🇰🇿 Meet the TES Team: Dmitriy

Before September 1st hits, and we get sucked into everything Eurovision/Junior Eurovision/Eurovision Asia, we wanted to take the opportunity to give our readers a chance to get to know our team a bit better. There’s no other way to do this other than to do a series where we introduce ourselves. The latest to join our team as a staff writer is Dima who is an international relations student from Almaty, Kazakhstan.

Name: Dmitriy Gorbatenko

Age: 20

Pronouns: He/him

You are able to follow Dima, on the following social media platforms

Instagram – @dim2toui

Tiktok – @ESCDIMA

How did I get into the Eurovision Song Contest?

The first time I saw Eurovision Song Contest was in 2017 since then was my first time when I watched the Grand Final. I couldn’t even imagine that Eurovision Song Contest is such a huge song competition. I was really obsessed with the songs from that year. Since then, I have watched ESC with my family annually. I remember the obsession which I had with Fuego by Eleni Foureira in 2018 when she represented by Cyprus (the song was so captivating, that I couldn’t even stop listening)

During the Eurovision season 2019, I discovered the world of national finals. For the first time ever I watched melodifestivalen and I was really shocked by the quality of production and the songs. Surprisingly, I’ve become the fan of national finals. Surprisingly, Eurovision Song Contest has become an important part of my life, which I never skip.

What point did I consider myself as a “Eurofan”?

I would say, probably when I started looking forward to Eurovision season and the new music from Eurovision Song Contest. Thanks to Eurovision Song Contest, I discovered the new genres, which I really like listening to. I try not to miss out on the national selections and all the news related to the Eurovision Song Contest. I even started running my TikTok account dedicated to Eurovision Song Contest, where I rank the performances and open the new genres in music. Because of this, I would say that I consider myself as a Eurofan.

What are my favourite Eurovision songs and countries?

I am drawn to music first and foremost. I would probably say that I am fascinated by the Scandinavian countries. In recent years, I have mainly listened to the songs from Finland, Norway, Sweden and Denmark. Literally, I regularly listen to the songs from the national selections, especially from these countries, and I especially adore discovering the music from different years and eras. However, I have a podium year which I really like, in fact, it’s 2023, when Loreen won the contest for the second time. I absolutely love all the songs from that year.

If I had to choose my top five songs, I would definitely choose these.

• 🇸🇪 Loreen (2023) – Tattoo
• 🇫🇮 Käärijä (2023) – Cha Cha Cha
• 🇩🇰 Sissal (2025) – Hallucination
• 🇦🇹 Kaleen (2024) – We Will Rave
• 🇳🇴 Alessandra (2023) – Queen of Kings

What are my favourite national final songs

That’s a complicated question, due to the variety of the songs that I listen to. I hope that my top 5 of the songs from national finals will not disappoint you. Here is my top 5 below:

• 🇺🇦 Jerry Heil – CATHARTICUS (prayer) (Vibir 2026 – Ukraine)
• 🇮🇹 Annalisa – Sinceramente (Sanremo 2024 – Italy)
• 🇸🇪 Meira Omar with “Hush Hush” (Melodifestivalen 2025 – Sweden)
• 🇫🇮 Erika Vikman with “Cicciolina” (Uuden Musiikin Kilpailu 2020 – Finland)
• 🇸🇪 Malou Prytz with “24K Gold” (Melodifetivalen 2025 – Sweden)

What am I looking forward to in the next Eurovision season?

I am definitely looking forward to the first Eurovision 2027 news, the announcement of the participating artists, and all the new music that will be released throughout the season. It is always exciting to follow the national selections and discover new songs from different countries.What I am looking forward to the most is visiting Bulgaria and attending the Eurovision Song Contest in May. It has been my dream for many years, and I hope to finally make it come true. Experiencing the atmosphere of Eurovision live, meeting fans from all over Europe, and being part of this unique celebration of music would be an unforgettable moment for me.

I am also excited to support my favourite artists, follow the journey of the competing countries, and create new memories connected with Eurovision. I hope the next season will bring great songs, surprises, and a lot of inspiration.

Do you agree with Dmitriy’s opinions? Be sure to follow ‘That Eurovision Site’ on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, Threads, tumblr, Bluesky, and Zoop for more information about Eurovision 2027!