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Kalush Orchestra auctions pink hat and Eurovision trophy

Oleh Psyuk, the lead singer of Kalush Orchestra confirmed their intention to auction their Eurovision trophy.  All proceeds from this auction are intended to help the Ukrainian military.  Oleh iconic pink hat which he wore during his Eurovision performance is also a part of the auction.

The auction

Starting in May 28th at 7 pm people who want to participate can donate 200 Grivna (around 5 euros) through this link.  Each participant will get one lottery ticket for every 200 grivna donation.  The winner of the lottery will get Oleh’s pink hat.  Moreover, the person who donates the most amount of money or in cryptocurrency will get the Eurovision 2022 trophy.

 

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“We are doing our best to help Ukraine. This is my panama hat, still with the sweat of my performance at Eurovision 2022. We want to sell this hat and all the proceeds will go to the Ukrainian military”  Oleh Psyuk

 

Kalush Orchestra won the Eurovision Song Contest 2022 held in Turin with their song Stefania.  The band received 631 points in the Grand Final, 439 coming from the televote making them the winners with the highest number of televote points in Eurovision history.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F1fl60ypdLs&ab_channel=EurovisionSongContest

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Stay tuned for more Eurovision related news and updates!

Kalush Orchestra: “Save Mariupol, Save Ukraine and Help Azovstal”

With a statement about the salvation of Ukraine, Mariupol and those trapped in the Azovstal factory, the only point of Mariupol not controlled by the Russians, the Kalush Orchestra, the big favorite for the victory in the  Eurovision Song Contest, finished their performance.

After performing their song Stefania, the Kalush Orchestra addressed the millions of viewers who watched them saying:

Save Mariupol, save Ukraine, help Azovstal!

The Kalush Orchestra are first on the betting table by a very large margin from the other entries, currently having a 60% chance of being the winners of the competition.

The contest continues and in a few hours we will know if they will manage to bring the third victory of Ukraine in the competition!

Martin Österdahl: “We try to help Ukraine as much as possible”

Executive supervisor Martin Österdahl, and the executive producers of Eurovision 2022, Simona Martorelli and Claudio Fasulo have confirmed that Ukraine will compete at the Eurovision Song Contest despite the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

We are desperate about the situation in Ukraine like everyone else. And I’m sorry for our colleagues and lots of fans in Russia who are now not allowed to celebrate Eurovision. We are in very close contact with the Ukrainian delegation and we try to help them as much as possible through this tough time.

Ukraine will prepare the live-on-tape recording, in case they don’t make it to Turin in May. According to the Italian broadcaster Rai, Ukraine is planning to record the video somewhere near the border instead of the capital Kyiv.

Broadcaster UA:PBC find Eurovision very important and currently they are focused to help their country. In an interview with Reuters, Oleh tells that he has formed a 20-strong volunteer group to supply medicines and help people flee the war, while one of the Kalush Orchestra members is serving in the territorial defence unit.

Eurovision is very important to us but the life of our family and friends is even more important. So now we are doing everything possible to help our country. One team member of our band is fighting in the territorial defense in Kyiv. I have established a volunteer organization. We are helping people to find accommodation, move, find medicine. Our country has united to the maximum. All my friends and people I know keep helping one another, and we are all fighting as one cohesive mechanism. So I would like to ask you and urge everyone who can hear me to help us, speak up about this problem.

Stay tuned to Eurovisionfun for all the updates related to our favorite contest!

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Ukraine: The Kalush Orchestra will compete with live on tape video, except the war is over by May!

We had a significant last minute development recently. According to many websites, Ukraine will compete in Eurovision 2022, with the live on tape video of the Kalush Orchestra, unless the war ends by May, when the band will be able to go to Turin to sing live on stage. Orchestra reported on the issue:

Despite the fighting, the KALUSH Orchestra will record their performance in a safe place, which will be sent to the organizers of the song contest, and in case of our victory over the occupiers by May, our delegation will go to Italy and sing live all over Europe!

Thus, after yesterday’s confirmation by the Italian organizers that Ukraine will take part in the contest, despite the Russian invasion, now the way of participation of the Kalush Orchestra has been clarified. In the next few days, the Ukrainian band will have to videotape the live on tape video of their participation and send it to the EBU.

Simona Martorelli (Rai’s director of international relations) said in a statement on Monday (March 14th) that Ukraine’s public television would normally take part, while she was also impressed by their compliance with all the deadlines.

