Unfortunately, this year, Ukraine was unable to hold the song contest on its territory due to the armed aggression of the russian federation. Find out more about how the UK prepared for Eurovision 2023 on behalf of Ukraine and which participants showed their support in this difficult time

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TVORCHI is representing Ukraine at this year's Eurovision Song Contest, and tomorrow they will perform an updated version of their song "Heart of Steel" at the Liverpool stage, number 19. According to Geoffrey Canny, the band's vocalist, winning the Eurovision Song Contest is not a priority today, as the main thing is to win the war with russia.

Earlier, we told you what we know about the Ukrainian band TVORCHI. Read more about the performers representing our country this year here.

What is TVORCHI's mission at the Eurovision Song Contest?

During the opening ceremony, the TVORCHI vocalists walked down the turquoise carpet wearing red and black costumes embroidered with the names of children born prematurely during the war. Although Eurovision is not about politics, the guys found a way to remind us of the need to support Ukraine in this difficult time.

The title of the song translates as "Hearts of Steel" and that is why the band, together with UNITED24 and Visa, launched a charity initiative to repair children's hearts. 

Photo: Getty Images

In addition, TVORCHI presented the manifesto #OpenYourHeartForUkraine, calling for continued support for Ukraine. 

How has Liverpool prepared for Eurovision 2023?

Today, Liverpool is a mini Ukraine. Walking along the streets, you can hear "Glory to Ukraine!" at every step, and all facades and establishments are full of blue and yellow flags. The city features many installations and interactive projects:

• After downloading a special map, you can find 12 nightingales in embroidered shirts on the streets, symbolizing the regions of our country. The first nightingale on the map is the one representing Crimea;
• Liverpool Cathedral has been converted into a real carriage of the Izium-Liverpool train, featuring a 14-hour video installation by Ukrainian artist Kateryna Buchatska about what our citizens saw when they fled russian aggression;
• The Eurovision Fan Zone has been transformed into a Ukrainian corner, where national dishes are cooked, souvenirs, literature and embroidered shirts are sold, and information about Ukrainian culture and artists is shared. It also features a special virtual reality project "See, Feel and Hear Ukraine", where you can walk through the streets of almost completely destroyed towns such as Borodianka, Gostomel and Bucha wearing special glasses.

Photo: Associated Press

In addition, during the opening ceremony of the Eurovision Song Contest and the performances of the participants in the first and second semi-finals, the audience and guests could see many references to Ukraine. For example, during the breaks, different parts of our country were shown on the big screen - from Poshtova Square in Kyiv to the Carpathian Mountains. 

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Which artists supported Ukraine at the Eurovision Song Contest 2023?

In addition to Ukrainian artists such as Jamala, Maria Yaremchuk, Kalush, Verka Serdyuchka, Tina Karol, Go_A and others who performed at the opening ceremony, Ukraine was also supported by the semi-finalists and finalists of the song contest.

The Croatian rock band Let 3 made a splash with their performance. Their song is called "Mama ŠČ!" and it is a veiled mockery of the dictator of the russian federation. In addition, the band touched upon the painful topic of children abducted and enslaved by the occupiers in their addresses. They made a call: "Children must not be abducted. No children - no life!".

Photo:Getty Images

Pasha Parfeni, who represents Moldova at the Eurovision Song Contest, also commented in our support. He said that his grandmother is from Vinnytsia, and many of his relatives and friends are now in Ukraine fighting against the russian invaders. "Since 2014, I have always supported you with all my heart," the singer concluded.

Representatives of the Czech Republic, the band Vesna, also tried to support Ukraine by adding a chorus in Ukrainian to their song. However, due to the ambiguity of the lyrics about the Slavic sisters who were quarreled by a third force and the presence of a russian woman in the band, their performance only caused outrage. Later, it became known that the Czech representatives had abandoned the narrative about the Slavic sisters and explained that they wanted to show solidarity with all women around the world and support those who really needed it. 

Photo: REUTERS/Phil Noble

We believe in our victory at Eurovision and in the war against the russian invaders! 

Glory to Ukraine! 

We would like to remind you that the content we consume has a direct impact on our worldview and, unfortunately, on the financing of the aggressor's military machine. Here's how the statistics of listening on streaming platforms have changed and how many people have already given up russian-language content.

Main photo: Eurovision.tv

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