Status: 05/15/2022 10:09 a.m
A musical victory in the midst of war. Kalush Orchestra brought Ukraine a triumph at the Eurovision Song Contest. Ukraine announced that it wants to host the upcoming ESC in its own country.
Actually, the song “Stefania” is anything but political. It’s a love song to a mother. “I will always come to you, even if all the roads are destroyed,” sings Oleh Psiuk, the founder and singer of the Kalush Orchestra. But when a phrase like this comes from a Ukrainian singer, the war association is inevitable.
At the Eurovision Song Contest, the band Kalush Orchestra brought Ukraine a triumph in the midst of a costly war. The extent to which this conflict affects Europe and the world was impressive to see that evening. Europe’s television audience wanted Ukraine to win – even if it was a musical one.
Outstanding support from viewers
The Kalush Orchestra, which entered the ESC final as the top favourites, was able to win the ESC thanks to the outstanding support of the audience ahead of Great Britain. In almost every country, almost 200 million viewers worldwide gave Ukrainians 12 points – the average was 11.3. The German audience also awarded the maximum number to Kalush Orchestra. In the end they won hands down with 631 points. This year’s ESC final was perhaps more political than ever.
Various artists used their performance to express solidarity with Ukraine. Actually, that’s not allowed at the ESC. According to the rules, “texts, speeches and gestures of a political nature” are explicitly forbidden on stage.
Oleh Psiuk also violated the ban on political statements. After the performance, he said in the sold-out Turin Pala Olimpico: “Please help Ukraine, Mariupol, help Azovstal now.” Azovstal is the Mariupol steelworks under Russian siege, where hundreds of Ukrainian soldiers are trapped and under constant fire.
Ukrainian soldiers celebrate the victory of the Kalush Orchestra in Kyiv.
Image: REUTERS
Political statements are actually forbidden
The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) was lenient with the violations this year – instead of sanctions, there was understanding. When asked by the dpa news agency, the EBU wrote: “We (…) consider the statements made by the Kalush Orchestra and other artists in support of the Ukrainian people more as a humanitarian gesture and less as a political one.”
This raises one question: Where will the ESC be held next year? Currently, Ukraine could not host such a competition because of martial law in the country. No major events are allowed.
“Next year Ukraine will host Eurovision”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was determined to still fulfill the obligations as host country. “Next year Ukraine will host Eurovision!” Zelenskyy wrote on Telegram. He also referred to the band’s call to save Mariupol. “We are doing everything so that one day Ukrainian Mariupol will welcome participants and guests of Eurovision. Free, peaceful, rebuilt!” Zelenskyi wrote. His country had already won the ESC in 2004 and 2016.
The Ukrainian Minister of Culture Oleksandr Tkachenko also wrote to Telegram that the government was starting to think about where to hold the Eurovision Song Contest.
In his own words, the musician did not yet know what would happen to Oleh Psiuk when he returned to Ukraine. The band was only allowed to leave Ukraine with a special permit. Tomorrow he will celebrate his 28th birthday – but without his mother Stefania.
After that he wants to spend time with his girlfriend, family and his mother. “We have temporary permission to be here and in two days we will be in Ukraine. It is difficult to say what we will do. Like every Ukrainian, we are ready to fight and go to the end.” Memorable words on a memorable evening.