexico proved to be far more diverse and fascinating than I expected. Mexico has 130 million people, making it the most populous Spanish-speaking country in the world. It's home to 35 UNESCO World Heritage Sites, ancient civilizations predating the Spanish by millennia, and one of the world's great cuisines. Fun fact: Mexico City was built on the
DataUnlocker is in private beta
DataUnlocker is my first project which turned to have a big demand and is now serving hundreds of customers worldwide! This is to record the date of its closed beta launch to over 100 customers worldwide. You can read the beginning of the story in the previous timeline record. After 5 months of hard work on my DataUnlocker project, I made a fully-featured and usable solution to start going wild. As it should be in the world of software, o
Hacktoberfest 2020
As an active open source contributor, I couldn't miss this event in 2020 either. Hacktoberfest is a "month-long celebration of open source software", organized by Digital Ocean in partnership with GitHub. The idea of this celebration is simple — you need to create 4 pull requests to any GitHub open source repositories to win a limited edition T-shirt and a couple of stickers. They do deliver
First visit to Vatican
My first visit to Vatican City came on a rainy autumn day, which turned out to be perfect timing. St. Peter's Square, largely empty of the usual crowds, offered beautiful reflections on the wet cobblestones - excellent conditions for photography. Vatican City is the world's smallest independent state, covering just 0.44 square kilometers with a population of around 800. It's the spiritual center of the Catholic Church and home to some of humanity's greatest artistic treasures. Fun fact: Vatica
Traveling to Portugal
Portugal stole my heart on this week-long adventure. With a population of around 10 million, this Atlantic-facing nation packs incredible diversity into a relatively small territory - from the historic streets of Lisbon to the dramatic cliffs of the Algarve coast. Fun fact: Portugal is the oldest nation-state in Europe, with borders largely unchanged since 1297! What I Experienced Exploring Portugal during October turned out to be perfect timing - the summer crowds had thinned, but the we
Traveling to Monaco
A day trip to Monaco during my French Riviera exploration gave me a glimpse into one of the world's most exclusive enclaves. The concentration of wealth per square meter here is unlike anywhere else I've visited. Monaco is the world's second-smallest country (after Vatican City) at just 2.02 square kilometers, with a population of around 40,000. It has no income tax for residents, which explains the Ferraris and superyachts. Fun fact: Monaco's Monte Carlo Casino is so significant to the countr
Traveling to France
A week exploring the French Riviera and Provence was a highlight of autumn 2020. The combination of Mediterranean coastline, hilltop villages, and that famous light made for excellent photography and memorable experiences. France has 67 million people and is the most visited country in the world - for good reason. From Paris to the Alps to the Mediterranean, the diversity is remarkable. Fun fact: France has more time zones than any other country (12 in total) due to its overseas territories, a
Traveling to Italy
Over two weeks exploring Italy gave me a proper introduction to a country I'd wanted to visit for years. From Rome's ancient ruins to the Amalfi Coast's dramatic cliffs, Italy delivered on every expectation and created many more. Italy has 59 million people and more UNESCO World Heritage Sites (59) than any other country in the world. Its influence on art, architecture, cuisine, and culture is immeasurable. Fun fact: Italy didn't unify as a single nation until 1861, which explains the strong r
Traveling to Turkey
Two weeks exploring Turkey during a unique moment in history - summer 2020, when travel was just reopening. With a population of over 85 million spanning two continents, Turkey offers an incredible mix of ancient history, vibrant culture, and natural beauty. Fun fact: Istanbul is the only city in the world that spans two continents - Europe and Asia - connected by bridges over the Bosphorus strait. What I Experienced Istanbul was the crown jewel of this trip. Standing in the Hagia Sophia,
My first SaaS project: launched the landing page of dataunlocker.com
DataUnlocker is my first project that turned out to have significant demand and is now serving hundreds of customers worldwide! This timeline record tells a short story about how it all started. Back in 2017, on April 28, I published a technical article about "saving" website analytics from ad blockers. To understand what it is about, imagine you are a website or web applica
