Ukraine’s act for Eurovision 2023, TVORCHI, have revealed they are striving to get an exit permit to leave the country and promote their entry – “Heart of Steel”.
Why an exit permit is needed
TVORCHI won Ukraine’s selection for Eurovision 2023, Vidbir, back in December. The duo’s song “Heart of Steel” was the first song of the season to be released. Following their win, the band fine-tuned the entry and released the revamp ahead of the submissions deadline.
However, in an interview with Suspilne Media, the band said they are struggling to obtain the exit permit to leave Ukraine. As we know, Ukraine is currently at war with neighbouring Russia. As a result, martial law is in place preventing all men aged 18 to 60 from leaving the country. This means that in order to leave Ukraine, the two men have to get special permission to promote their song. This is in a similar vein to Kalush Orchestra, who were given special leave from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
TVORCHI were asked what promotional events are they looking to attend. The duo responded:
We were invited to Amsterdam, Barcelona and London. We have a calendar, and new events are constantly being added to it. But now everything is in question, because it is impossible to leave the country. If the issue is not resolved, our promotional campaign may not take place. We need to get permission from the Ministry of Culture to leave.
TVORCHI, Ukrainian entry for Eurovision 2023
Following this, TVORCHI announced they will be present for the Barcelona Eurovision Party, set to take place on March 25th. The remaining two pre-parties are yet to be updated with information regarding their participation.
Ukraine’s Eurovision journey
Ukraine is one of the most successful countries to participate in the Eurovision Song Contest. The country has scored eight top-five placements, with an extra three top-ten finishes. Ukraine won the Contest in 2004 with Ruslana’s “Wild Dances” and again in 2016 with Jamala’s “1944”. Jamala’s win made history for Ukraine, as it became the first ex-Soviet country to win the Contest more than once.
In 2022, Kalush Orchestra represented Ukraine in the 66th edition of the Contest with their song “Stefania”. The band scored 614 points, finishing in first place, marking Ukraine’s third victory.
What do you think of the news from TVORCHI? Should the band be given the exit permit to promote “Heart of Steel”? As always, let us know what you think by commenting below. Also, be sure to follow “That Eurovision Site” on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Tiktok as we look ahead to Eurovision 2023!
News Source: Suspilne Media
Photo Credit: UA:PBC / Michael Fedorak
