Ukraine's Eurovision win
Why Europe's biggest pop fest meant so much to Oleh Psuik and his band, the Kalush Orchestra.
For Oleh Psiuk and his band, the Kalush Orchestra, Europe's biggest pop fest was much more than just a singing competition. Their winning song 'Stefania' - an ode to Oleh's mother that combines rap, hip hop and folk music - became an anthem for the spirit of Ukrainian identity, and defiance in the face of war. The word 'mother' become 'motherland' - and TikTok was awash with Ukrainians chanting the chorus.
The band, made up of six young men, struggled to rehearse and film a music video in war-torn towns where electricity, gas and food were hard to come by. They were given special permits to leave Ukraine - as men of their age are duty bound to stay and help the war effort.
Viktoriia Zhuhan - from the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ's Ukrainian service - travelled with them from the battlefields of Irpin to the competition final in Italy. For 5 Minutes On, they shared with her their feelings about not going to the front line to fight for their country - and why they feel their music is such an important way of keeping the plight of Ukraine in the world spotlight.
Photo credit: MARCO BERTORELLO via Getty Images