Traveling to Malta
My first visit to Malta came just before the world shut down in early 2020. This tiny Mediterranean archipelago packed an incredible amount of history and beauty into three short days. Malta has just 520,000 people spread across three inhabited islands - Malta, Gozo, and tiny Comino. Its strategic position made it prized by every Mediterranean power from the Phoenicians to the British. Fun fact: Malta's megalithic temples predate the Egyptian pyramids by over 1,000 years, making them the oldes
Traveling to Liechtenstein
A day trip to Liechtenstein during my Swiss adventure added another microstate to the list. This tiny Alpine principality squeezed between Switzerland and Austria is easy to overlook, but has its own distinct charm. Liechtenstein has just 39,000 people making it the sixth smallest country in the world and one of only two doubly landlocked countries (the other being Uzbekistan). It's also the world's largest producer of false teeth and has more registered companies than citizens. Fun fact: the
Traveling to Switzerland
A winter week in Switzerland delivered exactly the Alpine experience I was looking for. Snow-capped peaks, precision trains, and landscapes that look too perfect to be real - Switzerland lives up to its postcards. Switzerland has 8.7 million people and manages to be neutral, prosperous, and stunningly beautiful simultaneously. Four official languages (German, French, Italian, Romansh) reflect its cultural diversity. Fun fact: Switzerland has enough bunker space to shelter its entire population
Starting Career at Google
Google always was a special and somehow awaited company for me, and today I am happy to be joining it at the very beginning of 2020 as a Software Engineer. New decade, new adventures! I always wanted to realize how such big companies work from the inside out, and now in my 24, I can tell that this is the last wanted piece added from my knowledge. When all the pieces match together we'll make something exciting! At least for a year, I will be based in Warsaw, Poland. My very first project at Go
Traveling to Slovakia
A winter escape to Slovakia, focusing on the stunning High Tatras! With a population of around 5.4 million, Slovakia is one of Europe's most underrated destinations - offering dramatic mountain scenery without the crowds of the Alps. Fun fact: The High Tatras are the smallest alpine mountain range in the world, yet they pack in dramatic peaks, glacial lakes, and over 600 km of hiking trails. What I Experienced Early December proved to be magical timing. The first snow had arrived, transfo
Traveling to Canary Islands
Ten days island-hopping through the Canary Islands! This Spanish archipelago off the coast of Africa offers year-round sunshine and remarkably diverse landscapes. With around 2 million residents across seven main islands, the Canaries are a world apart from mainland Spain. Fun fact: The Canary Islands were named after dogs (canis in Latin), not canaries - though the birds were later named after the islands! What I Experienced I explored both Gran Canaria and Tenerife, discovering how diff
Traveling to continental Spain
Two weeks exploring continental Spain! With a population of around 47 million, Spain offers an incredible mix of history, culture, and natural beauty. This trip focused on the mainland, saving the islands for another adventure. Fun fact: Spain has the second-highest number of bars per capita in the world (after Cyprus), and the tradition of tapas originated in Andalusia. What I Experienced Barcelona was a major highlight - Gaudí's masterpieces alone are worth the trip. La Sagrada Família
Hacktoberfest 2019
As an active open source contributor, I couldn't miss this event in 2019 either. Hacktoberfest is a "month-long celebration of open source software", organized by Digital Ocean in partnership with GitHub. The idea of this celebration is simple — you need to create 4 pull requests to any GitHub open source repositories to win a limited edition T-shirt and a couple of stickers. They do deliver worl
Databases & Web Training in Sultan Qaboos University Hospital, Oman
Meeting new people, this time in Muscat, Oman! It is a great pleasure to be welcomed by Sultan Qaboos University Hospital, the university which works with InterSystems technologies. I provided a one-week training for them, which included InterSystems technologies and a basic web course. As always, I spent a bit more time in Oman for traveling and doing creative things!
