Russia

Peter Nalitch & Friends

About Quick Facts NamePeter Andreyevich Nalitch Born30 April 1981 Nationality🇷🇺 Russian National SelectionEvrovidenie 2010 In Eurovision2010 Oslo SongLost And Forgotten (2010) Biography Youth and education Peter Nalitch, born on April 30, 1981, is a Russian musician and composer. Peter graduated from the Moscow Architectural Institute (MARCHI) in 2003, showcasing his aptitude in both technical and creative fields. However, music was an ever-present force in Peter’s life. His paternal grandfather, Zahid Omerovich Nalitch, was a renowned lyric tenor and broadcaster for the Yugoslav section of Moscow Radio, instilling in Peter an early appreciation for music. Zahid’s life story, marked by war and resilience, deeply influenced Peter. His grandfather, originally from Bosnia and Herzegovina, faced severe hardships during World War II, including the loss of his singing ability due to a tragic injury. This legacy of perseverance and passion for music became a cornerstone of Peter’s identity. Peter’s formal music education began at the Myaskovsky Children’s Music School, followed by studies at the Music College of the Moscow State Tchaikovsky Conservatory and the Orpheus studio under Irina Mukhina. In 2010, he further honed his skills by entering the Gnessin Russian Academy of Music, specializing in Academic Singing. Early career Nalitch’s music career took a significant leap in 2007 when he uploaded a self-made music video for his song “Guitar” on YouTube. The video quickly went viral, amassing 70,000 views in a month. This unexpected success led to his first public concert on November 9, 2007, at the Apshu club in Moscow. Following this, Peter formed the “Musical Collective of Peter Nalitch” (MKPN), which quickly gained popularity with successful concerts and a growing fan base. Between 2007 and 2010, MKPN toured extensively across Russia, supporting national sports teams at major events like the European Football Championship and the Beijing Olympics in 2008. Their first album, “Joy of Simple Melodies,” was released in 2008, followed by a concert film and maxi-single “Sea.” Eurovision In 2010, Peter Nalitch and his band represented Russia at the Eurovision Song Contest in Oslo with the song “Lost and Forgotten.” Their heartfelt performance earned them 11th place, cementing Peter’s reputation on the international stage. Eurovision was a pivotal moment in Peter’s career, exposing him to a wider audience and solidifying his status as a versatile artist. 2010 – 2018 Following Eurovision, Peter continued to diversify his musical repertoire. He ventured into classical opera, performing roles such as Rodolfo in Puccini’s “La Bohème” and Lensky in Tchaikovsky’s “Eugene Onegin.” He also released several more albums, including “Merry Baboons” (2010) and “Goldfish” (2012), showcasing his evolving musical style. Peter’s innovative spirit led to the creation of albums like “Kitchen” (2013), featuring songs in the fictional Babur language, and “Reflections in Puddles” (2018), funded through crowdfunding. His involvement in multimedia projects, such as composing for the RT channel’s “Romanovs100” project, further highlights his versatility. From 2018 onwards, Peter’s career continued to flourish. On November 9, 2018, he released his eighth album “Reflections in Puddles,” which featured complex arrangements performed by a chamber orchestra. The album was funded by a successful crowdfunding campaign on Planeta.ru. 2019 – 2024 In 2019, Peter’s work on the RT multimedia project “Romanovs100” received significant recognition, earning a shortlist position for Clio Music in the “Best Use of Original Music” category and winning the Original Music award at the 2019 New York Festival TV & Film Awards. Additionally, he composed the soundtrack for the film “Call Me Drozd,” which premiered in December 2020 and received accolades at several film festivals. The same year, Nalitch participated in the All-Russian competition for young composers “The Score of the Future,” where he was awarded the first prize in the “Composition for Voice and Piano” category. In December 2019, he also performed at the opening of the independent opera house — the Moscow Opera House (MOD), taking on the role of Vaudémont in Tchaikovsky’s “Iolanta.” 2020 saw the release of Peter’s ninth album “Morra” on October 23. Initially announced as a maxi-single, it expanded into a full-length album with 14 tracks, all funded through a crowdfunding campaign. The album’s presentation took place on December 19 at the Gorbunov Palace of Culture. In 2021, Peter released his first vinyl record, which included 11 tracks from his “Morra” album. He also contributed to the soundtrack of the film “Call Me Drozd,” which faced delays due to the pandemic but was well-received upon its eventual release. In May 2021, the film was presented at the V International Film Festival named after Vyacheslav Tikhonov in Pavlovsky Posad. Peter’s tenth album, “Pirates’ Songs,” was released on November 25, 2021, funded by his supporters on Planeta.ru. This album continued his tradition of blending various musical styles and exploring new creative territories. In 2022, Peter released his eleventh album “VIVAMUS” on February 4, again funded by a crowdfunding campaign. He was also recognized as the laureate of the first prize at the First All-Russian Competition for Composition and Instrumentation for the Orchestra of Russian Folk Instruments. In 2023, Peter appeared on the TV show “My Hero” with Tatyana Ustinova, and in May, he defended his diploma at the Gnessin Academy by performing the suite “Oblomov’s Marshes” for symphony orchestra, choir, and soloists. His compositions continued to captivate audiences, with premieres of new works like “Diary of an Old Master” and his participation in significant cultural events. In 2024, Peter released his twelfth album “Vanya, the Bird, and the Striped Shirt” on April 12, featuring 55 tracks and created in collaboration with Herman Mogilevsky. The album’s concert version premiered on April 26 and 27 at the Central House of Architects in Moscow. Entries Lost And Forgotten Country🇷🇺 Russia Year2010 LanguageEnglish LyricsPeter Nalitch MusicPeter Nalitch FriendsYuri KostenkoSergey SokolovKostya ShvetsovDima SimonovDenis Marinkin Results Semi Points: 74Position: 7Running order: 2 Results Finals Points: 90Position: 11Running order: 20 https://youtu.be/nFEwKjpDD2c?si=GKPf1NNZsCOLA5Ca

