Ukraine Ukraine ( uk, Україна, Ukraïna, ) is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest European country after Russia, which it borders to the east and northeast. Ukraine covers approximately . Prior to the ongoing Russian inv ...

has participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 17 times since making its debut in 2003. Ukraine has won the contest three times: in with " Wild Dances" by

Ruslana Ruslana Stepanivna Lyzhychko ( uk, Руслана Степанівна Лижичко, ''Ruslana Lyzhychko''; born 24 May 1973), known mononymously as Ruslana, is a World Music Award and Eurovision Song Contest winning recording artist, holdi ...

, in with "

1944 Events Below, the events of World War II have the "WWII" prefix. January * January 2 – WWII: ** Free French General Jean de Lattre de Tassigny is appointed to command French Army B, part of the Sixth United States Army Group in Nor ...

" by

Jamala Susana Alimivna Jamaladinova, ; rus, Суса́на Али́мовна Джамалади́нова, Susána Alímovna Dzhamaladínova, sʊˈsanə ɐˈlʲiməvnə dʐəməlɐˈdʲinəvə, links=yes. (born 27 August 1983), known professionally ...

, and in with " Stefania" by Kalush Orchestra, thus becoming the first country in the 21st century and the first

Eastern Europe Eastern Europe is a subregion of the European continent. As a largely ambiguous term, it has a wide range of geopolitical, geographical, ethnic, cultural, and socio-economic connotations. The vast majority of the region is covered by Russia, whic ...

an country to win the contest three times. Ukraine hosted the and contests in

Kyiv Kyiv, also spelled Kiev, is the capital and most populous city of Ukraine. It is in north-central Ukraine along the Dnieper River. As of 1 January 2021, its population was 2,962,180, making Kyiv the seventh-most populous city in Europe. Kyi ...

. Since the introduction of the semi-final round in 2004, Ukraine is the only country outside of the " Big Five" to have qualified for the final of every contest they have competed in, and has been placed outside the top-ten only six times. Ukraine has a total of eight top-five placements, with

Verka Serduchka Andriy Mykhailovych Danylko ( uk, Андрі́й Миха́йлович Дани́лко; born 2 October 1973), better known as his drag persona Verka Serduchka ( uk, Вє́рка Сердю́чка, links=no, ; russian: Ве́рка Серд ...

() and

Ani Lorak Karolina Myroslavivna Kuiek, russian: Каролина Мирославовна Куек (born 27 September 1978), popularly known as Ani Lorak,, russian: Ани Лорак is a Ukrainian singer, songwriter, actress, entrepreneur and former U ...

() both finishing second,

Zlata Ognevich Inna Leonidivna Bordiuh ( uk, Інна Леонідівна Бордюг, Inna Leonidivna Bordiuh, ; born 12 January 1986), known professionally as Zlata Ognevich ( uk, Злата Огнєвіч, Zlata Ohnievich, links=no, ), is a Ukrainian sing ...

third (), Mika Newton fourth () and

Go_A Go_A ( uk, Ґоу_Ей) is a Ukrainian electro-folk band first formed in 2012 who were set to represent Ukraine in the Eurovision Song Contest 2020 in Rotterdam, Netherlands, with the song " Solovey". Following the cancellation of the 2020 co ...

fifth (), in addition to its wins. The only countries with more top-five results in the 21st century are (12) and (10).

History

Ukraine made its debut in 2003, when

Oleksandr Ponomariov Oleksandr Ponomariov ( ua, Олександр Пономарьов; born August 9, 1973) is a Ukrainian singer. He has been awarded the country's "Singer of the Year" seven times. Ponomariov was born in Khmelnytskyi, Ukraine. One of his early ...

finished in 14th place with the song "Hasta la vista". Ukraine won the contest at the second attempt in , when

won with the song " Wild Dances", defeating second-placed Serbia and Montenegro by 17 points, 280 to 263. Later in the year, she supported the

