Scandals around Eurovision 2025: Which participants have a Russian connection

Tomorrow, May 13th, the first semi -finals of the Eurovision Song Contest 2025 will take place, in which representative of Ukraine, the band ZiFerBlat, will perform with the song “Bird of Pray”. Unnight Has collected the most interesting scandals with the competition and reminded of the participants who have a Russian trace.

Criticism of the stage costumes of the Ukrainian band ZIFERBLAT

At the beginning of May, the band ZiFerBlat revealed what their costumes would look like for the performance. The costume designer was the famous Ukrainian fashion designer Ivan Frolov, who worked with the World Stars with Jennifer Lopez, Beyoncé and Katy Perry.

However, the first reaction of the Ukrainians was extremely negative, many were outraged by the election of the artists.

The criticism of the design of the costumes settled on the photos and videos of the band on Instagram. People also liked the staging of the number and way of what the stage looks like. Many asked to return the flowers. In general, people wrote:

“I understand that there will be no staging? Damn, I liked it when it comes to the selection”

“Did you remove the grass? It was so beautiful when choosing”

“Where are the flowers at the final of the National Selection ????”

“I respect Cyferov, but the costumes are terrible!”

“This is garbage”

“I don't want my country to be represented by leaky, female men. It is a shame, people”

“Change the costumes. Some minorities. A country in the war. Traditions, courage, strength, strength, will, it's not about them. Only a lower position. Spanish shame and surprise why adapt to everyone instead of leading”

Such comments indicate that the Ukrainian society unfortunately does not become tolerant as quickly as we want and there is a certain stigma in the minds of some people.

However, there are also enough commentators who liked the costumes and support the artists. Many people compliments and were pleasantly impressed by the boys' looks.

But there is another scandal about the costumes of the band “Cyferblat”.

The band's former stylist, Oleg-Rodion Shurygin-Grekalov, who created the boys' looks for five years, allegedly terminated unethical treatment by her label and her violation of the professional agreements.

In his Tikok account, the stylist explained that after winning the national selection, he was supposedly suddenly removed from further work without proper explanation.

I was promised that we will continue to work together and go to Basel to represent Ukraine

He noticed that he did not work with the band during the national selection in 2024.

The stylist explained that the management of the Geisha Ninja Samurai label immediately treated him negatively.

“Alina, the manager, wanted me not to join the team, but tried to pretend that she was very positive with me. I owe this year's collaboration of the band and the former Art Director Tetyana, who was also fired very painfully and scandalously in December, shortly before our work on the national selection,” said Shourygin -Grecalov.

The stylist also claims that his personal wardrobe can often be seen in “cyferblat “'s look and worked at reduced prices because the budget was limited.

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Allegations of the Fiїnkas song on the national selection 2025

The performer Fiїnka, who took part in the national selection and made it up to the top 10, was accused of plagiating the song “Culture” and pointed out the similarity to the Track Rosalía “Con altura”.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U0VD9FXAZ5Shttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p7bfozek9t4

The music producer of this year's national selection for Eurovision, Tina Karol, defended the singer and explained that “there is no similarity between the songs in terms of speed, harmony, rhythm or content! Many of them, thanks to the conscious) are not competent.

Scandal around the representative of Georgia Mariam Shengelia

The singer Mariam Shengelia, who represents Georgia at Eurovision this year, was caught in a scandal because of her support for the Pro-Russian reigning party “Georgian Dream”. She took part in advertising videos and concerts to support the party 2023-2024.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c3wu0dund4c

Censorship by Miriana Cions Song from Malta due to play on words

This year Malta is represented by singer Miriana Conte at Eurovision.

The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) banned the Maltese word Kant, which was used in the texts of her song by the representative of Malta, Miriana Conte. The song itself was called Kant.

The fact is that the word “Kant” translates from Malteser as “vocals”, but for the English -language audience it is very consonant with the English slang “C*nt”, which is used in an offensive way to relate to female genitals.

As a result, a new name was selected – serves.