Tanja

© Albin Olsson About Quick Facts NameTatjana Mihhailova-Saar Born19 June 1983 Nationality🇪🇪 Estonian National SelectionEesti Laul 2021Eesti Laul 2019Eesti Laul 2014Eurolaul 2003Eurolaul 2002 In Eurovision2014 Copenhagen SongAmazing (2014) Biography Tatjana Mihhailova, also known as Tanja, is an Estonian pop singer and actress of Russian descent. Born on June 19, 1983, in Kaliningrad, Russia, Tatjana moved to Estonia at a young age. Her passion for music was apparent early on and she began her journey in the entertainment industry as a teenager. In 2002, Tatjana formed the duo Nightlight Duo with fellow musician Jaan Pehk. The group entered the Eurovision Song Contest preliminary competition in Estonia (Eurolaul) in 2002 and 2003, but did not win. In 2004, Tanja, alongside producer and composer Timo Vendt, formed the band Jz Belle. Their self-titled debut album, released that same year, exclusively consisted of cover songs. This was followed by their second album “Teemant” in 2006, from which three singles were launched for radio airplay. Upon concluding the Jz Belle project, Tanja joined Sunday Mood, a band that also featured Timo Vendt and Canadian guitarist Alex Pier Federici. Their English-language album, “Something more”, was released in 2009 and met with considerable success in the Baltic nations. During this time, Tanja also performed in the theatrical show Queen – The Doors of Time at the Vanemuine Theatre in Tartu. She shared the stage with Broadway performer Tony Vincent and Estonian singer Rolf Roosalu. Tanja secured the second place in Laulud tähtedega (Estonian version of Just the Two of Us) during the 2010/2011 season. Tanja released her 6th solo album, “Gemini”, in 2012. Three singles, “Supernatural”, “Sind ootan ikka veel” (featuring Mikk Saar), and “All In My Head”, were released from the album. She also came second in “Laulupealinn” in November 2011. In 2013, she took the third place in the TV show Su nägu kõlab tuttavalt (Your Face Sounds Familiar). In later seasons she became a judge in the show. In 2014, Tatjana, as Tanja, once again represented Estonia in the Eurovision Song Contest with the song “Amazing”. Her performance, which included a complex dance routine, was praised for its energy and execution but did not advance to the final. In 2015, Tanja released a new album, “Elan päev korraga”, of which “Külmunud maa”, “Elan päev korraga”, “Hääletu peal” and “Kustuta tuled”, were also released on singles. She also performed a lot with 4 man band The Swingers. At the end of the year, she did a Christmas tour together with Mikk Saar, with whom she married in 2016. In 2016, Tanja sang the end song in the Russian version of the movie Lotte and the moonstone secret. Together with her husband, she hosted the Eesti Music Awards 2017. She did a Memory 2017 tour together with Koit Toome, Lauri Liiv, Merili Johanson and Merle Jalakas. In July, she did the comments at an ETV+ Laulu ja Tantsu Pidu. Beside performances with her husband Mikk Saar and with The Swingers, she also performed with her own band. She did a Christmas tour in December 2017 together with Marta Laan and Nele-Liis Vaiksoo. A year later she did the same thing, but with The Swingers. It was with The Swingers that Tanja and Birgit took part in Eestilaul again in 2019. With the song “High Heels In The Neighbourhood” they reached the 7th place in the final. They also took part in the Eesti Muusika Karika (Estonian Music Cup) and reached the semifinals. As a voice actor, Tanja could be heard in the Estonian version of the movie Ugly Dolls. In July, The Swingers came with a single, “Meie siesta”, again with Tanja and Birgit. In November 2019, Tanja released a new solo single, “Kõik”. In September 2020, it was followed by the song “Hurricane”. Two months later, Tanja had a leading role in the musical Nunnad Hoos (Sister Act). And Tanja wrote a book, a biography called “Milles on süüdi taburet?”. In 2021, Tanja took part in Eestilaul again, this time with the song “Best Night Ever”. She reached a 3rd place in the final of Eestilaul. In May of the same year she released another song “Paar sammu veel”. She made a summer tour in 2022, where she sometimes played with her own band, some of the concerts were with the Tallinn Police Orchestra. She also became a member of the jury in Tantsud tähtedega (Dancing with the stars) in 2022. In June 2023, Tanja released a new song, “Millal veel?”. In addition to her music career, Tatjana has also achieved success as an actress. She starred in the Estonian musical drama Georg, based on the life of singer Georg Ots, where she played Ots’ wife. Tatjana’s performance was critically acclaimed, showcasing her versatility as an entertainer. Entries Amazing Country🇪🇪 Estonian Year2014 LanguageEnglish LyricsTatjana Mihhailova MusicTimo VendtTatjana Mihhailova BackingsMarilin KongoMarvi VallasteKaire Vilgats DancersArgo Liik Results Semi Points: 36Position: 12Running order: 3 Results Finals Points: –Position: –Running order: – https://youtu.be/wi9Q1ufjooE