Orange Revolution The Orange Revolution ( uk, Помаранчева революція, translit=Pomarancheva revoliutsiia) was a series of protests and political events that took place in Ukraine from late November 2004 to January 2005, in the immediate afterm ...

and became an MP for one year as part of the new president's alliance. In , Ukraine became the first

an country to win the contest twice, when

won with her song "

". The televote was won by

Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-eig ...

and the jury vote by Australia; Ukraine was second in both, but won with an overall total of 534 points, with Australia second with 511 points and Russia third with 491 points. In , Ukraine was pre-qualified for the final as hosts, however they achieved their worst result to date – 24th place with 36 points. Ukraine was absent twice from the contest, in 2015 and

2019 File:2019 collage v1.png, From top left, clockwise: Hong Kong protests turn to widespread riots and civil disobedience; House of Representatives votes to adopt articles of impeachment against Donald Trump; CRISPR gene editing first used to experim ...

, for reasons related to the ongoing conflict with Russia: * Ukrainian broadcaster NTU sat out the 2015 contest because of financial difficulties in relation to the

war in Donbas War is an intense armed conflict between states, governments, societies, or paramilitary groups such as mercenaries, insurgents, and militias. It is generally characterized by extreme violence, destruction, and mortality, using regular o ...

. However, Ukraine broadcast the contest despite not taking part. NTU pledged to bring Ukraine back to the contest for 2016, which was finalized and announced on 16 September 2015. * ''

Vidbir ''Yevrobachennia. Natsionalnyi Vidbir'' ( uk, Євробачення. Національний відбір, ; meaning ''Eurovision: National Selection''), informally known as ''Vidbir'', is a Ukrainian musical competition originally organized b ...

'', the Ukrainian national selection for the 2019 contest, was won by Maruv with " Siren Song". However, the Ukrainian broadcaster UA:PBC required any potential representative in the contest to sign a contract which would forbid them from performing in

. The winner Maruv, as well as runners-up Freedom Jazz, Kazka and Brunettes Shoot Blondes, all refused to sign the contract, leading to Ukraine's withdrawal from the contest on 27 February. In ,

won the national selection ''

'' and was set to represent Ukraine with the song " Solovey", before the contest was cancelled due to the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...

. They were instead internally selected to represent the country with the song " Shum", with which they finished in fifth place. After the contest, "Shum" entered the ''Billboard'' Global 200 at position 158, becoming the first ever Ukrainian-language song to chart there. Ukraine won the contest for a third time in , with the song " Stefania" performed by Kalush Orchestra. "Stefania" later went on to surpass the peak of "Shum" on the ''Billboard'' Global 200, charting at position 85. Since the introduction of the semi-final round in 2004, Ukraine is the only country to have qualified for the final of every Eurovision they have competed in (they were absent from the 2015 and 2019 contests).No country has always participated in the final since the introduction of semi-finals in 2004. Ukraine, despite having always reached the final, skipped the contest in 2015 and 2019. Additionally, the 2020 contest was cancelled due to the

. The "Big Five" (France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom) are also not counted in this list since they receive automatic qualification to the final. Ukraine has a total of 11 top-ten placements (among those are eight top-five placements). Ukraine's participation and success in the contest has been acknowledged as a factor in the country's growing soft power and international image.

Incidental participation

* Eduard Romanyuta, an Ukrainian from

Ternopil Ternópil ( uk, Тернопіль, Ternopil' ; pl, Tarnopol; yi, טאַרנאָפּל, Tarnopl, or ; he, טארנופול (טַרְנוֹפּוֹל), Tarnopol; german: Tarnopol) is a city in the west of Ukraine. Administratively, Ternopi ...

, represented

Moldova Moldova ( , ; ), officially the Republic of Moldova ( ro, Republica Moldova), is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by Romania to the west and Ukraine to the north, east, and south. The unrecognised state of Transnistr ...

in the

Eurovision Song Contest 2015 The Eurovision Song Contest 2015 was the 60th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest. It took place in Vienna, Austria, following the country's victory at the with the song "Rise Like a Phoenix" by Conchita Wurst. Organised by the European Broa ...

