Just days before Ukraine faced the looming Russian invasion, the National Public Broadcasting Company of Ukraine staged its sixth Kiev edition. The gala selected the country’s Eurovision entrant, mirroring a Benidorm Fest style where the audience vote carried substantial weight. The Kalush Orchestra was the crowd favorite, yet the professional jury preferred Alina Pash. Some Kalush members publicly claimed vote manipulation, and amid growing unrest a young rapper who opposed the propaganda took a surprising public stand, opting not to participate. The organizers ultimately invited a proxy act to represent the Kalush Orchestra’s audience appeal. Meanwhile, Stefania, their powerful rap‑folk anthem, had become a Eurofans darling and a consistent top pick on bookmakers’ lists for weeks.
“I will travel through rough roads, sleep little, endure heavy storms, and keep pushing”, proclaimed Oleg Psiuk, leader of the Kalush Orchestra, in reference to Stefania. The track blends folk, hip‑hop, and electronica with a distinctive flute motif. It honors Psiuk’s mother, yet it resonated deeply as a symbol of resilience and a memorial to what Ukraine endured during the war. “No matter the circumstances, Eurovision should be a way to help Ukraine”, Psiuk told Reuters in mid‑March. The group faced a challenging path to Turin, unsure they could perform at Pala Alpitour until just over a month before the semi‑final on Tuesday.
online trials
In the early weeks of the conflict, Psiuk paused his music and joined volunteers in Lviv, delivering medicine and aid to those fleeing the fighting. “I cannot enjoy Eurovision while loved ones are in danger”, he explained to Reuters. The team rehearsed remotely as logistics and tensions heightened. Recognizing the political value of Kalush Orchestra’s participation for Ukrainian morale, the government granted special permission for a European tour that included Madrid and Israel, where they recorded postcard segments for the contest. Donors supported their journey, and Stefania kept rising on the charts. The chorus line among the group became a hopeful anthem for many Europeans to become better acquainted with Ukrainian culture. The Kalush Orchestra was cleared to travel, and plans were set into motion for a Turin appearance.” The band announced their intent to travel and perform after that first meeting in Lviv, posting excited messages to their fans.
Kalush Orchestra is the main ensemble led by Oleg Psiuk. Psiuk, a 28‑year‑old rapper from Kalush in Ivano‑Frankivsk, started the project in 2019 with multi‑instrumentalist Igor Didenchuk and DJ Kilimmen. After a 2019 video for Ty gonysh, Kalush signed with a major label, Def Jam Recordings, and released music that mixed rap with Ukrainian folk sensibilities. In 2021, the group released the album Hotin and launched the Kalush Orchestra project, a fusion of rap with traditional music. This evolution occurred during a tense period when Ukraine faced external aggression, reinforcing the importance of cultural identity.
3 wins in 19 years?
In the weeks leading to the event, Stefania had surged to the front of the field, outpacing competitors from Sweden, Italy, and the United Kingdom. The decision of the professional juries often favored established ballads like Get Me Closer by Cornelia Jakobs, Brividi by Mahmood & Blanco, and Space by Sam Ryder, but the telegenic audience vote could tilt results in a different direction. The telecasted vote, driven by emotion and a moment’s significance, threatened to crown Stefania as Europe’s top entry. If Ukraine won, it would mark Ukraine’s third Eurovision victory in the contest’s modern era, following Ruslana in 2004 with Wild Dances and Jam)], a year noted for its broader cultural debates. Eurovision rules restrict overt political messaging, yet Russia challenged Ukraine’s entry as political. The European Broadcasting Union observed that Stefania did not carry a political message, allowing its participation to stand.