Traveling to Oman
A week in Oman, combining a teaching assignment with exploration of this fascinating Arabian Peninsula nation. With a population of around 5 million, Oman stands out as one of the most welcoming and well-organized countries in the Middle East. Fun fact: Oman was the first Arab country to have a fully trained female police force and has consistently been ranked as one of the safest countries in the world. What I Experienced This trip combined work and pleasure - I was here for a training s
Traveling to Indonesia
Two weeks in Indonesia exploring Bali, Java, and the surrounding islands! With a population of over 270 million spread across more than 17,000 islands, Indonesia is a world unto itself. This was an adventure-packed trip that exceeded all expectations. Fun fact: Indonesia spans three time zones and is so vast that the distance from one end to the other is roughly the same as from London to Baghdad! What I Experienced Bali was my base, but the real highlights came from venturing beyond the
Traveling to Qatar
A long layover in Doha gave me a chance to explore Qatar briefly. What started as a fueling stop in the desert has transformed into one of the world's most ambitious modern cities. Qatar has just 2.9 million people, though only about 300,000 are Qatari citizens - the rest are expatriate workers. It has the world's third-largest natural gas reserves, which funds everything you see. Fun fact: Qatar has the highest GDP per capita in the world, and air conditioning accounts for nearly 60% of the c
Speaking at BlockchainUA about my Blockchain Solution
This year I've made a great solution for the very common blockchain problem. I am open-sourcing this solution and will be speaking about it at BlockchainUA - the biggest blockchain and crypto-related conference in Ukraine. I've been invited to speak on the tech stage, which was the main stage at the conference. See you there! Links \[My Presentation]\(https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1BeAcIyH9IW
Traveling to Poland
Poland became a significant part of my life when I moved here for work at Google in 2020. With a population of around 38 million, Poland is Central Europe's largest country and has become a major tech hub in recent years. Fun fact: Poland has 17 UNESCO World Heritage Sites, and its Old Towns in Kraków and Warsaw are among the most beautifully restored in Europe. What I Experienced Living in Poland for an extended period gave me a chance to explore far beyond the typical tourist spots. War
Traveling to South Africa
A whirlwind trip to Cape Town combined with an ETHCapeTown hackathon! With a population of nearly 60 million, South Africa is a country of extraordinary diversity - in landscapes, cultures, and wildlife. Fun fact: South Africa has three capital cities - Pretoria (administrative), Cape Town (legislative), and Bloemfontein (judicial). What I Experienced Cape Town immediately captured my heart. Table Mountain dominating the skyline, the colorful Bo-K
Victory at ETHCapeTown Blockchain Hackathon!
EthCapeTown is a global hackathon organized by ETHGlobal and dedicated to Ethereum blockchain. I came up with an interesting idea which our team could implement in terms of the global Ethereum hackathon. The service which we were aiming to build allows anyone to benefit, as well as DreamTeam, who is sponsoring our participation in the world's biggest blockchain hackathon. \*\*\[And we've mad
Traveling to Thailand
Two weeks exploring the Land of Smiles! With a population of around 70 million, Thailand is Southeast Asia's most visited country - and for good reason. This trip was my first taste of Thai hospitality, culture, and cuisine. Fun fact: Thailand is the only Southeast Asian country that was never colonized by a European power - "Thai" literally means "free." What I Experienced Bangkok hits you with sensory overload from the moment you arrive - the heat, the traffic, the temples, the street f
Traveling to Greece
Spending Christmas and New Year's Eve in Greece was a wonderful way to end 2018! With a population of around 10 million, Greece is the cradle of Western civilization - every corner seems to whisper stories of ancient history. Fun fact: Greece has more archaeological museums than any other country in the world, and the Parthenon has been standing for nearly 2,500 years. What I Experienced Visiting during the winter holidays meant fewer crowds at the major sites, which was a pleasant surpri
Dev Challenge 13 Final: Presentation about Blockchain Application in Practice
I was invited to Dev Challenge 13 to share our experience implementing blockchain solutions. Many thanks to everyone involved in this event! I appreciate everything: from the organization to the audience that listened and asked so many great questions. It has been almost a year since I joined DreamTeam, a young startup building the future of esports. I've developed an Ethereum-based decentralized solution there from scratch. We've gained a lot of