Austria Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...

. * Kseniya Simonova, from the now-Russian annexed Ukrainian territory of

Crimea Crimea, crh, Къырым, Qırım, grc, Κιμμερία / Ταυρική, translit=Kimmería / Taurikḗ ( ) is a peninsula in Ukraine, on the northern coast of the Black Sea, that has been occupied by Russia since 2014. It has a pop ...

, was a background artist for

Anna Odobescu Anna Odobescu (born 3 November 1991) is a Moldovan singer and actress. She represented her country at the Eurovision Song Contest 2019 with her song "Stay", after winning the national selection show '' O melodie pentru Europa'' on 2 March 2019. S ...

(

) in

Participation overview

The following lists Ukraine's entries for the Eurovision Song Contest along with their result.

Songs by language

Singers by place of origin

Selection process

Hostings

2023 contest

Following its victory in , Ukraine was initially given the opportunity to host the contest, however, the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) later decided that the country would not be able to host due to security concerns caused by the

2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine On 24 February 2022, in a major escalation of the Russo-Ukrainian War, which began in 2014. The invasion has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths on both sides. It has caused Europe's largest refugee crisis since World War II. ...

, making Ukraine the first country since in to win the contest but not host it the following year. The 2022 runner-up, the , will host the 2023 contest on Ukraine's behalf, and Ukraine will be granted automatic qualification for the final.

Awards

Marcel Bezençon Awards

Barbara Dex Award

Related involvement

Heads of delegation

Jury members

A five-member jury panel consisting of music industry professionals is made up for every participating country for the semi-finals and final of the Eurovision Song Contest, ranking all entries except for their own country's contribution. The juries' votes constitute 50% of the overall result alongside televoting.

Commentators and spokespersons

Stage directors

Costume designers

Gallery

File:Flickr - proteusbcn - Eurovision Song Contes 2004 - Istambul (36) cropped.jpg,

performing " Wild Dances" in

Istanbul ) , postal_code_type = Postal code , postal_code = 34000 to 34990 , area_code = +90 212 (European side) +90 216 (Asian side) , registration_plate = 34 , blank_name_sec2 = GeoTLD , blank_i ...

() File:Tina karol.jpg,

Tina Karol , native_name_lang = uk , birth_name = Tetiana Hryhorivna Liberman , birth_date = , birth_place = Orotukan, Russian SFSR, USSR , alma_mater = R. Glier Kyiv Institute of Music National Aviation University , ...

performing " Show Me Your Love" in

Athens Athens ( ; el, Αθήνα, Athína ; grc, Ἀθῆναι, Athênai (pl.) ) is both the capital and largest city of Greece. With a population close to four million, it is also the seventh largest city in the European Union. Athens dominates ...

() File:Ukraineeurovision2007.jpg,

performing "

Dancing Lasha Tumbai Dance is a performing art form consisting of sequences of movement, either improvised or purposefully selected. This movement has aesthetic and often symbolic value. Dance can be categorized and described by its choreography, by its reperto ...

" in

Helsinki Helsinki ( or ; ; sv, Helsingfors, ) is the capital, primate, and most populous city of Finland. Located on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, it is the seat of the region of Uusimaa in southern Finland, and has a population of . The city ...

() File:Ani Lorak - ESC 2008 final-2.jpg,

performing " Shady Lady" in Belgrade () File:Svitlana Loboda on the ESC 2009.jpg,

Svitlana Loboda Svitlana Serhiivna Loboda ( uk, Світлана Сергіївна Лобода; born 18 October 1982), also known by the stage name LOBODA, is a Ukrainian singer and composer. Loboda represented Ukraine in the Eurovision Song Contest 2009 and ...

performing " Be My Valentine! (Anti-Crisis Girl)" in

Moscow Moscow ( , US chiefly ; rus, links=no, Москва, r=Moskva, p=mɐskˈva, a=Москва.ogg) is the capital and largest city of Russia. The city stands on the Moskva River in Central Russia, with a population estimated at 13.0 millio ...