Finland demands to change performance due to sexual content

Also under censorship was the representative of Finland at Eurovision 2025, Erika Vikman. The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) asked you to change the stage number because it is supposedly “too sexual”. The requirements concerned their costume and staging itself. The video shows the staging and the picture they wanted to change.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KG3QOTPNQYW

Outrage about Estonia's song and his performer Tommy Cash

Unfortunately, Eurovision will have a “Russian trace” this year. This refers to the scandalous artist Tommy Cash, who is represented by Estonia at Eurovision 2025 with the song “Espresso Macchiato”.

The video for the competition song was created by a team of representatives from Ukraine and Russia. The video operator was the Ukrainian Dmytro Nedrya, who filmed the famous film “I, Pobeda and Berlin” based on the history of Kuzma Skriabin. The choreographer was Kostiantyn Koval. And the producer of the video is the Russian Alina Pyazok, who previously worked with Russian artists.

This is not the first collaboration of Tommy Cash with Russians. In 2015, the singer recorded a video with the Russian band Little Big, which should represent Russia at Eurovision 2020, which did not take place due to the Coronavirus pandemic.

In 2021 the artist visited the temporarily occupied Crimea, and in 2022 he refused to express a clear position on the full invasion.

In addition, Tommy Cash published a shared track with the scandalous Dutch rapper Joost Klein, who was disqualified by Eurovision last year. In the joint song “United by Music” they criticized the European Broadcasting Union.

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They also decided to combine the incompatible cynical and brazen. In the song they mention Ukraine and Russia. “We want peace, they want war”, “I want to fly to Kyiv and go to Moscow” – The artists sing.

Tommy Cash was born in Tallinn in an area where many Russian speakers live. His mother is half Ukrainian and his grandmother has a Russian passport.

Cash himself said he feels half Estonian and half Russian.

Criticism of the representative of Austria Johannes Pich for the support of Anna Netrebko

Austria is represented by singer Johannes Pich, who appears under the pseudonym JJ. He was caught in a scandal for his love and support for the Russian opera singer Anna Netrebko.

The network found evidence of the admiration of the singer Pich for the artist who actively supports the Putin regime and the war against Ukraine.

Johannes also admitted that he is often inspired by Netrebko to create new compositions. His competition track “Wasted Love”, with which he is represented by Austria at Eurovision, was no exception.

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Scandal about the song of the representative of Ireland, written by a Russian author

When the topic of the Russian trace continued, it turned out that the representative of Ireland in Eurovision, Emmi, will sing a song that was written by a Russian woman.

One of the authors of the song “Laika Party” is Russian Larisa Tormi (Vildanova), who currently lives in Ireland.

The composition itself glorifies the tragic history of the dog Laika, which the USSR sent to space in 1953.

Language scandal in Poland about a song in dialect with Ukrainian words

During the national selection for Eurovision in Poland, a language dispute broke out online via a song that made it until the final.

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The duo SW@X Niczos submitted a mixture of Polish, Ukrainian and Belarusian languages ​​to the competition with the song “Lusterka”, which is written in the podlasia dialect.

Despite the fact that many Poles appreciated the song, there were also critics. Some even accused the duo of supposedly giving in the growing Ukrainian minority in Poland.

Pudelek noticed that one of the commentators claimed that, according to his grandmother, most phrases were Ukrainian or Polesian dialects. Others stated that “this has nothing to do with our beautiful Poland”.

The duo SW@X Niczos has not won the national selection and Poland is represented by Justyna Steczkowska with the song “Gaja”.

Opening ceremony of Eurovision 2025 and Palestine

The opening ceremony of the Eurovision Song Contest 2025 took place in the Swiss city of Basel on May 12th. According to the official website of Eurovision 2025, the event near the Basel town hall began and extended across the historic bridge, which led to the Basel exhibition center trade fair. During the procession, thousands of fans and media representatives saw 37 participating delegations.

It must be added that the opening ceremony of Eurovision 2025 was accompanied by pro-Palestinian actions. A group of propalestinian activists even managed to block the tram, in which the delegation from Israel was sitting for a short time.

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