Mariya Yaremchuk is much more than your average pop star. Ukraine’s 2014 representative may have won our Sabina Babayeva Award for Best Dressed, but beneath the singing fashionista exterior is a highly politicised and intelligent young woman. Throughout the Eurovision campaign she was always forthright in her views on the conflict between her homeland and Russia, firmly siding with Kiev. During an in-depth interview, she told us that she was fighting for 46 million Ukrainians, while on the red-carpet she dressed entirely in black as a mark of respect to those who had been killed.
Now, as the crisis enters its tenth month, the “Tick Tock” singer is undertaking a tour of military bases, in a bid to rally the weary troops. She has been documenting the whole thing on Instagram and we’ve included a selection of her posts below. To see the rest click HERE.
While the sight of Mariya wielding a gun, may shock some, bear in mind that such propaganda is common place in all wars. Even supposedly politically correct nations like the UK do it – for instance the squeaky clean Welsh soprano Katherine Jenkins is often shipped out for similar photo ops with British soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Mariya isn’t the only former Eurovision star to weigh in on the crisis – Gaitana, Ani Lorak and Ruslana, have all had their say, with Ruslana even taking her fight to the White House, in Washington.
I drop a leave a response when I appreciate a post on a site or I have something to valuable to contribute to the conversation. Usually it’s triggered by the sincerness displayed in the article I looked at. And after this post blog topic. I was actually moved enough to drop a thought 🙂 I actually do have 2 questions for you if you tend not to mind. Is it only me or does it look like a few of the remarks look as if they are left by brain dead visitors? 😛 And, if you are posting at other… Read more »
I’m sure Putin’s going to completely love this…
I wonder what Alyosha’s reaction would be to all this. “Sweet People” would’ve looked quite timely in 2014, although it was written about a totally different subject.
OMG George I <3 you. 😉 Amen
Oh guys don’t undertake with politics. Let’s try to solve the mystery. Will Donatella design the fall-winter uniforms of the Ukranian soldiers???
@Padraig – And the western countries, namely the EU and the USA are supporting the pro-western troops. War is war. Just because it so happens that based on your political views Ukraine needs to side with the west doesn’t mean that everyone feels that way including half of Ukraine’s population. But, again, that’s beyond the point. She’s kissing a soldier and she’s holding a gun and smiling. Guns kill people! Like I said again, artists should promote peace not war.
@Padraig
Questioning what values a celebrity holding guns is promoting is very reasonable, don’t you think?
@Vladimir – Eh no! I never said that! What you’re suggesting would be genocide. My interpretation from the image is that she’s supporting the troops of her nation which is under attack. The pictures may be misguided but I don’t think it’s up to those of us outside the crisis to climb up on our high horses and pass judgement.
@Padraig
You are quite biased. I would not like to see anyone holding a gun (including my own mother). She’s a public personality. What kind of message is she sending with this? “Take guns and shoot our ethnic Russians”?
@Leon well arguably it’s more than a civil war as the rebels are being bank rolled by Putin, and the Russian army is an ever present threat. And while images like these are uncomfortable, they’re just another part of war. In an ideal world we wouldn’t see these kinds of things but unfortunately the world is far from ideal.
@Vladimir – Exactly what I thought. Honestly, I think artists should promote peace. And @Padraig – Ukraine is a special case because half of the country is pro-Russian and half of the country is pro-Western, so who’s to say “someone is invading our country”. It’s a civil war.
@Archeops She sypports defending her country from foreign invaders – there’s a difference!
She supports killing people… It’s very bad.
Me gusto mucho esta chica y su acto en ESC 2014,buena cantante,bella,puesta en escena brillante y actitud,¡thick thock al principio no me decia nada,pero en conjunto una actuacion a la autura de ESC siglo 21
Is she Donatella VERSACE the blonde “girl” in front of the Ukranian flag???
Good for her (even if Ruslana’s probably thinking, “Oh, that’s cute”). I thought that Mariya was a member of the pro-Russia party in Ukraine, so this is quite interesting.
Smiling while holding a gun? That’s really creepy.