Tolmachevy Sisters

© Albin Olsson About Quick Facts MembersAnastasiya TolmachevyMaria Tolmachevy Born14 January 1997 Nationality🇷🇺 Russian National SelectionInternal selection 2014 In Eurovision2014 Copenhagen SongShine (2014) Biography Born on January 14, 1997, in Kursk, Russia, Anastasiya and Maria showed a passion for music from an early age. Their parents nurtured their interest, enrolling them in music schools to hone their talent. Their big break came in 2006 when they won the Junior Eurovision Song Contest at just nine years old. Their winning song, “Vesenniy Jazz” (Spring Jazz), made them instantly popular in their home country and across Europe. In 2007, the Tolmachevy Sisters appeared in the Children’s New Wave competition, where they took the second spot. The following year, they appeared as Snow Maidens in the Russian New Year’s Eve television show “Yolki Plyuschi” and participated in various music festivals, both domestically and internationally. As they grew older, the Tolmachevy Sisters expanded their repertoire and style, moving from childlike songs to more mature pop ballads. This evolution was reflected in their 2014 Eurovision Song Contest entry. They represented Russia with the song “Shine” and finished 7th overall. Despite some political controversy surrounding Russia at the time, the Tolmachevy Sisters received strong support from the audience and viewers, solidifying their reputation as talented and charismatic performers. Since 2016, they teach children in singing at the Studio Sisters Maria Anastasiya. On October 14, 2017, the twins performed as interpreters on the opening day of the 19th World Festival of Youth and Students in Sochi. A year later, they received certificates and medals for their contribution, signed by Russian president Vladimir Putin. On New Years Eve of that year, they presented a new song, “S Toboy”. In 2018, they performed at the Moscow Eurovision Party. They also performed at the Fifa Fan Fest in Rostov-on-Don. On January 15, 2020, the Tolmachevy Sisters gave their very first solo concert, called “Otrazhenie”. On May 18, 2021, they gave a concert celebrating five years of their vocal studio. Later that year, a one hour interview with the sisters appeared online on YouTube. The girls are not only singers but also models and brand ambassadors. Entries Shine Country🇷🇺 Russia Year2014 LanguageEnglish LyricsJohn BallardRalph Charlie al FahelGerard James Borg MusicPhilipp KirkorovDimitris Kontopoulos BackingsRui AndradeAnna NilssonAnna Strandberg AnderssonJenny Tärneberg Results Semi Points: 63Position: 6Running order: 7 Results Finals Points: 89Position: 7Running order: 15 https://youtu.be/BCNN1JAgWqk

