It might not have been the top prize, but Ukrainian singer Zlata Ognevich was still happy to make the podium with her song “Gravity,” behind the winner Denmark and runner-up Azerbaijan. “I’ve done all that I had to and all that I could do. I’m quite satisfied with the result,” the 26 year old said.
Ognevich returned home from Malmo, Sweden, where the
contest took place, in uplifting mood. At the press conference she thanked her team,
her fans and all those that voted for her.
The Ukrainian singer admitted that she herself rooted
for the Dutch artist Anouk, who she considers to be a great performer. As for her
own votes, Ognevich claimed she didn’t harbor bad feelings towards anyone:
“I wasn’t offended with the low points, even with those
which I got from the neighboring country Russia,” Ognevich said. “I think we
should be friendly to each other instead of getting offended, as we are the
nearest and the dearest. This is a contest. I clearly understand that it’s impossible
to be appealing to everyone.”
The artist added that she received lots of support and
presents from other Eurovision participants. For instance, Belarus treated her
with national sweets. Lithuania sent her an armful of flowers with note, which
contained congratulations and a great deal of compliments.
At the end of the day, this year’s Eurovision song
contest was a great success for Ukraine. And not just for Ognevich, but for the
National Television and Radio Broadcasting Company as well.
According to Oleksandr Panteleimonov, temporary acting
CEO of The First National Channel that broadcasted the contest, the voting
process hit a record high share of the audience, with 25 percent of viewers
aged 18 years and older.
“I’m convinced that Ukraine got all chances to come
first. The only reason it didn’t happen was the absence of gas and oil in
Ukraine,” said deputy CEO of First National Channel Valid Arfush, in an
elliptic reference to the notorious politics that come with each Eurovision
vote.
Now Ognevich plans take a break and recover after a
rigorous schedule and many sleepless nights spent preparing for the contest. Her
next goal is releasing her first album, which she’s been working on since 2011.
Kyiv Post intern Tetiana Kyryliuk can be reached at
[email protected].
