After a week or so of the usual Ukrainian Eurovision rumbles, the winner of Vidbir won’t get to sing at the 2022 Eurovision Song Contest.
Ukrainian broadcaster UA:PBC has confirmed that Alina Pash will not represent Ukraine in Turin.
On Wednesday afternoon, in a mutual agreement between the broadcaster, the organising committee of Vidbir and the artist, it was decided that Alina’s participation in the Contest would not go ahead.
The organisers later went on to level blame at the singer’s representative for After Alina Pash was ceased from participating due to the unfortunate fact of the singer’s providing “a falsified document.”
Suspended
Ukraine’s national broadcaster UA:PBC had previously “suspended” the signing of the agreement for her to be the country’s representative at the song contest. There followed an investigation into a 2015 trip she made to Crimea, an area Russia seized control of in 2014.
Visiting Crimea can be frowned upon and there are strict rules in place over how people travel to the region. Ukrainians and foreigners are only allowed to travel there through official land checkpoints. It’s illegal under Ukrainian law to travel to Crimea via Russia.
Dirty story
Alina was less forgiving in a powerful statement issued online:
“I am a citizen of Ukraine. I follow the laws of Ukraine. I try to carry the traditions and values of Ukraine into the world. What’s been poured into this story is not at all what I put into my song.”
“I am an artist, not a politician. I do not have an army of PR people, managers, lawyers to resist all these attacks and pressure, the break-in of my social networks, the threats. And also the absolutely unacceptable words that people allow themselves without understanding the situation and forgetting about the dignity of every citizen of Ukraine. I don’t want this virtual war and hatred. The main war now is an external one, which came to my country in 2014.”
“I don’t want to be in this dirty story anymore. With a heavy heart I unfortunately withdraw my candidacy as the representative of Ukraine in the Eurovision Song Contest. I’m really sorry.”
Rules is rules
This is the second time in recent years that the winner of Ukraine’s selection show has failed to actually go to Eurovision.
According to the Vidbir rules, UA:PBC can decide on the representative of Ukraine at the 2022 Eurovision Song Contest, from the field of other finalists that participated in the national selection process on Saturday night.