Alexey Vorobyov

About Quick Facts NameAlexey Vladimirovich Vorobyov Born19 January 1988 Nationality🇷🇺 Russian National SelectionInternal selection 2011Evrodenie 2009 – Nacionalny OdborEvrodenie 2008 In Eurovision2011 Düsseldorf SongGet You (2011) Biography Alexey Vladimirovich Vorobyov, a Russian singer and actor, was born on January 19, 1988, in Tula, USSR. He grew up playing football and was part of the Tula youth team. However, his interests shifted from sports to music in his later years. As a student at a music college, Vorobyov specialized in accordion and participated in various competitions. Following his education, he pursued vocal training at a music school and became the soloist of the Tula folklore ensemble “Uslada.” In 2005, he won a gold medal at the IV Youth Delphic Games of Russia in the Folk Singing category and reached the final of the TV contest Sekret Ushpeka, taking third place. In 2006, Vorobyov signed a contract with Universal Music Russia. That year, he performed at the G8 summit in Saint Petersburg, presenting the “Youth Eight” project anthem and performing at the closing ceremony concert. Moving to Moscow, he entered the State Musical College of Pop and Jazz Art. Vorobyov received the MTV Discovery award at the fourth MTV Russia Music Awards ceremony in 2007. In February 2008, he won the Soundtrack award of MK in the “Music and Cinema” category. That same year, he competed in the selection for the Eurovision Song Contest 2008 with “New Russian Kalinka,” finishing fifth. In 2009, he was again a finalist in the Eurovision national selection with “Angelom byt’”. In the spring of 2008, Vorobyov graduated from the State Music School of Variety and Jazz Art and enrolled in the Moscow Art Theatre School. He began his acting career in 2006 with a role in “Alice’s Dreams.” In 2010, he quit his studies due to a busy schedule. In 2010, he took part in the reality show Zhestokie igry, reaching the final and taking second place. He also participated in the TV show Lyod i plamen, winning with figure skater Tatiana Navka. In 2011, Vorobyov signed with music producer RedOne, performing under the pseudonym Alex Sparrow. He represented Russia at Eurovision in Düsseldorf in 2011, finishing 16th with 77 points. During his performance, he spontaneously shouted “Happy Victory Day!” into the microphone. He received the “Best Male Role” award at the 2012 Russian Comedy Film Festival Ulybnis’, Rossiya! for his role in “Samoubiytsy.” That year, he also starred in the TV series “Deffchonki” as Sergey Zvonorev. Vorobyov debuted as a film director in 2014 with the short film “Papa,” which won awards at the American Action On Film Festival and the “Golden Phoenix” festival in Smolensk. He was the screenwriter, composer, and editor of this film. Since 2016, he has participated in the fourth season of “Kholostyak” on TNT. He played a role in the 3rd and 4th seasons of “Nereal’no” as a bisexual, cocaine-addicted dancer. In 2018, Vorobyov co-hosted the young talent competition “Sinyaya ptitsa” on Russia-1. In 2020, he appeared as Champagne on the New Year’s episode of “The Masked Singer” on NTV. On March 18, 2022, he became the host of “Strana Talantov” on NTV. In the same year, he participated in “The Masked Singer” as Monstrik, finishing in third place. In 2023, he joined the jury of the fourth season of “The Masked Singer”. Additionally, since 2008, Vorobyov has been involved with the “Dance4Life” project and has served as a UN Goodwill Ambassador for the fight against AIDS for several years. Entries Get You Country🇷🇺 Russian Year2011 LanguageEnglish LyricsAlexey VorobyovRedOneAJ JuniorBilal “The Chef”Eric Sanicola MusicAlexey VorobyovRedOneAJ JuniorBilal “The Chef”Eric Sanicola BackingsBritta BergströmRobert MalmborgFilmon MichaelDaniel KoivunenJan Henrik Rongedal Results Semi Points: 64Position: 9Running order: 7 Results Finals Points: 77Position: 16Running order: 10 https://youtu.be/71QoP6nc3tE?si=0tsgRvpUQclGOAtM

Julia Samoylova

© EBU/Andres Putting About Quick Facts NameYuliya Olegovna Samoylova Born07 April 1989 Nationality???????? Russian National SelectionInternal selection 2018Internal selection 2017 In Eurovision2018 Lisbon SongI won’t break (2018) Biography Yuliya Samoylova is a Russian singer and songwriter. She was born in Ukhta, Russia, Soviet Union. At age 13, she was diagnosed with Spinal Muscular Atrophy. She moves in a wheelchair.From an early age, Samoilova participated in various competitions. At the age of fourteen, she won the music festival Na kryl’yakh mechty. In 2005, she participated in the Schlager competition in Yekaterinburg, where she took the 2nd place. In 2008, she founded the group TerraNova, which existed until 2010. In November 2012, she participated in the third season of Factor A, a casting show. On February 7, 2014, in Sochi, at the opening ceremony of the Paralympic Winter Games, she performed the song “Vmeste”. In the same year, she was able to release three singles, one of which was a duet with Gosha Kutsenko. At the end of 2016, she participated in the recording of the song and the video “#ZHIT’” along with such performers as Polina Gagarina, Grigory Leps, Timati and Mot. Also in December 2016, another duet with Gosha Kutsenko was recorded – “Ne smotri nazad”. In 2017 she was chosen to represent Russia in the Eurovision Song Contest with the song “Flame is burning”. However, she performed in Crimea in 2015, which made the Ukrainian authorities decide she was not allowed to enter the country, not making an exception for Eurovision. She did go to Eurovision in the end, but she had to wait a year. In 2018, she represented Russia with the song “I won’t break”. In the same year, she won a Russian Music Box Award. On April 27, 2021, the EP “Belaya liliya” was released in Russian and Ukrainian, followed in October of the same year by the single “Storm”. Entries I Won’t Break Country???????? Russia Year2018 LanguageEnglish LyricsLeonid GutkinNetta NimrodiArie Burshtein MusicLeonid GutkinNetta NimrodiArie Burshtein BackingsArie BurshteinKsenia KorobkovaNetta NimrodiIldar GainutdinovAnastasiya Dzhurkina Results Semi Points: 65Position: 15Running order: 6 Results Finals Points: –Position: –Running order: – https://youtu.be/KujGHwyfMWM

