Belarus

IVAN

© EBU/Yhomas Hanses About Quick Facts NameAlexander Ivanov Born29 October 1994 Nationality🇧🇾 Belarusian National SelectionBelarusian National Final 2016 In Eurovision2016 Stockholm SongHelp You Fly (2016) Biography Alexander Viktorovich Ivanov, also known by his stage name IVAN, is a Belarusian singer. He was born on October 29, 1994, in Homel, Belarus. At the age of eight, he began studying guitar at a music school. When he was fifteen, he formed a rock band called Brown Velvet where he served as the vocalist and guitarist. He initially enrolled in a linguistic institute but dropped out after two years. In 2009, Ivanov auditioned for the Mass Medium Fest and subsequently moved to St. Petersburg with his band Ivanov. They recorded several songs and he also played the lead role in the musical Romeo and Juliet. In 2013, Ivanov participated in the Russian TV show Bitva Chorov and achieved second place with the St. Petersburg choir conducted by Viktor Drobysh. To avoid confusion with another artist named Alexander Ivanov, he adopted the stage name IVAN, which also symbolizes the Slavic hero Ivan. Ivanov won the Pyat’ zvyozd contest in Yalta in 2014, granting him the opportunity to participate in the Intervision Song Contest 2015, which ultimately did not take place. In 2015, he competed on the Russian TV show Glavnaya stsenа (X-Factor) and secured second place. Following the show, he was mentored by Viktor Drobysh, who became his producer. Their collaboration resulted in Ivanov’s first song, “Krest i ladon’.” In 2016, Ivanov represented Belarus at the Eurovision Song Contest. Despite initially planning to include live wolves in his performance and appearing naked, these ideas were rejected by the contest organizers. He modified his performance, featuring holographic wolves instead. He did not advance to the final. In the years following Eurovision, Ivanov participated in various concerts, including Viktor Drobysh’s anniversary events, and released new songs with his band IVAN. In 2023, he appeared as a contestant on the TV show Mask as the character Caterpillar. Due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Ivanov was included in Ukraine’s sanctions list on January 7, 2023. This resulted in asset freezing, suspension of economic and financial obligations, termination of cultural exchanges and cooperation, and the revocation of Ukrainian state awards. Entries Help You Fly Country🇧🇾 Belarus Year2016 LanguageEnglish LyricsAlexander IvanovTimofei LeontievMary Susan Applegate MusicVictor Drobysh BackingsJimmy ClaesonHerman GardarfveAnna IsbäckMelanie My RosasKsenia Pavroz Results Semi Points: 84Position: 12Running order: 5 Results Finals Points: –Position: –Running order: – https://youtu.be/pM07r57QqGg

Alekseev

© EBU/Andres Putting About Quick Facts NameNikita Vladimirovich Alekseev Born18 May 1993 Nationality???????? Ukraine National SelectionBelarusian national final 2018 In Eurovision2018 Lisbon SongForever (2018) Biography Nikita Alekseev is a ukrainian singer, born in Kiev. He rose to fame after the final of the show Holos krayiny. The first successful song for Alekseev was “ya plyvu” from the repertoire of Irina Bilyk. It was number one in the Russian charts for several weeks. In addition, the song was released remixed by the group Mozgi. Irina Bilyk herself praised Alekseev’s performance, inviting him to sing at her concert tour Bylik. Leto. Tantsuem. In October 2015, Alekseev presented a new song called “Pʹyanoe solntse”. In May of that year, the song received an award from the Russian TV channel RU.TV as “Best Song of the Year”, becoming the first Russian-language song to be included in the TOP-100 Shazam rating. He also received the YUNA Award in the Opening of the Year category. In 2016, Alekseev’s first album “Pʹyanoe solntse” was released. The new video, shot for the song “Snov Oskolky” was highly regarded by viewers, receiving more than 100,000 views on YouTube the first day. The follow up was called “Okeanamy staly”. In 2017, the singer presented a new video for “Chuvstvuyu dushoy” based on Oscar Wilde’s portrait of Dorian Gray.In 2018, Alekseev represented Belarus in the Eurovision Song Contest with the song “Forever”. Unfortunately, he did not reach the final. Right after the contest, he released a Russian version of “Forever” and a new song called “Sberegu”, followed by “Kak ty tam?” and “Ne mod”. In 2019, it Alekseev released a second album, “Moya zvezda”. . It received the double platinum status in Ukraine. In september of the same year, the video “Kamen’ i voda” was released, followed by the “Moya zvezda” tour. He performed both in Russia and Ukraine. The song “Revnost”, released in 2020, won an Music Platform Award for “best song”. In November 2020, he teamed up with the band Kazka to release the song “Poruch”. The song won a Top Hit Music Award.In February 2021, the song “Skvov son” was released. At 1 June 2022, childrens day, a song called “Mama” was released. Alekseev gave charity concerts in June and July in Prague, London and Vilnius. Entries Forever Country???????? Belarus Year2018 LanguageEnglish LyricsYevgeny Matyushenko MusicKirill Pavlov BackingsAnna KilchenkoVilen KilchenkoValeriya KhomenkoAnyanya UdongwoYulia Zima Results Semi Points: 65Position: 16Running order: 8 Results Finals Points: –Position: –Running order: – https://youtu.be/ywy_y24v_ao