Hacktoberfest 2018
As an active open source contributor, I couldn't miss this event in 2018 either. Hacktoberfest is a "month-long celebration of open source software", organized by Digital Ocean in partnership with GitHub. The idea of this celebration is simple — you need to create 4 pull requests to any GitHub open source repositories to win a limited edition T-shirt and a couple of stickers. They do deliver worl
Day trip to Malmo
A day trip from Copenhagen crossing the Øresund Bridge gave me my first taste of Sweden. Malmö, Sweden's third-largest city, makes for a perfect complement to Copenhagen - different country, different vibe, just 35 minutes away by train. Sweden has 10.5 million people and consistently ranks among the world's most livable countries. Malmö itself has transformed from an industrial port city into a modern, multicultural hub. Fun fact: the Øresund Bridge connecting Denmark and Sweden is the longes
Copenhagen and the Oresund Bridge
Four days in Copenhagen gave me a proper introduction to Danish hygge and Scandinavian design culture. This is a city that takes quality of life seriously - from the cycling infrastructure to the food scene to the perfectly preserved harbor front. Denmark has 5.9 million people and consistently ranks as one of the happiest countries in the world. Copenhagen itself is a showcase of urban planning done right. Fun fact: there are more bicycles than people in Copenhagen, and the city has over 400
Traveling to United Arab Emirates
Three weeks in the UAE during peak summer was an exercise in extremes. The heat was intense, but so was the ambition on display - from the world's tallest building to artificial islands to indoor ski slopes in the desert. The UAE has 10 million people spread across seven emirates, though Dubai and Abu Dhabi dominate. The country didn't exist as a unified nation until 1971, and oil wealth has transformed it from a fishing and pearling economy into a global hub for commerce, tourism, and excess.
Database & Web Trainings for Dubai Healthcare Organizations
It was a pleasure to be invited by InterSystems to conduct a series of courses on databases and web technologies. In Dubai, United Arab Emirates, InterSystems has quite a lot of customers who use their technology. That summer, they were about to add a couple of new hospitals and clinics to their list, and these people needed training. For me personally, this was an exciting opportunity to meet new people, get familiar with the culture, and see the city! Dubai was
Graduation (Master's Degree in Software Engineering)
The date of my graduation! It has been quite a long time since I started university, created more than 100 pet projects, got my first job, and completed several significant side projects. Six years of education are behind me. Five years of professional part-time experience, with over eight years in IT total, are behind me as well. Today is the day to reach new heights and continue to keep an open mind, as always. I did my best to get my master's diploma with honors. Now, it's time to brin
DreamTeam Blockchain Solution: the Token Economy Begins!
Working in a startup is something I think everyone should try at least once. Watching a business grow from a small team of 4-5 developers to a larger collective of 6 teams - and continuing to grow - is incredibly rewarding. Working closely with the CEO, having a direct impact on how things are done, and shaping the future of the brand and product. My 4 months at DreamTeam as a blockchain developer were a significant boost both for me and the company. And today, 6/21/201
Train trip to Minsk
A train trip from Kyiv, Ukraine to Minsk, Belarus. Also visited a castle nearby. Clean, nice city. First impression: all roads are so smooth! Compared to Kyiv, by sitting in the taxi I was thinking something is wrong - then I realized it's the smooth road with no holes! A funny thing happened on the return - I was late for the train and literally jumped on it the same second it departed.
Launching The First Beta Blockchain Solution in DreamTeam
We became the first esports platform to launch a test blockchain solution for our 500,000+ users. The blockchain part of the solution was made entirely by me and has shown significant results, which you can read about here. Links \[My article about the blockchain solution]\(https://
Organizing Google Hash Code 2018 Coding Competition
This year, as well as the previous year, I organized a hub for Google Hash Code 2018. We've got a competition with around 18 teams from our hub, including my own team! I and my friends prepared co-working space Belka for the event; this year we've got some great goodies from Google. Many thanks to Google, everybody who helped me with organization and all the peop
I am now a Blockchain Developer!