The Ukrainian delegation has confirmed its presence and so far has met all the deadlines. It is also preparing to make the backup video of the show, which is requested by all delegations in case the delegation or part of it cannot be presented in Turin.

With Stefania constantly dropping their odds on bets and being the first favorite to win, the Ukrainians seem to have thought of every detail to ensure their presence in Turin, despite the Russian invasion of the country, for three weeks.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UiEGVYOruLk

Stay tuned to Eurovisionfun for all the updates related to our favorite contest!

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Ukraine: It is official! Despite the invasion, the country will be present in Turin!

The Eurovision Song Contest to be held in Turin from 10 to 14 May could not be unaffected by the war. Russia has already been excluded, and despite the rumors and the difficulties, the Ukrainian delegation will be there, as the Italian organizers confirmed earlier. Read more

Russia is welcome at Eurovision 2022, says EBU | Sweden’s SVT asks to review this decision!

The EBU in its statements today, immediately after the start of the Russian attack on Ukraine, stated that Russia remains welcome at Eurovision 2022.

Russia is welcome in Eurovision 2o22

Following the EBU’s statement that Russia remains open to the Eurovision Song Contest 2022, the SVT CEO of the Swedish public service broadcaster called on the EBU to reconsider.

The Eurovision Song Contest is a non-political cultural event that unites countries and celebrates differences through music. EBU members in both Russia and Ukraine have committed to participating in this year’s event in Turin and we intend to welcome and let artists from both countries participate in May. Of course, we continue to follow developments closely.

EBU

Sweden is asking EBU reconsider its decision

Speaking to the GP, Hanna Stjärne, CEO of SVT, shared her thoughts on the EBU statement, noting:

The EBU needs to rethink. I sympathise with the basic idea of ​​Eurovision as an apolitical event. But the situation in Europe is extremely serious, with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. It crosses all boundaries. We have called on the EBU to change and will follow developments closely.

SVT

SVT is the first broadcaster to comment publicly on whether Russia should be able to compete in Eurovision 2022, following the invasion of Ukraine this morning.

Ukraine demands expulsion of Russia from the EBU

Earlier, Ukrainian public television asked the EBU to suspend membership of the Russian Public Television Association. Specifically they state:

key values ​​of public service broadcasting;
ensuring freedom of speech and information; free formation of points of view;
development of intercultural dialogue;

In a letter to the President of the European Broadcasting Union, Delphine Ernotte, the Chairman of the Board of Suspilne Mykola Chernotytskyy called on the EBU to:

We recognize that the process of terminating or suspending EBU membership requires careful consideration by the EBU Executive Board and referral to the EBU General Assembly. In the meantime, we call on the EBU to respond now to the unacceptable situation caused by Russia with the support of its essentially state broadcasters that are members of the EBU.

You can read the full letter here.

Should the EBU choose to suspend its membership from Russia, this will be the second time in 12 months that a broadcaster has lost its membership of the EBU. In July 2021, the Belarusian public broadcaster was suspended as a member of the EBU for failing to fulfill its obligations of freedom of expression.

In the top 3 of bets is Ukraine, except for the top 20 is Russia

While all of the above is happening, Ukraine has risen again in betting, despite the replacement of Alina Pash with the Kalush Orchestra. At the moment it is in the third place, in contrast to Russia which is in a continuous descent in the last hours, as a result of which it is in the 21st place at the time of writing!

Stay tuned to Eurovisionfun for all the developments!

 

Ukraine: The thriller ends | Kalush Orchestra goes to Turin!

This year’s thriller with the Ukrainian participation in Eurovision 2022, has just ended. According to the country’s public television official announcement, the Kalush Orchestra will eventually represent the country in Turin after the withdrawal of national final winner Alina Pash from the process.

It may have been a whole week since the end of Vidbir, the national final for Eurovision, but Ukraine has only managed to find a representative today. The forced withdrawal of Alina Pash, since according to the complaints, she presented fake entry certificates for her trip to Crimea in 2015, brought a domino of developments with the final result that the Kalush Orchestra took over the representation of the country in the competition.

The Kalush Orchestra with their song Stefania took second place in Vidbir 2022, but having received the most votes from the audience. On Thursday (17/2), the Ukrainian public television addressed a request to the band, to replace Alina Pash in Eurovision 2022.