Alyona Lanskaya

About Quick Facts NameElena Mikhailovna Lepokhina Born07 September 1985 Nationality🇧🇾 Belarusian National SelectionBelarusian National Final 2013Eurofest 2012 In Eurovision2013 Malmö SongSolayoh (2013) Biography Alyona Lanskaya, also known by her real name Alena Mikhailovna Lyapokhina, was born on September 7, 1985, in Mogilev, BSSR, USSR. From a young age, she had a passion for music and found joy in holding concerts on the rooftop of her parents’ garage. Her musical journey began in her early years when she started giving solo concerts and singing in the school choir during her first-grade days. As she grew older, Alena’s talent blossomed, and she performed with various groups and participated in children’s discos. Her dedication to music led her to perform at the prestigious national harvest festival Dazhynki in Shklov at the age of 15. After completing her studies, Alyona pursued her love for music while attending the Mogilev Economic Vocational and Technical College, specializing in “Banking,” and later the Belarusian-Russian University, where she studied “Finance and Credit.” Despite her academic pursuits, she continued to participate in various city and national music competitions, showcasing her exceptional talent and passion for singing. In 2005, Alyona gained recognition when she participated in the ANT television channel’s project Song of the Year in Belarus-2005, which was held during the International Arts Festival Slavianski Bazaar in Vitebsk. Her song “Tishe-Tishe” won the hearts of the viewers and triumphed in the Silver Gramophone teleproject, maintaining its position at the top of the music charts for several weeks. The year 2008 marked a milestone in Alyona’s career when she released her first music video for the song “Padaryu Mne Svitanak”. She received a first-degree diploma at the European Music Competition “Sarandev” in Dobrich, Bulgaria, in May 2008. Her outstanding performances of the songs “Imyony” and “Don’t Lie” impressed the audience and judges alike. Throughout her career, Alyona Lanskaya has achieved remarkable success in various music competitions, including winning the top prize at Sarandev-2008 in Bulgaria and the Cup of Europe-2009 in Russia. She won Atlantic Breeze-2010. Moreover, she received accolades and acclaim as the laureate of the Young Talents of Belarus competition, broadcast on the First National Channel of Belarusian Radio. Additionally, she earned the prestigious 1st degree laureate title at the competition of young performers of youth songs during the V International Festival Youth for the Union State in Russia. In May 2009, Alyona secured the first place at the International Competition Cup of Europe-2009 held in Russia. Alyona won the International Competition Atlantic Breeze-2010, held in New York, USA, in May 2010. On March 8, 2010, her debut solo album titled “Labirynty lyosu” was released, featuring songs in Russian, Belarusian, and English. In April 2010, Alyona Lanskaya became a laureate in the Pop Vocal category at the Young Talents of Belarus competition. In May, she unveiled her third music video for the song “Life is Ok!,”. In September 2010, Alyona’s became the winner the competition of young performers of youth songs during the V International Festival Youth for the Union State. In July 2011, Alyona Lanskaya won the coveted Grand Prix at the Vitebsk-2011 competition, a significant event held during the internationally acclaimed arts festival Slavianski Bazaar. Towards the end of 2012, Alena Lanskaya decided to participate in the qualifying rounds for the prestigious Eurovision Song Contest 2013. On December 7, 2012, the nation eagerly awaited the results of the national qualifying round conducted by the Belarusian state broadcaster. It was an exciting moment when it was officially announced that Alena Lanskaya had been chosen to represent Belarus in the esteemed Eurovision 2013 competition in Sweden. The song she would be presenting was titled “Solayoh,”. The song was recorded at the iconic Abbey Road Studios in London.Alyona Lanskaya reached the Grand Final and took the 16th place in the end. Alyoa Lanskaya, in 2020, was honored with the Order of the President of the Republic of Belarus. Regarding her political views: During the 2020 presidential elections in Belarus and the subsequent protests, Alyona Lanskaya actively showed her support for Alexander Lukashenko, the incumbent president. She openly accused Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, the ex-presidential candidate, of attempting to incite a “maidan” (political uprising). Furthermore, she characterized the peaceful demonstrations by the opposition as a sign of Belarusians simply being tired of their economic conditions and wanting to become beggars. Lanskaya was seen participating in pro-government car rallies, displaying her solidarity with Lukashenko’s regime. On January 5, 2021, Alena Lanskaya’s Instagram account, where she shared her thoughts on various matters, including the country’s situation, was unexpectedly blocked. The account had amassed 22,000 followers. In response to the blocking, she commented that social media platforms, including VKontakte, Instagram, and Facebook, did not play as significant a role in her life as they did for others. She also expressed her intention to lodge a complaint with the police if her account remained blocked beyond 24 hours, seeking a thorough investigation of the matter. Entries Solayoh Country🇧🇾 Belarus Year2013 LanguageEnglish LyricsMartin King MusicMarc Paelinck BackingsWilliam BothaAna MašulovićMarija Lazić DancersMehmet DurmazŽiga Sotlar Results Semi Points: 64Position: 7Running order: 11 Results Finals Points: 48Position: 16Running order: 8 https://youtu.be/XKewBfUE2Mg