I always follow trends in technology. Blockchain was one of the things I had been interested in for over a year, until I finally turned my career toward blockchain development and R\&D thanks to DreamTeam. DreamTeam is a young startup where I have a key role now: I develop blockchain (Ethereum) solutions. The main reason why I decided to go this way is that this role combines everything I love and much more: blockchain, research and development, great atmosphere, great
Egypt - Sharm El-Sheikh and Cairo
Visited Sharm El-Sheikh with a 1-day trip to Cairo. The Cairo trip was tiring - we were stuck on border control for countless hours due to anti-terrorist measures. Egypt at that time felt like a "tourist processing factory": everything made for tourists. Around our 4-star hotel in Sharm El-Sheikh there was literally emptiness. All the shops on the local bazaar worked just for us. The good parts: the water and marine life are indeed fantastic, and the food in the hotel was excellent. The trip
Tab Slider: My Biggest Browser Extension
My multi-browser extension that keeps browser tabs sorted in most recently used order (MRU), from left to right, just like the list of apps on desktop OSes when holding Alt+Tab. Tab Slider brings this behavior to the Chrome browser for your convenience. Try it! How it works: If you stay on a tab for more than 1 second (default), it will "slide" to the leftmost position; In this way, most recently used tabs always stay ordered from left to right; Because of this order, when switching tabs
Explaining Blockchain Technology in Blockchain School
I learned a lot about blockchain and cryptocurrencies in the second half of the year and wanted to share my knowledge with others. I had a great opportunity to do this at Kyiv's Blockchain School, which was hosted at our Student's Space Belka. I organized a micro-lecture alongside other sessions to share blockchain technology basics with 100+ students! This helped them understand the core concepts required to continue practicing
Hacktoberfest 2017
As an active open source contributor I couldn't miss this event. Hacktoberfest is a "month-long celebration of open source software", organized by Digital Ocean in partnership with GitHub. The idea of this celebration is simple — you need to create 4 pull requests to any GitHub open source repositories to win a limited edition T-shirt and a couple of stickers. They do deliver worldwide, and the
Yggdrasil Coding Challenge
It was a great event organized by Yggdrasil in Kyiv! We were solving coding problems using JavaScript within tight time limits. It was a lot of fun! I quickly solved the first problem in the first round, but unfortunately in the second round my brain got stuck on very trivial things that I was able to figure out just seconds later. Still, I won a small prize — a bottle of champagne and a branded T-Shirt! Thanks \[Yggdrasil]\(https://yggdrasilg
My TimingKit Project
A time analysis service I developed from scratch. It enables people to perform advanced calendar time analysis: build dashboards, place widgets on the dashboard, and share it with others. Primarily, the service builds and visualizes pivot tables of any complexity. There are many configurations and options available for time analysis - check it out by visiting TimingKit.tk, or click on this description to get more information. This is my number one side project of 2016-2
Presenting My iKnow Entity Browser Project at InterSystems Kyiv Meetup
This was the first time InterSystems held a meetup in Ukraine. During this meetup I was presenting InterSystems iKnow technology and my own project, iKnow Entity Browser. InterSystems iKnow is an embeddable technology that enables developers to gain insight from unstructured data and use it to
Judging Golden Byte 2017
Golden Byte 2017 is an international IT championship where I have been taking part last year and won. This year I was invited to be in the jury committee in the NoSQL Expert nomination! We were presented 7 great projects at the international final of the competition. All of them were worthy, but three of them were the best. The third place went to the Quasar, a man who created an activity logger for desktop computers. The second place went to TheLab team of three, wh
Organizing Google Hash Code 2017 Coding Competition
There is one exciting challenge from Google named Google Hash Code. In short, it is a worldwide online olympiad for programmers, where people form their teams and compete against others during the online qualification round, which lasts for near 4 hours and happens in exact same moment for all the teams. To have more fun, Google suggests organizing teams into \[hubs]\(https:
One day in Vienna
A single day in Vienna is barely a taste of what this imperial capital offers. But even a brief visit reveals why Vienna consistently ranks among the world's most livable cities - the architecture, the coffee culture, the sense of faded grandeur mixed with contemporary vitality. Austria has 9 million people, with nearly a quarter living in Vienna. The city served as the center of the Habsburg Empire for centuries, and the architectural legacy of that power is everywhere. Fun fact: Vienna has o