Dina Garipova

About Quick Facts NameDina Fagimovna Garipova Born25 March 1991 Nationality🇷🇺 Russian National SelectionInternal selection 2013 In Eurovision2013 Malmö SongWhat If (2013) Biography Dina Fagimovan Garipova is a Russian singer. She was born on March 25, 1991, in the city of Zelenodolsk, Tatar SSR. From the age of 6, Dina studied vocals at the Zelenodolsk Song Theater Zolotoy mikrofon. In 1999, she became a laureate of the first degree of the All-Russian competition “Zhar-ptitsa” (Ivanovo), in 2001 – a laureate of the first degree of the republican festival Sozvezdie-Yoldyzlyk. In 2005, Dina Garipova became a laureate of an international competition in the city of Tartu (Estonia). After Garipova won the festival Sozvezdie-Yoldyzlyk in 2008, she was contacted by the honored artist of Tatarstan Gabdelfat Safin. He offered the young singer to take part in the tour of his music collective. In 2008, Garipova participated in a musical staged by the Zolotoy mikrofon theater and was awarded the grand prize of the international competition in France. At the beginning of 2010, Garipova debuted with her own music collective at a city competition and won the grand prize. Being a fan of rock music, she performed songs from Nirvana’s repertoire when performing with the group. In the summer of 2012, Garipova passed the casting for the British TV show Britain’s Got Talent but did not go to the UK. In stead she participated in Golos, the Russian version of The Voice. On December 29, 2012, Dina Garipova won Golos. As the winner of the show, the singer signed a two-year contract with Universal recording studio. On December 30, 2012, by the decree of the President of Tatarstan, Dina Garipova was awarded the honorary title of Honored Artist of the Republic of Tatarstan. On February 19, 2013, it was announced that Dina Garipova would represent Russia at the Eurovision Song Contest with the song “What If”. The premiere of the song took place on the program “Vremja” on February 24. She reached the Grand Final of the Eurovision Song Contest and took 5th place. On May 19, 2013, Dina Garipova opened the first concert of Josh Groban in Moscow. In the fall of 2013, the voice of Dina Garipova was highly appreciated by the Franco-Canadian singer Garou, the star of the musical Notre-Dame de Paris. In February 2014, a duet composition of Garou and Garipova “Du Vent Des Mots” was released. The fall and winter of 2013-2014 saw the singer’s first major tour across Russia. On October 30, 2014, Garipova presented her debut album “Dva shaga do lyubvi”. In February 2015, Dina Garipova became an actress at the Alexander Gradsky Musical Theater, and in March and April of the same year, the singer’s third tour took place. In 2016, Garipova debuted as a composer. Her first original song was “Küñel”, based on the poetry of Tatar poet Gabdulla Tukai. In June 2017, together with the choir of the Igor Krutoy Academy of Popular Music, Dina released the song “Vremya prishlo”. On October 7, 2017, a joint concert of Dina and Sergey Zhilin (accompanied by the Phonograph-Symfo-Jazz orchestra) “Nesluchainoe sovpadenie” took place. In early February 2019, Dina began recording two new albums – her second in Russian and debut in Tatar. On July 7, 2019, the TV premiere of the song “Udivitelny” took place, where Dina, in a joint production with the Street Jazz ballet, appeared in a new image. On December 31, 2019, on Channel One, the TV premiere of the duet song of Dina and Lev Leshchenko “V dushe molodoi” took place. On April 13, 2020, on the Russia-1 TV channel, the premiere of the series Zuleikha otkryvaet glaza based on the book of the same name by Guzel Yakhina took place, for which the soundtrack was the Tatar folk song “Ay, bylbylym”, performed by Dina. A new arrangement of the composition was created long before the series was released specifically for the singer’s Tatar album “ETHNO”. After the premiere of the series, the song gained another wave of widespread popularity. On 17 November of that year, she released an English song, “Somewhere In My Memory”, along with the Russian song “Kolybelnaya (Mamina ladon’)”. In 2022 she teamed up with Victoria Bars for the song “Oi, da ne vecher”. Entries What If Country🇷🇺 Russia Year2013 LanguageEnglish LyricsLeonid GutkinGabriel AlaresJoakim Björnberg MusicLeonid GutkinGabriel AlaresJoakim Björnberg BackingsAlexandra HamnedeAnders von HofstenSofia LiljaGabriel AlaresUlrika Skoglund Results Semi Points: 156Position: 2Running order: 6 Results Finals Points: 174Position: 5Running order: 10 https://youtu.be/wHNwk3Oez8U