Naviband

© EBU/Andres Putting About Quick Facts MembersKsenia ZhukArtem Lukyanenko Founded2013 Nationality???????? Belarusian National SelectionBelarusian National Final 2017Belarusian National Final 2016 In Eurovision2017 Kyiv SongHistoryja majho žyccia (2017) Biography Naviband is a Belarusian duo, currently living in Poland. The band consists of vocalist and guitarist Artem Lukyanenko and vocalist and keyboardist Ksenia Zhuk. The duo also collaborates with bassist Uladzislaŭ Čaščavik, guitarist Aliaksandr Taboĺski and drummer Uladzimir Biehier. Lukyanenko was born in Glubokoye, graduated in journalism from the Belarusian State University and worked in the radio station Stalica. He was also the guitarist of the band Tim Erna. Zhuk was born in Minsk. She has been dealing with music since childhood, and her vocal talent was noticed when she was 11 years old. She herself teached children to sing in a music school. She was also the vocalist of the band Sonika. They both actively promote the Belarusian language. The two met in 2013 and married on September 5, 2014 in Minsk. In 2014, the Naviband released two studio albums: “Lovi” in January and “Soncam sahretyja in December”. Their song “Abdymi myane” received the Lira award for “the best Belarusian-language song of 2014”. In 2015, they won a competition for young Belarusian-speaking performers. In 2016, they took part in the national qualifiers for the 61st Eurovision Song Contest with the song “Heta ziamlya”. The duo took 4th place. In August of that year, they created the official song of the Belarusian football team. In 2017, they took part in the national Eurovision final again, this time with the song “Historyja majho žyccia”. They won and thus became the representatives of Belarus in the Eurovision Song Contest. It was the first piece in the history of the competition performed in Belarusian. On the day of the Belarusian national final of the Belarusian qualifiers, i.e. January 20, 2017, they released another studio album, entitled “Illuminaciya”, which included, among others, the Eurovision song. At the Eurovision Song Contest, the duo reached the final and became 17th there. In June 2017, they became the ambassadors of the Coca-Cola advertising campaign in Belarus. They created the Belarusian-language text of the song “Taste the Feeling” (used in the company’s advertisements around the world) and their own arrangement of this song. In October 2017, they announced the release of another album by the end of the year, “Adnoj darohaj”, which was released on December 8, 2017. On December 4, they presented a music video for the song “A dzie žyvieš ty?”, in which they announced that they are expecting a child . Their son, Maciej, was born on May 1, 2018. In March 2018, they became ambassadors of the Easter advertising campaign of the Jewroopt chain of stores. In September 2018 they published a song in Ukrainian, “Sumne more” . On December 5, 2019, the band released their fifth album, “Naviband”. In 2020, during protests in Belarus, the duo released two songs to support the protesters, “Inshymi” and “Diewoczka w biełom”, which is dedicated to the protesting women. The first one was sung live during one of the protests. In November of that year, they released another song dedicated to the protesters, “Milyon smutku”. In 2021, on the occasion of Freedom Day, they released the song “Volnyja sny”.together with the band Val . Entries Historya majho žyccia Country???????? Belarus Year2017 LanguageBelarusian LyricsArtem Lukyanenko MusicArtem Lukyanenko BackingsOlga Rozaleon-SashalskayaAnna ChetAlena VerbitskayaMichael Soul Results Semi Points: 110Position: 9Running order: 14 Results Finals Points: 83Position: 17Running order: 3 https://youtu.be/coFfFZvPmRY

