This is the first episode of our new series called Torino Throwback and we start with none other than the winners of this year’s Eurovision Song Contest, Kalush Orchestra from Ukraine!
We got the pleasure to interview the band about their time in Turin, their Eurovision experience and their future projects.

Hi Kalush Orchestra, first of all, congratulations on winning the Eurovision Song Contest! Did you expect to win ahead of the competition or was the victory a surprise for you?

First of all, we would like to express our gratitude to every country and every person who supported us and helped bring at least some good news to Ukraine.

Of course, we wanted to win, not only for ourselves, but for all Ukrainians. We believed in our song and that it was worthy of victory. I want to say that all the participants were very strong this year. I can say one thing for sure that the victory of the Kalush Orchestra at this year’s Eurovision added motivation and raised the fighting spirit of all Ukrainians to our next greatest victory over the enemy.

You are currently on the Eurovision winner Tour – what has been it like so far and which next destination are you most excited about?

We feel incredible support in every country. Our songs sing along, especially Stefania. We get a lot of attention, and that’s exactly what we need.

Thanks to creativity and participation in many concerts abroad, festivals and competitions, we have the opportunity to tell the whole world about the war in Ukraine, and all funds collected at charity concerts go to help our country. There is little time for creativity. But yes, we are working. We are planning both releases and fits. I hope they will pleasantly surprise you. Also, our main goal is for Ukrainian folklore combined with rap to be heard all over the world, we are confidently moving towards this now and confidently implementing our plan into life.

Can you sum up your Eurovision experience in a few words? What were the most beautiful and unexpected moments?

The Eurovision Song Contest is the music contest that probably has the attention of almost the entire world. And taking part in it is very responsible. Because you represent your country and are its voice on the international stage. Perhaps one of the most unexpected moments was the new friends we made among the other contestants. We are still in touch with Monika Liu, Krystian Ochman, The Rasmus and others. The most beautiful moment, probably for us personally, was standing on the Eurovision stage and hearing that we won. These emotions cannot be conveyed.

As you know, the EBU has decided to move next year’s contest to the United Kingdom! How do you feel about that decision?

Of course, we are very sad that the Eurovision Song Contest will not be held in Ukraine next year. But we are grateful to the UK for their solidarity and for agreeing to hold the event in support of our country.

We hope Eurovision 2023 will have a Ukrainian flavour and celebrate our beautiful, unique culture. We, in turn, will make all efforts to help Ukraine win next year as well, so that Eurovision 2024 can take place in a peaceful country.

Do you plan to be involved in the Eurovision Song Contest 2023? Are there any concrete ideas how?

If we decide, then everyone will definitely learn about it from our social networks, where we share all the news that is happening in the band. We think that we will visit the UK with a performance more than once.

For our readers outside of Ukraine, would you like to explain what they can do to help the people of your country?

Join rallies in support of Ukraine, and talk more about what is really happening. This helps to combat the propaganda that Russia is trying to spread. Help us end this war as soon as possible.

Would you ever consider returning to the Eurovision Song Contest as participants? Why or why not?

Participation in any competition is taken in order to compete for victory. We already have it. So let’s leave it to other artists from Ukraine.

Finally, what would you like to say to the Eurovision fans and to all Ukrainians reading this interview?

Listen to Ukrainian, support Ukraine. We will definitely win the war with our Russian enemy, and we will also invite everyone to celebrate our victory in a free country with a peaceful sky.

Thank you for the interview!

Kalush Orchestra won the Eurovision Song Contest 2022 for Ukraine, setting a new televote record of 439 points. You can re-live their winning performance here!

Which artist would you like to see in our next episode of Torino Throwback? Let us know your thoughts in the comments and on our social media profiles! @escbubble