Ukraine at Eurovision 2025: Members of the Ziferblat band have not yet received approval from the Ukrainian government to leave the country to participate in the Eurovision competition.
The members of Ziferblat, who are expected to represent Ukraine at Eurovision 2025, have not yet received permission to leave their country. The band consists of three men of conscription age, and due to the security situation and the war in Ukraine, they have encountered bureaucratic difficulties on their way to the big stage in Basel, Switzerland.
Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the country has been under martial law, requiring all men of conscription age to remain in the country for possible mobilization. However, some artists were allowed to leave the country in the past three years for charity performances worldwide. At the end of February, the Ukrainian government stopped these authorizations, claiming that some artists used this loophole to leave the country permanently. On March 5, the Cabinet of Ministers approved an update to the rules that would allow artists to leave Ukraine. Among these rules, artists must return within sixty days after crossing the country’s borders, provided they have received “urgent status.”
On the Telegram channel of the Ukrainian national broadcaster “Suspilne Kultura”, which reports on cultural news from Ukraine and the world and is also responsible for broadcasting Eurovision in Ukraine, it was written that “the issue was discussed at the meeting of the Committee on Humanitarian and Information Policy. Deputy Minister of Culture Hryhorenko said that ‘a solution has been found’.” The source added that the band will not have urgent status, but “we will think about how to send them.”
Meanwhile, the song expected to represent Ukraine at Eurovision 2025 has not yet been uploaded to the official Eurovision YouTube channel, despite other competing songs being uploaded shortly after their selection and reveal. It is unclear at this stage whether there is a connection between this news and the fact that the song has not yet been uploaded to the official YouTube channel.
Ukraine in Eurovision 2025
“Bird of Pray” is the name of the song that will be performed by Ziferblat, representing Ukraine in the first semi-final of Eurovision 2025, to be held on May 13 in Basel, Switzerland. The song was written by the three band members: Valentyn Leshchynskyi, Danylo Leshchynskyi, and Fedir Khodakov. This is the band members’ first song on the Eurovision stage. The song is performed in English and Ukrainian.
The song “Bird of Pray” deals with hope and a plea for life, love, and freedom in difficult times. The band asks the addressee (the bird or the beloved) to fly, live, and share their heart with someone who cares. There’s a sense of longing for freedom and deep human connection. The song combines feelings of nostalgia, hope, and a request for care and love, using the powerful imagery of a flying bird as a symbol of freedom and hope.
Currently, Ukraine is ranked 10th in the betting tables for Eurovision 2025.
Ziferblat – Who are you?
The Ukrainian band Ziferblat was formed in 2015 and consists of three members: Valentyn Leshchynskyi (guitarist), Danylo Leshchynskyi (lead vocalist), and Fedir Khodakov (drummer). The band has released about nine singles, one EP (in 2017), and an album called “Peretvorennia”. They attempted to represent Ukraine at Eurovision 2023 but didn’t make it to the final. In 2024, they competed in the national selection with the song “Place I Call Home“, finishing second.
Source: Wiwibloggs
Eurovision 2025: This will be Ukraine’s 20th participation in the Eurovision Song Contest. Ukraine joined the competition in 2003 and has won it three times. Ukraine’s last victory was in Eurovision 2022 with the song “Stefania” performed by Kalush Orchestra.
