In February, shortly after winning Ukraine’s national selection show Vidbir, she resigned as Ukraine’s representative for Eurovision 2022. Now, shortly after releasing the music video for her winning track “Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors,” Alina Pash has told Muzvar all about her song and those forged documents that unleashed one of the biggest controversies in her country’s Eurovision history.
As you’ll recall, Alina sought to convey a powerful statement in a compact song. But her Eurovision journey spiralled into a huge drama. After weeks of rumours about her alleged visit to Crimea via Russia in 2015, Alina fell victim to her own past and the pressures of the contest.
Less than a week after Ukraine’s selection, people began to question whether Alina had legally visited Crimea. A document that supposedly confirmed her legal border crossing appeared to be forged — forcing the broadcaster to relieve her of her duties.
Speaking about that moment seven months later, Alina told Muzvar she’s on good terms with the broadcaster Suspilne.
“All processes are still happening. I’m concerned with them. I am absolutely open to [answer] anything.”
“We are in touch with Suspilne, in a normal relationship. I understand them, they understand me. Everything is already fully clear.”
“The only thing is that the National Police has to respond to the moment that they submitted the documents.”
Since the incident, Alina has parted ways with her manager who reportedly had a role in acquiring and handling the forged documents.
Although they are officially still in the process of separating legally, their “moral” relationship ended in February, she says. However, already before the contest, things had not been going smoothly between the two.
Since putting the drama mostly behind her, Alina has performed across Europe to support causes for her home country and is planning to work on more music.
This song actually DESERVED to win. If Ukraine was going to win anyways, this should’ve been the one.
I don’t agree, I think the one from Kalush Orchestra is MUCH more catchy!! 😀
her song was so good , such a masterpiece , such a shame she didnt get to go to turin , i reckob she would of won ( i would of been way happier to see her win , not hate to kalsh though! )
I know this is probably not gonna happen but I’d love it if Ukraine sent her for 2023 with another masterpiece such as this one ? especially if they are to win again lmao
Unless if I don’t comprehend it correctly… Despite being on good terms there’s still suspicion about her and the whole ‘forged documents’ fiasco, people seem *really* willing to forgive her… When in reality she still practically breaks the national law with that whole ordeal. Not really sure why there’s so much empathy for it just because her song was interesting, but I rarely comprehend the minds of other people anyway.
Lots of Eurofans pick and choose who they condemn based on whether they like the song or artist.
And you can find such kind of Eurofans outside of Wiwibloggs (most of them on YouTube and Eurovision Fans Facebook group). Strange how such Eurofans are almost absent in Wiwibloggs.
Those sorts of Eurofans exist everywhere, including here.
Isn’t that true of everything everywhere? Actors, writers, sportspeople, politics. People just don’t want to believe bad things about people they love.
Exactly, it’s hardly unique to Eurovision, though it is magnified in a fandom dedicated to a competition. But our liking someone is not the determining factor in whether their actions were wrong.
The Eurovision winner that never was.
I felt really sorry for Alina after Vidbir. Kalush treated her so bad and their fans attacked her online until she withdrew. I hope she’ll represent Ukraine one day at Eurovision, I’m not sure if Ukrainians have forgiven her or not, but she deserves to be on that stage.
I think this would have won by an even bigger margin than Stefania – war or no war.
Definitely. Alina would’ve done much better with the jury compared to Kalush.
And may have even impacted the 2nd and 3rd placings
Alina ft Maruv for Eurovision 2023 – Lets do this
Throw in Freedom Jazz and KAZKA as backing vocalists too!
They stood by Maruv and declined to go to Eurovision when asked.
Yeah we can have 6 people on Stage, so all of them are welcome 😉
But maybe Maruv ft Svetlana Loboda haha
They will sing “Uncomfortable question”
Lets do this then!
We’ve lost some really special Eurovision songs from the Ukraine for such reasons and I hope whatever steps need to be put in place to avoid it happening again are. It’s quite hard, as an outsider, to say who is in the wrong exactly…but these things should definitely be investigated and concluded much earlier than what happened in Alina and Maruv’s cases.
Hopefully that doesn’t mean she’ll get to represent Ukraine next year. Please no.
Good for her. The drama happening last year seems insignificant in light of the current crisis. Hopefully the situation will be resolved amicably in the end.
I can’t agree. What’s happening now only shows how important the laws she ignored were.
I’m so happy she never got to ESC.
Ngl I was fine with Kalush until they politicized their entry
How so?
I think Kalush did a wonderful job, and I really like their entry : )
But they would NEVER have won if it wasn’t for the war. They had instead received a bad placement
But they would have done well in the contest either way as Ukraine has always been a solid powerhouse and their record in the contest can attest to that.
An unbroken semifinal qualification streak, majority of entries reaching top 10 and a good fraction making podium finishes.
They would’ve been top 10-5 anyway
The song never changed, only your perception.
And the way they promoted it, they’re well aware that they won out of pity votes
Given the circumstances but it’s a new precedence as the same situation was faced before with Croatia and Bosnia when they both debuted in 1993 in the midst of war during that period.
Regardless, it was bound to do well as Ukraine has a strong track record of entries who do extemely well in the contest proven by their 5th place finish the year before.