Russia applied to participate in Eurovision-2017 in Kyiv
Russia has applied for participation in the 2017 Eurovision International Song Contest, reported the Eurovision website.
The contest will take place in Kyiv, and a record number of singers are scheduled to participate. The report says that 43 participants have confirmed their participation, including Russia.
“We are happy that 43 national artists applied for participation in the Eurovision 2017 contest, which has become a record,” the organizers of the contest noted.
Earlier, Ukraine called for the participation of Russian artists at Eurovision to be restricted. In particular, the Verkhovna Rada deputy Anton Herashchenko said that only artists who “understand that the annexation of the Crimea and occupation of the Donbas is a crime” can participate the contest.
A Ukrainian singer, Anastasia Prikhodko, proposed putting security guards on the Russian delegation at Eurovision 2017, Apostrophe reported. According to Prikhodko, it would protect Ukraine from provocations by Russians.
“The delegation from Russia, as usual, will be aggressive, provocative. What for? In order to provoke media so that they start to talk about them. We should be ready for this. But again, the contest will be held on the left bank [of the Dnieper]? So, let the Russian delegation be on the right one. Let them [the delegation] be taken here with security guards and taken back with security as well,” the singer said.
At Eurovision 2016 in Stockholm, Ukrainian singer Jamala won the contest with her song “1944” about the deportation of the Crimean Tatars. The participant from Russia, Sergey Lazarev, took third place.
After that Ukraine won the right to host Eurovision 2017. The final round of the contest will take place in Kyiv.
The Ukrainian Ministry of Culture’s so-called black list includes several dozens of Russian actors, musicians and film directors who, according to Kyiv, pose a threat to the national security of Ukraine. Among them are Iosif Kobzon, Oleg Tabakov, Grigory Leps, Alexander Rosenbaum, Dmitry Kharatyan, Stas Piekha, Lev Leshchenko, Sergey Bezrukov, Ivan Okhlobystin and others.
Ukraine also has a white list. It includes, in particular, Andrey Makarevich, Yuri Shevchuk and Liya Akhedzhakova. The Ukrainian Ministry of Culture stresses that this list is “a token of appreciation and respect to those citizens of foreign countries who were brave enough to be on the side of truth, justice and simple human conscience.”