Timur Miroshnychenko: one of many brave journalists broadcasting from secret underground bunkers
In a time of war, Eurovision gives battered people something to smile about, with Melbourne’s Ukrainian community full of support.
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“Music is about life – if you want to live, you have to sing.”
From an undisclosed location somewhere in Ukraine, Timur Miroshnychenko, told Leader how symbolic Eurovision is for Ukrainians.
A far cry from a usual shiny studio, the Ukrainian commentator has been seen streaming the song contest from a bomb shelter, a necessary move for all media outlets among the rubble of war.
“One of the first targets of Russia was Ukrainian TV stations and towers. They hit a TV station in Kyiv in the first week of their attack and five people died,” Mr Miroshnychenko said.
“After that, all Ukrainian TV stations and crews moved underground.”
Juxtapositioned with the violent ongoing conflict in Ukraine, the glitz and glamour of Eurovision provided a shining light for Ukrainians living in adversity.
Music has been a symbol of hope and a way to move forward for Ukrainians throughout the last 80 days of war. Mr Miroshnychenko said it was a way to “give power back to our people”.
“You can google a lot of videos from the last 80 days, even soldiers and wounded people across the country, they are singing,” he said.
“[Eurovision] is very important for people in Ukraine. This is like a ray of hope for all — it’s a symbol of the peaceful life that we had before February 24.
“After the first semi-final, I received thousands of messages from the audience, thanking me and our team that we continued to do this.”
Ukrainian participant, Kalush Orchestra entered with their song Stefania, and proved a popular winner.
Professor Marko Pavlyshyn noted the power of submitting a song completely in Ukrainian.
“This will be the first ever entry in only Ukrainian,” he said.
“This is certainly the main gesture in the song, because it demonstrates that people don’t have to follow the words to understand the meaning behind it.”
“Music can be a motivating force, and certainly is in this case.”
Transcending words with emotion the song has turned into an anthem for Ukrainians.
“Before February 24, this was a song just was just another song about a mother. Now it’s an anthem for all the mothers of Ukraine – for those who are trying to get their children to safe places, to protect them from war,” Mr Miroshnychenko. said
Liana Slipetsky from the Noble Park branch of the Association of Ukrainians in Victoria mirrored this sentiment, noting the importance of the platform for the Ukrainian community.
“Eurovision has been an incredibly important event for Ukrainians. We often see it is a very patriotic way to spread the message,” she said.