Organizing Course and Hackathon for Students in Czechia
More students are waiting for their programming experience! This time, InterSystems corporation with myself as a teacher organized a course in Europe in Brno, Czechia. I was teaching a basic course of InterSystems Caché technology, web technologies and basic programming practice. Some of the students had no prior programming experience at all, and during the one-week course of intensive training wi
Teaching Teachers in Amity University, India
Amity University in Noida, Delhi is the biggest private university of India. This winter was a busy one for me: I came there to spread knowledge of InterSystems technologies! During one week, I was teaching InterSystems Caché DBMS for the teachers and professors of AIIT faculty of the Amity University. This was my first trip to India,
My iKnow Entity Browser Project
A visualizer of InterSystems iKnow entities for 2016.2+ platforms. iKnow is a technology for text mining, information extraction, text exploration and all related natural language processing stuff. iKnow Entity Browser was born to visualize all the relations, entities and dictionaries in texts. User interfaces have become the major part of my interaction with InterSystems. In the fall of 2016 I agreed to work on the iKn
Teaching Web Technologies in Moscow's Government Company
The government company MosVodoKanal, which provides water for all of Moscow, needed a web-development course based on InterSystems technologies. I was the teacher for the company's engineers and a manager. It was a three-day course during which I introduced not only InterSystems technologies, but all the trends in web development as well. The feedback was exceptionally positive and I enjoyed this time in Moscow with a lot of stories
Short layover in Belarus
A brief layover at Minsk airport gave me my first glimpse of Belarus. While I didn't leave the airport, it still counts as setting foot in this lesser-known Eastern European nation. Belarus has 9.3 million people and is often called "Europe's last dictatorship" due to its authoritarian government under Alexander Lukashenko since 1994. The country was part of the Soviet Union until 1991 and retains more Soviet-era characteristics than most former republics. Fun fact: Belarus has the world's lar
Teaching Students in Czech Republic
It was an exciting trip to the Czech Republic, where I handled my first international course. I was teaching Czech students to use InterSystems technologies and, when we finished the basic course, we added a "bonus" web course and wrote two more web applications — an online bulletin board with the authorization key retrieval from the super server, and a WebSockets chat. It was fun and a tremendous experience both for me and the students.
Graduation (Bachelor's Degree in Software Engineering)
I graduated with honors from the National Technical University of Ukraine "Kyiv Polytechnic Institute" and continued to pursue my master's in the same field of study, software engineering. It was a rewarding four years of study that changed my life significantly. My bachelor's thesis was the Caché Class Explorer project, introducing an enhanced version of trad
First Place in the International IT-Championship
This time at the international IT championship "Golden Byte", organized by the computer academy "Step" in Kyiv, I showed my Caché Class Explorer project and got a first place in NoSQL Expert nomination! The short video presentation of me and my project is available on my YouTube channel.
My First Publication in American Book
Thanks to my pen friend Paul Mike Kadow, who invited me to include information about me and my projects at InterSystems in his book, my chapter (all of chapter 16, "Web Based Enhancements") was published in the United States. I was the sole author of chapter 16 in the book, and Mike was my editor. This chapter describes my biography in brief, along with fo
The First Place at the XVI All-Ukrainian Conference
Once a year the faculty of linguistics of the National Technical University of Ukraine "Kyiv Polytechnic Institute" organizes a conference dedicated to innovations in science and technology. This year it was a XVI All-Ukrainian Students R\&D Conference "Innovations in Science and Technology". My presentation at the conference was chosen by judges as the best presentation, and I was awarded the certificate. This year, my presentation topic was \[InterSys
Participation in the University of Manchester Research
This social empirical project was organized by The University of Manchester. The goal was to research the capability of Ukrainians to work in small groups composed of randomly selected people. Three other participants and I were placed in a dedicated room with a supervisor, where we discussed the major problems and potential solutions for Ukrainian universities.
