Ukrainian singer LELÉKA, who represented Ukraine at the Eurovision Song Contest in Vienna this year and took 9th place in the final, spoke about the atmosphere of the contest, the organizers' reaction to the slogan "Glory to Ukraine", and restrictions on mentioning the war. This was reported by Victoria Lelaka reported in an interview with BBC News Ukraine.
Recall that after performing in the final, the singer shouted the slogan "Glory to Ukraine!" from the stage. According to her, there were no remarks backstage because of this.
"If anyone had tried, I would have immediately made khachapuri out of that person," LELÉKA joked.
However, the artist admitted that contest participants were forbidden to talk directly about the war.
"The ban on talking about the war in Ukraine at Eurovision was, is, and will be, unfortunately. But it was important for our team to embed the necessary messages in the performance. So we had to talk about it exclusively through art and indirectly. And within the framework they set for us, it was still important to be who we are and say what is important to us," said Victoria Lelaka.
According to LELÉKA, the team consciously tried to convey the Ukrainian context through symbols, scenography, and details of the staging. The artist also thanked the Ukrainians in the audience who supported her with blue and yellow flags and cheers of "Our bird, fly! Go for Ukraine!".
The Ukrainian performer's act combined several symbolic images - a bandura, the image of a stork, fragmented decorations, and allusions to war and recovery.
As explained by the creators of the staging on the "Eurovision Ukraine" channel, the main idea of the performance is to show the fragmentation of the modern world and the human desire to find internal and social integrity.
The director of the staging was Ilya Ducyk. Special attention was drawn to the fabric on stage, which in German-speaking countries symbolizes peace and people.
Bandura player Yaroslav Dzyus, who personified home and roots, also played an important role in the act. Two banduras were used for the performance - fragmented and whole.
Viewers also saw messages to "Azovstal" in the act, as well as how the singer showed the trident with a gesture.
Read also: Lviv City Hall lit up in colors: a light installation was shown in the city center.
Recall, "Eurovision" is an international music contest that unites participants from dozens of European countries every year. Ukraine is one of the most successful countries in the history of the competition.
