Since it’s debut in the Eurovision Song Contest in 2003; the Ukraine has become one of the most successful countries in the history of the contest!
Their statistics read like a long list of accolades, more associated by a professional wrestler, boxer, or mixed martial artist. These accolades include:
- Finishing in the Top 10 eleven times,
- Finishing in the Top 5 eight times,
- One third place finish in 2013,
- Two back to back second places finishes in 2007 and 2008,
- Winning the contest three times in 2004, 2016, and 2022,
- Being the first country to win it three times since the start of the Millennium, and
- Being the only country outside the ‘Big Five‘ since the introduction of the semi-finals to qualify for every final it has competed in.
This list of achievements makes the Ukraine a Eurovision Powerhouse, and one of the most consistent performers in recent memory. So, with the next contest just around the corner (tomorrow in fact), and with the Ukraine winning last year’s contest (and sadly not being able to host it), I thought I would choose my Top 5 Favourite songs from The Ukraine. Memorable and honorable mentions include:
Choices: Tina Karol, Ani Lorak, Zlata Ognevich, Mariya Yaremchuk, and Go_A 2021.
And so without further ado, here are my Top 5 Favourite Songs from The Ukraine at the Eurovision Song Contest; Enjoy!
5. Kalush Orchestra – Stefania – From the outset, Stefania starts out very cultural, and you expect to hear something very traditional. But then in comes the rap, which changes the song’s pace, which then leads down the route of combing styles to continually feature the traditional riff, but at the same time combine them with more modern styles of music, creating an incredibly infectious and memorable tune, which includes the terrific horn/pipe lead instrumental. However, if trying to remember the tune from memory alone, you can easily drift into the song that Moldova entered in 2017!
4. Go_A – Solovey – OK, so the problem with doing this post is that whilst the Ukraine has entered some terrific songs over the years; for me, only three really stood out. They are of course incredibly strong entries, but in order to do a top 5, I had to do some research, and in that research, I discovered this song. Immediately the song stands out as something unlike any other. From the outset, the song sounds similar in lyrical style to Dolls’ Polyphony from Akira. It’s a song which is rather hard to pin down, but it carries that real jenesaisquoi about it. It’s a song with a unique point of view and performance, and the joy of it all is that it continues, carrying on, being different in a sea of similarity, as the contest has a habit of featuring one specific style each year, but instead of following, this song chooses it’s own route, and becomes as unique as possible!
3. Verka Serduchka – Dancing Lasha Tumbai – Quite possibly the Ukraine’s best known entry (at least until Kalush Orchestra), and it’s well known for many reasons. In general, it’s a real lively and cheerful tune, one that you can’t help but get pumped up about, and are constantly resisting the desire to jump out of your seat to run around to (and or dance to as well). It’s just a fun and really enjoyable tune, the kind of thing you are going to really struggle to forget about, you might as well just stop trying to, it’s never going away!
2. Jamala – 1944 – When I first heard this song, I didn’t think much of it to be honest, I actually forgot which song it was until it won, then remembered; but you can’t ignore it forever. It’s a really emotional and powerful song about something that actually happened. The performance is aided to great effect by the stage lighting which uses it to great effect in the finale, but all the while this is going on, you can’t help but notice the emotion in the singer, ranging from tears, to anger, on repeat. The tune features some terrific effects too, and when all wrapped together, it’s not really a Eurovision entry, but more an Academy Award winning performance, topped off with that incredible scream!
1. Ruslana – Wild Dances – You never forget your first victory, and what a way to win for the first time. All the songs above are really terrific, but this song is almost in a league of it’s own. It’s sort of a precursor to Loreen’s win in 2012, featuring an electric dance routine to the song, to make not just a song, but an entire performance. It features an infectious tune, backed with some traditional instruments to create a modern sound. It’s lively, energetic, still allowing for a pause to catch your breath for the big finale. It’s simply put…kind of AMAZING!
Things I Like 
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