My ObjectScript Visual Editor Project
A web-based user interface for InterSystems corporation Caché which allows you to create and manage classes literally without touching any code. For the coding side, it features an embedded code editor, while all other things are done visually. Links GitHub repository
Teaching in Ukrainian State Enterprise
This social empirical project was organized by The University of Manchester. The goal was to research the capability of Ukrainians to work in small groups composed of randomly selected people. Three other participants and I were placed in a dedicated room with a supervisor, where we discussed the major problems and potential solutions for Ukrainian universities.
The First Place at the XV All-Ukrainian Conference
Once a year the faculty of linguistics of the National Technical University of Ukraine "Kyiv Polytechnic Institute" organizes a conference dedicated to innovations in science and technology. This year it was a XV All-Ukrainian Students R\&D Conference "Innovations in Science and Technology". My presentation at the conference was chosen by judges as the best presentation, and I was awarded with the certificate. This year the topic of my presentation was
Participating in InterSystems Innovations School
Once a year, InterSystems corporation organizes a big event named "InterSystems Innovations School", where people from all over the world share their experience and projects from the past year. This year I was talking about my Class Explorer project and the "new" way of developing web applications on InterSystems products. Also, we had a small hackathon during which my team and I developed an Object Document Mode
Traveling to United States
Three months in America during my summer internship - a transformative experience that shaped how I see the world. With a population of over 330 million spread across 50 states, the United States offered more diversity than I could have imagined. Fun fact: The US has no official language at the federal level, though English is the de facto national language. Over 350 languages are spoken across the country. What I Experienced Living in the US for an
Internship in the United States
It was my first trip to United States. It was a tremendous experience! The internship was held by InterSystems international corporation in Cambridge, MA, but I have also visited New York and a Cape Cod island. I was staying there for three months. Around 25 interns and I were practicing with the corporation's internal projects during the Summer in the biggest corporation's office located at \[One Memorial Drive]\(https:
Talking About NodeJS in My University
With the help of my friend Dima, this event became a reality. At the National Technical University of Ukraine "Kyiv Polytechnic Institute", my friend Timur and I organized an open technical meeting for anyone interested, introducing NodeJS technology. We spoke for about two hours to around 150 attendees about the future of JavaScript, NodeJS, and the power of these tools. The presentation of our lecture is available on \[Sl
WebTerminal: My Biggest Open Source Project
My first and most powerful project at InterSystems. This is a native Caché DBMS terminal emulator as a web application with full VT100 escape sequence support, syntax highlighting, an intelligent suggestion mechanism (autocomplete), and many other features. History During the summer internship in 2013, I was working on the first version of the WebTerminal project. This was an experimental project whose goal was to build a WebSockets application and demonstra
Victory in the International IT Championship
I took part in the international IT championship "Golden Byte", organized by the computer academy "Step" in Kyiv and won third place in the "NoSQL Expert" category with my project GlobalsDB Admin. There is also my article published about this tool. A short video presentation of me and my project is availa
My First Teaching Experience
It was an open self-organized web courses for the students of the National Technical University of Ukraine "Kyiv Polytechnic Institute". Started from scratch, me and my friends Andriy, Kolya, Misha and Dima gathered around 120 motivated students and divided them into 4 groups (1, 2, 3, \[
ObjectScript Class Explorer
A UML Class explorer for InterSystems corporation Caché. This project is not just a UML diagram builder, it's an interactive user interface for class viewing and diagram building. Project's key features are: Build class diagrams for an arbitrary list of classes; Build diagrams for a whole package or subpackage; Edit diagrams after build; Switch between strict UML notation and designed view; Export diagrams as an image; See Class methods, properties,
My Just Slide Puzzle Game