Polina Gagarina

© EBU/Andres Putting About Quick Facts NamePolina Sergeyevna Gagarina Born27 March 1987 Nationality🇷🇺 Russian National SelectionInternal selection 2015 In Eurovision2015 Vienna SongA Million Voices (2015) Biography Polina Sergeyevna Gagarina, born on March 27, 1987 in Moscow, is a Russian pop singer, film and television actress, voice actress, dubbing artist, composer, and photo model. Polina Gagarina spent her childhood in Greece. Her mother, a professional dancer, signed a contract with a Greek producer in 1991 to work as a ballet artist at “Alsos” in Athens. Gagarina lived there for three years and started her first grade in September 1993. During summer vacation in Russia, at her grandmother’s insistence, she stayed with her in Saratov. She enrolled in a music school. After the contract with the Greek producer ended, Gagarina’s mother returned to Moscow, where Polina also moved. After graduating from the music school, at the age of 14, Gagarina entered the State Music School of Pop and Jazz Art. In 2003, at the age of 16, Gagarina participated in the television project Star Factory-2. She emerged as the winner of the competition. After the project ended, Gagarina decided to discontinue her collaboration with Fadeev. In the spring of 2011, the music show Narodnaya Zvezda-4 (People’s Star-4) started in Ukraine, where selected participants from the public performed duets with stars from the Russian and Ukrainian music scenes. Gagarina sang with Mikhail Dimov from Odessa. In April 2011, a youth series titled Bolshie Nadezhdy (Great Expectations) was released on the Russian MTV, with Gagarina’s song “Ya Obezhayu” as the official soundtrack. In August 2011, Gagarina received the “Golden Gramophone” award for her song “Ya Tebya Ne Proshu Nikogda” from Russkoe Radio Ukraine. Later that year, she released the single “Oskolki” along with its music video. In January 2012, Gagarina released a new single titled “Spektakl Okonchen”, accompanied by a music video. In the spring, the Ukrainian TV series Katina Lyubov premiered, featuring Gagarina’s song “Vernis Lyubov” as its soundtrack. In June, Fabrika Zvyozd returned on Channel One in Russia, with the theme “Russia vs. Ukraine.” Popular participants from Russia and Ukraine competed in musical battles to determine which team was better. Gagarina won three out of four battles, contributing to Russia’s victory. She also became an ambassador for the 2013 Summer Universiade held in Kazan. In August, Gagarina released the single “Net”, followed by the music video on August 31. On September 29, she won the RU.TV award in the category of “Best Ringtone” for the song “Spektakl Okonchen”. During the summer of 2012, Gagarina voiced the character Mavis in the animated film Hotel Transylvania. On December 1, she received the Golden Gramophone award for “Spektakl Okonchen”. She also participated in the Pesnya Goda 2012 (Song of the Year 2012) telefest, becoming a multiple award winner. On December 3, “Spektakl Okonchen” was recognized as one of the top 20 songs of 2012 on the project “Krasnaya Zvezda”. In the same year, Gagarina became one of the hosts of the talk show Vkusno Zhit. At the Zvukovaya Dorozhka 2013 ceremony held on April 19 at the Izvestia Hall in Moscow, Gagarina won the “Sexy ZH” prize. On May 25, 2013, at the RU.TV Awards, she won the category of Best Female Performer. On June 7, 2013, she won the Breakthrough of the Year award at the MUZ-TV channel. On June 17, at the annual Fashion People Awards-2013 ceremony, Gagarina was named the Fashion singer. On July 22, 2013, she released a new single titled “Navek”. She received her second Golden Gramophone award for “Net”. On April 14, 2014, the song “Shagay” premiered. On November 12, Gagarina released her first single, “DAY,” from her English-language album, a collaboration with Anton Belyaev, a member of the group Therr Maitz. On March 11, 2015, Channel One announced that Gagarina would represent Russia at the Eurovision Song Contest 2015 with the song “A Million Voices.” Shortly before that, she participated in the celebrity impersonation show Toch-v-Toch (Exactly Like) as a contestant. On May 19, 2015, she won first place in the first semifinal of Eurovision with 182 points. On May 23, 2015, in the Eurovision final, she achieved second place. From June 2015, Gagarina ended her collaboration with producer and composer Konstantin Meladze. In September 2015, Gagarina became one of the coaches on the TV show The Voice on Channel One. In October 2015, she released the new single “Ya Ne Budu” along with its music video. In September 2016, she returned as a coach on The Voice. In 2018, Gagarina was registered as a trusted person of Vladimir Putin. During the 2018 presidential elections, she joined the Putin Team movement, which supported Putin. In 2018, she also served as a trusted person for Sergei Sobyanin, a candidate for the Mayor of Moscow. Since 2018, Gagarina has been a member of the Council for Culture and Art under the President of the Russian Federation. According to Forbes, in 2020, Polina Gagarina ranked second in the list of Russian Instagram bloggers in terms of earnings, with a reported income of $0.89 million. She publicly supports Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. On March 18, 2022, she performed at the Luzhniki stadium during a rally-concert commemorating the anniversary of the annexation of Crimea, titled “Za mir bez natsizma! Za Rossiyu! Za Prezidenta!” (For peace without Nazism! For Russia! For the President!). In March 2022, Latvia and Estonia banned Gagarina from entering their countries due to her support for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. On January 7, 2023, amidst Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Gagarina was included in Ukraine’s sanctions list for “supporting Russian occupiers and the cruel war by Russia against Ukraine.” The sanctions involve asset freezes, a complete cessation of commercial operations, and a halt to fulfilling economic and financial obligations. In November 2022, her concerts in Kazakhstan were canceled due to her support for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. On February 3, 2023, Gagarina was added to Canada’s sanctions list for her involvement in spreading Russian disinformation and propaganda. Entries A Million