We remind you that the Kalush Orchestra had denounced the process after their defeat in the national final, claiming that these were the real winners.

Do you think that Kalush Orchestra’s Stefania is a better choice for Ukraine in the contest than Alina Pash?

Ukraine: Broadcaster asks Kalush Orchestra to replace Alina Pash in country’s representation!

The public broadcasting company of Ukraine Suspilne has just announced that they will ask the group that finished second in Vidbir 2022 (and first in the public vote), Kalush Orchestra, to replace winner Alina Pash in the country’s representation in Eurovision 2022, after Pash’s withdrawal.

The announcement made on Suspilne’s official website points out the following:

The organization will appeal to Kalush Orchestra to represent Ukraine at Eurovision.

Today, February 17, at the meeting of the Organizing Committee of the National Selection for Eurovision 2022, it was decided to submit an application to Kalush Orchestra with the proposal to represent Ukraine in the Eurovision Song Contest 2022 in Turin.

Kalush Orchestra finished second in the final and received a total of 14 points, of which the maximum of 8 points from the audience and 6 points from the judges.

It should be noted that the Public Broadcasting monitors the observance of the National Selection Rules and the process of appointing a representative for Ukraine.

According to paragraph 3.4 of the Rules, in case of termination of the participation of the participant who is determined/declared as the winner of the Selection, the organization has the right to decide on the appointment of a representative of Ukraine in the competition among other finalists.

It is important for the broadcaster to maintain the public’s trust in the song contest, so the broadcaster asks the band that finished second in the final and received the most public support to represent Ukraine at Eurovision 2022, guided by the principle of the ranking of the finalists.

Stay tuned to Eurovisionfun for all developments on Kalush Orchestra’s response and Ukraine’s participation in Eurovision 2022!

Source: Suspilne

Breaking News: Alina Pash announces that she is withdrawing from the contest!

While Ukrainian public television announced this morning that it will meet on Friday to decide on everything that has emerged around its participation in Eurovision 2022, Alina Pash, the winner of the national final, in a dramatic message on instagram states that she withdraws her candidacy from the representation of the country in the contest!

I am a citizen of Ukraine, I follow the laws of Ukraine, I try to bring the traditions and values ​​of Ukraine to the world…

I am an artist, not a politician. I do not have an army of public relations people, managers, lawyers to resist all this attack and pressure, the hacking of my social networks. threats. And also completely unacceptable wording that people allow themselves without understanding the situation and forgetting the dignity of every citizen of Ukraine

I do not want this virtual war and hatred. The main war is now foreign, which came to my country in 2014.

I do not want to be in this dirty story anymore. With a heavy heart I withdraw my candidacy as a representative of Ukraine in the Eurovision Song Contest. Unfortunately. I’m so sorry.

We will contact the State and sign all the necessary documents.

Separately, I want to thank all those who support and help me, who listen to my song and my important message. Thanks!

We have a story with you and we have to decide what it will be ❤️

Let us unite! Now it’s more important than ever!

 

Δείτε αυτή τη δημοσίευση στο Instagram.

 

Η δημοσίευση κοινοποιήθηκε από το χρήστη Alina Pash (@alinapash)

We are now waiting with interest for the decision of the Ukrainian public television and who will represent the country in Turin. Will we have a repeat of 2019, when it was decided to leave the country from the competition?

Stay tuned for all the developments!

Ukraine: “We are praying not to win. The second place would be the best ”!

Yaroslav Lodygin, head of Ukrainian public television and a member of this year’s Vidbir jury, gave an interesting interview to The Euro Trip. So, according to what he said with disarming honesty, as the head of the Ukrainian public television, he prays every year that his country will not win the competition, adding that the second place would be the most ideal scenario!

As a singing nation we always want to win, but considering all the budgetary restrictions we are almost in the situation as Iceland in the Eurovision film [The Story of Fire Saga].

As executives we are praying not to win every year.

The last time we won ,in 2017 it was a very big pressure on the company in terms of financing, in terms of interest from controlling bodies of the Ukrainian government, it’s always a big stress.

2nd place would be the best for Ukraine.

For another year, Ukraine is drawing the spotlight on itself and not only for its song. We remind you that the final decision on whether Alina Pash will eventually represent her country in the Eurovision Song Contest will be taken on Friday.

Stay tuned to Eurovisionfun for all the news about Ukraine in the Eurovision Song Contest!

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