One of my first mobile pet projects! Just Slide Puzzle is a customizable slide puzzle game for desktop and mobile devices. The goal of this project was to be a cross-platform, responsive game. This was my first project that actually did what it was created for. I used PhoneGap to serve this solution for Android, iOS and desktop devices. In this game, the player needs to drag the tiles to complete the puzzle. The game features different modes: simple (random) mode, cust
My GlobalsDB Admin Project
The administrative user interface for InterSystems corporation GlobalsDB database. This tool is available for Android and Windows Phone platforms as well as for the web. The mobile platform support was arranged using the PhoneGap tool. This project won a bronze medal at the Golden Byte international IT championship competition in 2014. Links \[Off
Traveling to Russia
Three months in Moscow during my first internship at InterSystems - my first experience living abroad for an extended period. With a population of over 145 million across 11 time zones, Russia is a country of enormous scale that defies simple description. Fun fact: Moscow's metro system is not just transportation - it's an underground palace with stations featuring chandeliers, mosaics, and sculptures. It's often called the most beautiful subway syste
Internship in Russia
It was my first internship and my first long-stay experience abroad. I was one of three interns who passed the tests and were chosen for the InterSystems summer internship. From July to September I stayed in Moscow, Russia, where the closest InterSystems affiliate to Ukraine was located. It was an exciting trip during which I got my first corporate experience. It turned out that working in a big corporation (it was my first year of studying at university) is not
My Score Project
My first, self-assigned coursework, written on C++ using Qt library. The main idea behind this project was to make a concept of a programming language that will be 100% visual. A programming language that remains the same on touchscreens and desktops, with highly understandable and well-debuggable "visual code". Links <a href="https://r2.nikitaeverywhere.com/files/ScoreProject.zip" download>Download for Windows</a> (note: extract the archive before opening; use Help -> Tips for manual)
Graduating From Technical Lyceum
It was an inspiring two years of study at the Technical Lyceum in Kyiv. During this time I gained a lot of experience and was surrounded by creative and interesting people. At the end of my time at the lyceum, I created one of my best ever videos, a 7-minute video about our group. Check it out!
Getting an Adult Rank in Swimming
In 2009 I was classified as a 3 adult category swimmer in breaststroke swimming style. In fact, one year later I got a 2nd adult classification, but unfortunately I didn't get the paper which proves my certification. I was swimming professionally for about 2 years in Kyiv Underwater Sports Palace, where I got the certification. I did the distance of 50 meters in 39 seconds. My personal record was 37 seconds, which is the 2nd adult classification.
My Ballzirum Game
This project is my first complete and advanced game, made with the GameMaker engine using the GML programming language. I spent nearly half a year making and improving this game. This game features: 10 preset levels with awards and secrets, plus a level editor, which allows players to create their own levels. Created levels are saved to \*.bzm (ballzirum map) files and can be opened later. Character creation. You can select from more than 30 smiley
My Warcraft Mini Games!
When I was 12-13 years old, I created hundreds of WarCraft maps using different scenarios and WarCraft editor scripting language. I thank my friend Maxim for helping me to restore some of these maps from my old hard drive, which was formatted multiple times before we resurrected some of its contents. Unfortunately, some of the mini games are gone forever. Along others, the most advanced map I made was "Mini-land", where the player can choose from 17 mini ga
Different Computer Games Created in Childhood
An incomplete list of game projects I created as a child. Most of the games were written with the GameMaker engine using the GML programming language. I wrote well over a hundred games, but unfortunately many of them were lost with my old hard drive... Find some screenshots below! And yes, some of the later projects actually survived and you can ask me to see them! This is a small part of hundreds of projects which survived on my old hard drive. Click on t
Bulgaria trip as I recall it
When I was just 2 or 3 years old, my parents took me to Bulgaria. It was my first time traveling abroad. I still remember the place and the sky I saw from the plane… It felt magical and unforgettable in that moment. I asked my mom to find at least one photo as proof of this trip, but she couldn’t find any. So until I revisit this country, this memory will just stay here as a record :) A few things I remember from childhood which really excited and scared me: My first plane flight. It was