Kristian Kostov

© EBU/Andres Putting About Quick Facts NameKristian Konstantinov Kostov Born15 March 2000 Nationality🇷🇺 Russian National SelectionInternal selection 2017 In Eurovision2017 Kyiv SongBeautiful mess (2017) Biography Kristian Kostov is a Russian/Bulgarian singer. Kristian Kostov was born in Moscow. His mother, Zaure, is Kazakh, and his father, Konstantin Kostov, is Bulgarian. From early childhood, Kristian was interested in music, and his parents decided to send him to the Neposedy studio. In 2006, he was cast in the Neposedy group and began his studies there . In the same year, he performed at the Kremlin together with Yulia Nachalova, participated in numerous concerts at various venues in Moscow. Together with the group he went on tour in Russia and abroad. Neposedy repeatedly participated in various competitions. In 2009 they opened Eurovision in Moscow. In 2011, Kostov won the Grand Prix at the international children’s competition “Sound Kids”. In 2012 he became a resident of the production center Jazz Parking. Kostov also represented Bulgaria at the Children’s New Wave 2012, where he took seventh place. In October of the same year, he was invited to become a member of the new children’s television project “Shkola muzyki” by Lina Arifulina, where he took the third place. At the age of 13, Kristian took part in the Russian television project Golos. Deti (The Voice Kids), where he reached the final. In 2014, as part of the combined choir “Deti Zeml” (which united the Open Kids group, students of the school-studio “Respublika KIDS”, Sofia Tarasova and other famous children) recorded the song “Mir bez voyny”. In the summer of 2015, at the age of 15, Kristian Kostov took part in the 4th season of the X-Factor Bulgaria. He was the youngest participant in the fourth season. Kristian reached the 2nd place in the contest. In 2016, Kostov signed a contract with the Bulgarian music label Virginia Record. On October 7, 2016, he released his debut single with the song “Ne si za men” (“Not for me”). For two weeks the song was at the top of the national hitparade of the most frequently aired Bulgarian songs on radio and television. In addition, as a guest artist, Kristian Kostov recorded the song “Vdigam Level” (“Leveling Up”) with the duo Pavell & Venci Venc’, which spent 14 consecutive weeks at the top of the same hitparade. Later, on January 13, 2017, “You Got Me Girl” was released – the English version of the song “Ne si za men”. On March 13, 2017, it was officially announced that Kristian Kostov would represent Bulgaria at Eurovision 2017 in Kyiv in May. Kostov performed the song “Beautiful Mess”. He took 2nd place, which was a record for Bulgaria in the entire history of performances at the competition. At the beginning of 2019, he participated in the Chinese Singer Professional Singer Television Competition, but did not reach the finals. At 18, Kostov became the youngest participant in this show. On March 15, 2019, the EP album “Prologue” was released on Chinese music platforms. It consists of five songs: two covers of famous Chinese songs, “Beautiful mess” (Inspired by China), “Live it up” with Chinese singer Tifa Chen, and an instrumental version of “Live it up”. The album was ranked among the top ten albums by Western artists of 2019 on the Chinese music platform QQ. In February 2020, the single “Honest” was released. On 10 July of the same year, his EP “Mood” came out, followed by the music video “Thinking” on 8 August. In January 2021. the project VOSTOK released an EP on all the Chinese platforms: “Time”. Kristian released several songs, but a music video came out in August 2022: “Intentional”. Entries Beautiful Mess Country🇧🇬 Bulgaria Year2017 LanguageEnglish LyricsBorislav MilanovSebastian ArmanJoacim Bo PerssonAlex OmarAlexander V. Blay MusicBorislav MilanovSebastian ArmanJoacim Bo PerssonAlex OmarAlexander V. Blay BackingsVlado MihailovCesár SampsonBorislav Borisov Dimitrov Results Semi Points: 403Position: 1Running order: 15 Results Finals Points: 615Position: 2Running order: 25 https://youtu.be/OMmm-G078LM

