The Ukrainian metropolis of Ternopil was attacked by Russian forces yesterday (Could 13), it’s been reported, simply minutes earlier than native band TVORCHI took to the stage at this yr’s Eurovision Music Contest.
The digital music duo – comprised of producer Andrii Hutsuliak and vocalist Jimoh Kehinde – carried out their track ‘Coronary heart Of Metal’ at this yr’s contest, inserting sixth within the ultimate tally with 243 votes. Simply 10 minutes earlier than their efficiency went down, reviews of Ternopil being bombed began to emerge. In response to the BBC, the town was struck with missiles fired by Russian forces.
Volodymyr Trush, the top of Ternopil’s regional state administration, reportedly said that two individuals had been injured; mayor Serhiy Nadal mentioned warehouses within the space had been additionally broken.
Following their efficiency, TVORCHI stood onstage holding a card branded with the town’s title. In a put up explaining the transfer on Instagram, they wrote: “Ternopil is the title of our hometown, which was bombed by Russia whereas we sang on the Eurovision stage about our metal hearts, indomitability and can.
“This can be a message for all cities of Ukraine which might be shelled day by day. Kharkiv, Dnipro, Khmelnytskyi, Kyiv, Zaporizhzhia, Uman, Sumy, Poltava, Vinnytsia, Odesa, Mykolaiv, Chernihiv, Kherson and all others. Europe, unite in opposition to evil for the sake of peace! GLORY TO UKRAINE!”
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‘Coronary heart Of Metal’ can also be topically related, because it’s mentioned to be impressed by the Ukrainian troops that tried to battle again in opposition to Russian forces on the Azovstal plant in Mariupol. In a tweet responding to the efficiency, Melinda Simmons (the UK’s ambassador to Ukraine) wrote: “The staging was good. And poignant as their college residence city of Ternopil was focused by [Russian] missiles this eve.”
She later wrote in a put up accompanied by a photograph of herself posing with Hutsuliak and Kehinde: “Commiserations to [Ukraine]. However these guys carried out minutes after their college residence city had been bombed by [Russia]. You will have courageous hearts. That’s a win sufficient for anyone.”
Tvorchi 🇺🇦 def win the prize for graphics. The staging was good. And poignant as their college residence city of Ternopil was focused by 🇷🇺 missiles this eve.
— Dame Melinda Simmons (@MelSimmonsFCDO) Could 13, 2023
Commiserations to 🇺🇦. However these guys carried out minutes after their college residence city had been bombed by 🇷🇺. You will have courageous hearts. That’s a win sufficient for anyone #Eurovision pic.twitter.com/pMX3xarnhJ
— Dame Melinda Simmons (@MelSimmonsFCDO) Could 14, 2023
In a put up shared on Fb, Nadal responded to TVORCHI’s onstage message: “Thanks, as a result of your speech has turn out to be a logo of not solely the unity of the nation, however of the entire world,” he wrote (as translated from Ukrainian). “Let everybody bear in mind our defenders, volunteers, docs, youngsters and all civilians who had been taken by Russian rockets.”
Eurovision 2023 was held in Liverpool final night time, eschewing the competitors’s standard format (the place every iteration is held within the residence nation of the earlier winner). Ukraine band Kalush Orchestra gained final yr’s occasion, nevertheless the Jap European nation was not permitted to host this yr’s because of security considerations.
Kalush Orchestra opened the grand ultimate ceremony yesterday with a efficiency of their successful Eurovision 2022 track, ‘Stefania’. Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy was barred from talking on the occasion because of its “strict guidelines” prohibiting Eurovision from getting used to platform political statements.
