Ukraine has pipped Albania to the post this year by being the first nation by officially selecting their entry and song for Eurovision 2023.
Live from Kyiv, the national selection show Vidbir, was broadcast remarkably from one of the city's vast underground metro stations, which sadly, is also the place where many Ukrainians' find themselves seeking shelter when the air raid sirens sound due to the on-going war with Russia.
The production considering its location was simply impressive. With a modern studio that quite frankly out shone some sets from other nations like Germany, watching the show, without the occasional sound of a passing train, which only appeared briefly between songs, you would be oblivious to the fact it was all held and constructed on the underground platforms. Not a simple endeavour by any means, which shows the depth of planning the organisers put in to ensure the song entries were not affected, but the Eurovision Song Contest has always been extremely important to the people of Ukraine and by being able to host and broadcast a live production on this stage under these circumstances goes to show the great heart and love they have for the competition.
Speaking to the BBC, Ukraine's head of delegation Oksana Skybinska said:
"We did everything possible to hold this Vidbir in full swing, and once again unite Ukrainians around this important choice for the biggest music stage in Europe.
"The decision to go underground was the first one taken. It made us feel sure that the show itself could go on uninterrupted because no matter if we have air raid alerts the work could continue."
The design of the studio was in many ways symbolic of the current crisis taking place across Ukraine, with a broken heart dominating a large area of the small stage, but it was accompanied by elements of woven strip lighting and spots, that pulsated like a beating heart, bursting with passion for every entry that performed, giving you a sense of unity and pride throughout the show and an underlying message to the world that Ukraine heartbeat goes on stronger than ever before.
The Performances
Tvorchi's winning performance was simply creative and echoed similar elements used by the likes of Madonna in Eurovision 2019. It's use of war imagery was not over the top or distasteful but strong enough to strike a chord with viewers. On a national selection process, this staging wouldn't receive any issues from the EBU, but knowing the stricter guidelines imposed on the main Eurovision stage, there may be changes to come to both the production of the song and its delivery when performed in Liverpool next May. Speaking after their success, band member Andrew Hutsuliak said:
"We will try to do everything to present Ukraine with dignity."
He then later added:
"We didn't think we'd win but we want to say thank you to everyone who supported us, who listens to our music and who are fighting on the front line."
After Kalush Orchestra won in 2021, it was thought by many in the media that Ukraine may chose to go with a more softer, traditional entry, but the public and the guest judges headlined by former Eurovision winner Jamala selected Tvorchi's song as their ultimate song to represent the nation.
From our point of view, without the dramatic staging, the song as much as lyrically it is meaningful, it is not all that memorable and there were some other entries, as ballad as they may have been, felt more heartfelt than Tvorchi's entry.
Krutb was the song we were hoping would represent Ukraine in Liverpool. The staging was simple and stripped back, reminiscent of Sweden's entry in 2022. A song you could say of a mother singing a song or lullaby to a young child. It was simple, effective and heart wrenching beautiful from start to finish. She did come second in the Jury vote, but came third in the public vote, which meant she missed out on being given the ticket to Liverpool.
Jerry Heil was also another notable performance, where the heart on the stage took a step back until the end of the performance. A simple white effect with a structure around her that some Doctor Who fans may believe were from the inside of the Tardis, symbolised her entry entitled When God Shut The Door. Jerry's entry was second choice by the public and it clearly had war undertones which throughout every Ukrainian performance tonight has resonated with the public feeling - an understandably so.
Presenting a taster for Liverpool?
Ukraine's talents for presenting has gone from strength to strength since they last hosted the competition in 2017. With Kateryna Pavlenko (Representative in Eurovision 2020 & 2021 as member of GO_A), Timur Miroshnychenko (Ukrainian Commentator and Eurovision 2017 host) and Zlata Ognevich (Representative in Eurovision 2013) taking to the stage to host the national contest this year.
Timur was his usual charming self and we have to hand it to both Kateryna and Zlata who not only looked stunning on stage but hosted with such professionalism, charm and beauty which is easily missed in national selection processes. All three presenters would easily command the stage in Liverpool in 2023, so it is no easy task for the BBC and their fellow Ukrainian organisers in chosing the four (yes four) presenters that will ultimately host the Eurovision Song Contest next May.
All in all, this was a well produced showcase, one which all those responsible for making and those taking part should be extremely proud of. We applaud Ukraine for such a broadcast. We wish the best of luck to Tvorchi in Liverpool, will they make it a double win for Ukraine?
Who was your favourite?
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