Zena

© EBU/Andres Putting About Quick Facts NameZinaida Kupriyanovich Born17 February 2002 Nationality???????? Belarusian National SelectionNationalny Otbor 2019 In Eurovision2019 Tel Aviv SongLike it (2019) Biography Zena is a Belarusian singer, actress, and television presenter. She was born in Minsk. When she was only six years old, she joined the ensemble “Zaranak” of the National Center for Musical Arts. After four years, she left Zaranak and joined the Children’s Music School in Minsk. Since 2013, she has been an artist at the Super Puper Production Center. Also in 2013, she entered the finals of the Detskaya Novaya volna contest. After a successful performance, Russian producer Igor Krutoy invited Zina to several of his projects. Already in December 2013, Zina performed with the group 5sta Family. Zina became a member of the Novaya Volna choir led by Igor Krutoy. In 2014, she won the 1st prize at the Slavic Bazaar children’s contest and she won the radio contest Young Talents of Belarus. Her debut single “Navstrechu vetru” was released in the same year. In 2015, she took part in the national selection of the Junior Eurovision Song Contest. In 2016, Alyona Lanskaya and Anastasia Tihanovich invited Zina to their tour. A year later she participated in the final of the national selection of the Junior Eurovision Song Contest for a second time. She voiced the main character of The Walt Disney’s animated film “Moana”, and also performed in the musical show “The Magic World of Disney”, in the Moscow concert hall. In December 2016, she won the “Vocal Pop” nomination of the radio contest “Young Talents of Belarus”. A month later, she released her debut album “Cosmos”. A year later, she participated in the musical reality show Novaya Fabrika zvozd on MUZ TV channel. In 2018, the full-length computer animated film “Ralph Against the Internet” was released, in which Zina Kupriyanovich voiced Moana. She was one of the hosts of the International Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2018. In 2019, she represented Belarus in the Eurovision Song Contest with the song “Like it”, reached the final and became 19th there. In 2021, it was time for Zina to release her first album, by the title “Na grani”. It contained the singles “Na grani”, “Slightly” and “Karavenna”. Also in 2021, Zina voiced the role of Emily in the animation movie “Sunny bunnies: the cinema express”. Entries Like It Country???????? Belarus Year2019 LanguageEnglish LyricsYulia Kireyeva MusicYulia KireyevaViktor Drobysh BackingsRadmira MantulinySofiya MantulinyOlga DorozheyAli GudievMike Isaev Results Semi Points: 122Position: 10Running order: 8 Results Finals Points: 31Position: 24Running order: 19 https://youtu.be/C1Y9LBusHzA