() File:Alyosha 01.JPG, Alyosha performing " Sweet People" in

Oslo Oslo ( , , or ; sma, Oslove) is the capital and most populous city of Norway. It constitutes both a county and a municipality. The municipality of Oslo had a population of in 2022, while the city's greater urban area had a population ...

() File:ESC2013 - Ukraine 09.jpg,

performing "

Gravity In physics, gravity () is a fundamental interaction which causes mutual attraction between all things with mass or energy. Gravity is, by far, the weakest of the four fundamental interactions, approximately 1038 times weaker than the stro ...

" in

Malmö Malmö (, ; da, Malmø ) is the largest city in the Swedish county (län) of Scania (Skåne). It is the third-largest city in Sweden, after Stockholm and Gothenburg, and the sixth-largest city in the Nordic region, with a municipal pop ...

() File:ESC2014 - Ukraine 02.jpg,

Maria Yaremchuk Mariya Nazarivna Yaremchuk ( uk, Марія Назарівна Яремчук; born 2 March 1993), also transliterated as Maria Yaremchuk, is a Ukrainian singer and actress. Yaremchuk represented Ukraine in the Eurovision Song Contest 2014 held ...

performing " Tick-Tock" in

Copenhagen Copenhagen ( or .; da, København ) is the capital and most populous city of Denmark, with a proper population of around 815.000 in the last quarter of 2022; and some 1.370,000 in the urban area; and the wider Copenhagen metropolitan ar ...

() File:ESC2016 - Ukraine 03.jpg,

performing "

" in Stockholm () File:Eurovision Song Contest 2017, Semi Final 2 Rehearsals. Photo 293.jpg, O.Torvald performing "

Time Time is the continued sequence of existence and events that occurs in an apparently irreversible succession from the past, through the present, into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequence events, ...

" in

() File:ESC2018 - Ukraine 03.jpg,

Mélovin Kostyantyn Mykolayovych Bocharov ( uk, Костянти́н Микола́йович Бочаро́в; born 11 April 1997), better known by his stage name Mélovin (stylised as MÉLOVIN; uk, Ме́ловін, links=no), is a Ukrainian singer an ...

performing "

Under the Ladder "Under the Ladder" is a song performed by Ukrainian singer Mélovin. The song was released as a digital download on 18 January 2018 through Umyh Music, and was written by Mélovin along with Mike Ryals and Anton Karskyi. It represented Ukraine in ...

" in Lisbon () File:ESC 2021 Rotterdam 1st Semi Jury Show Ukraine.jpg,

performing " Shum" in

Rotterdam Rotterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Rotte'') is the second largest city and municipality in the Netherlands. It is in the province of South Holland, part of the North Sea mouth of the Rhine–Meuse–Scheldt delta, via the ''"Ne ...

() File:Eurovision 2022 - Semi-final 1 - Ukraine - Kalush Orchestra (02).jpg, Kalush Orchestra performing " Stefania" in

Turin Turin ( , Piedmontese: ; it, Torino ) is a city and an important business and cultural centre in Northern Italy. It is the capital city of Piedmont and of the Metropolitan City of Turin, and was the first Italian capital from 1861 to 1865. The ...

()

Notes and references

Notes

References

External links

Points to and from Ukraine
''eurovisioncovers.co.uk''
Ukraine in the Eurovision Song Contest - 2010
''eurovision-ukraine.com'' {{Vidbir Countries in the Eurovision Song Contest

History

Incidental participation

Participation overview

Songs by language

Singers by place of origin

Selection process

Hostings

2023 contest

Awards

Marcel Bezençon Awards

Barbara Dex Award

Related involvement

Heads of delegation

Jury members

Commentators and spokespersons

Stage directors

Costume designers

Gallery

See also

Notes and references

Notes

References

External links