Traditionally, the national final of Ukraine is one of the most episodic. This habit could not be missing this year either, since we already have the first complaints and reactions, without even 24 hours having passed since its end.
The Kalush Orchestra alleges fraud
Let’s start from the beginning. The winner in yesterday’s national final was Alina Pash, who with her patriotic song and appearance, had moved from the first moment, appearing as the big favorite for the victory.
Alina scored a total of 15 points, receiving the maximum from the committee and second place in the televoting. The Kalush Orchestra, on the other hand, were first in the public and third in the committee, having 14 points. The band’s manager and leader, Oleh Psyuk, said they were considering going to court, as they believed Alina was third and not second in the televoting.
We suspect that the results of the vote may have been falsified. Alina Pash had received 6 points from the audience and Wellboy – 7. Since the Kalush Orchestra got 8 points from the audience, we would have a draw and win, because, with the same number of votes, the one who gets more points than the public wins. We do not rule out going to court and resolving this issue in court.
The complaints are reinforced by a video that has been circulating on social media since yesterday and in which we see the girl who brings the file with the results, not allowing the video of the document contained in it to be videotaped.
In addition, during the live stream, presenter Timur Miroshnychenko was confused several times in announcing the results to the audience, changing the results he had originally announced. On this issue Yaroslav Lodygin, a member of the jury of Vidbir 2022, said:
During the announcement of the results, the presenter Timur Miroshnychenko was confused, because he received a paper containing many confused numbers. This confusion did not include the points of the first places. As for the results of the votes for the participants, I think we can talk about an independent company that counted them objectively. I do not think it is a secret how many people voted there, how much money was given to calls and messages or that there is a case of reduction of votes. We guarantee that there is no intervention in the results.
Ukrainian public television will soon announce the detailed results, while yesterday’s result has been validated, thus confirming Alina’s victory.
Ukraine is once again politicizing the contest
Apart from the above, there are many who commented that Ukraine is once again politicizing its entry in the competition.
Probably wanting to take advantage of Europe’s sympathy, at a time when Russian troops are literally besieging the country around its borders, Ukraine is sending a song to the competition based on the recipe of Jamala and 1944, which in 2016 brought it victory.
If the title of this year ‘s entry is not enough for you to suspect what you will see and hear – Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors, you can take a look at the lyrics of the song:
Hey, come from down the water
Liberate my heart from trouble
Come out from the water, destiny, destiny
All my sisters, all my brothers
Give the drop that all we need
Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors, mine and yours
In chronicles, hearts, eyes, blood century after century
Shadows of forgotten ancestors
Clearly here, the call for freedom from water implies the freedom that must come to Crimea, the Ukrainian peninsula in the Black Sea, which since 2014 has been occupied by Russian troops.
I’m a girl from a small town
My folks are best described in writings of Dumas
One for all, and all for one
Nowadays, Dante would’ve written the Divine Tragedy
But we need Picasso’s dove, it’s the divine strategy
In my childhood, girls played with toy dolls
But I wrote these words here because my favourite toy
Was a book of Shakespeare
Just like the Brothers Grimm, I’ll leave behind a piece of me
Remember your ancestors
But write your own history
Here Alina appears a descendant of important personalities of Western Europe, without any reference to Russians. In recent years, Ukrainians have emphasized their differences from Russia, and especially in the cultural sphere, acknowledging their origins with the Rus in Kiev, and not as a common cradle, as Moscow claims.
Of course, the finale of the song, with the Ukrainian flag behind Alina, leaves no doubt in the meaning that the Ukrainians want to convey with this participation.
However, despite her episodic victory, Alina Pash is already in second place in the bets for victory in Turin, behind only Italy, giving joy and hope to the Ukrainians for another success in the Eurovision Song Contest, at a time when the drums of war they hit louder than ever.
You can see Alina’s winning appearance below:
Stay tuned to Eurovisionfun for all the news regarding the Ukrainian participation in Eurovision 2022!