Sergey Lazarev

© EBU/Andres Putting About Quick Facts NameSergey Vyacheslavovich Lazarev Born01 April 1983 Nationality🇷🇺 Russian National SelectionInternal selection 2019Internal selection 2016Evrovidenie 2008 In Eurovision2019 Tel Aviv2016 Stockholm SongScream (2019)You are the only one (2016) Biography Sergey Lazarev is a Russian singer and actor, born in Moscow. When he was 9 Sergey sang in an ensemble with his brother Paul, doing that for two years. At the same time he played in the theater of Boris Pokrovsky. In 1995, he became one of the participants in the Neposedy children’s ensemble. This ensemble performed in several television shows. In the same year, he starred in a sitcom.In 2001, Sergey Lazarev and Vlad Topalov formed the musical project Smash!!. The idea to make their own duet project came to the guys during their work in the Neposedy ensemble. At first, their manager was Simon Naper Bell, who was previously the manager of Wham!. In August 2002, they won the New Wave contest in Jurmala. Their first video “Belle”, lasted on the top of the MTV charts for six months. At the same time, Lazarev took part in the play “Romeo and Juliet”. In February of that year, Smash!! released a debut album, which almost instantly acquired the status of gold. In 2004, the second and last album of Smash!! was released. At the end of that year Sergey Lazarev left the group and began a solo career. He also returned to the Pushkin Theater to participate in the play “Odolzhite tenora!”.Sergey’s debut album as a solo singer,”Don’t Be Fake”, was released. At the end of 2005, Lazarev won two theater awards. In 2006, he was nominated for best artist at the MTV Russia Awards. In May 2007, Lazarev’s second album was released. Sergey dubbed several films. In 2008, he participated in the national selection for the Eurovision Song Contest. The song “Flyer” reached the 4th place. In March 2010, Sergey Lazarev signed a contract with the music company Sony Music Entertainment. March 31 of the same year, he released a new album that received the status of gold in June 2011. In December 2012, Sergey’s fourth studio album, called “Lazarev.”, Was released. Soon it became the best-selling in Russia, and in March 2013 it acquired the status of a golden disc. In April 2014, the Pushkin Theater premiered the play “Zhenit’ba Figaro” which became the third major role for Lazarev in this theatre. In December 2014, he released the video album “Shou Lazarev: Live in Moscow”. In 2015, Sergey Lazarev became the host of the project of Channel One, “Tantsuy!”, And also released a new single, “Eto vso ona”.In honor of the 10th anniversary of his solo career on April 1, 2015, Sergey Lazarev released a collection of his best songs in Russian, The Best (Russian Edition).In 2016, Sergey Lazarev represented Russia in the Eurovision Song Contest with the song “You’re the only one”. Being one of the top favourites to win the contest, he became third in the end. In December 2017, Lazarev presented his fifth studio album “V episentr”, which was his first album entirely in Russian. The album immediately topped the Russian iTunes chart, becoming platinum on the basis of sales. The album received the Muz-TV award as the best album of the year. A few months later, the next album, “The One”, was released. This album also topped the Russian iTunes chart and received the same Muz-TV award. In support of both albums, Lazarev organized a new concert program “N-Tour”, named after his son Nikita. In 2019, Sergey represented Russia in the Eurovision Song Contest again. This time, the song was called “Scream”. And again, he reached a third place. In August of the same year, Lazarev presented his first mini-album “Ya ne boyus”, consisting of eight songs. The disc once again topped the Russian iTunes chart. In November 2019, a new album called “Eto ya” was released. Already two hours after the release, the album hit the second place in the Russian iTunes chart, and by the morning it had risen to the first. The album also topped the iTunes chart in Greece and Estonia. On April 29, 2020, the single “Posledniy den’ Pompeii” was released. On November 26, 2021, the eighth album was released under the name “8” (on the cover instead of a number there is an infinity sign), which included eight songs, including a cover version of Dima Bilan’s song “Mechtateli”. Previously, the songs “Ne odinochki”, “Ya ne mogu molchat” and “Aroma” were released as singles. In February 2022, he spoke out against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, calling for a swift peaceful resolution to the conflict. However, later on, he began adopting a pro-war stance, spreading narratives aligned with pro-Kremlin propaganda. In May 2022, it became known that Lazarev had started providing humanitarian aid to the children affected by the conflict in Donbass. On June 1 of the same year, he criticized the boycott of Russian culture worldwide in his Telegram channel. Alongside other artists from the Russian music industry, he performed the song “Vstanem” by SHAMAN in a music video released on November 4, the Day of People’s Unity. On January 7, 2023, he was included in Ukraine’s sanction lists against individuals “who publicly call for aggressive war, justify and acknowledge the armed aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine, and the temporary occupation of Ukrainian territory.” These sanctions involve asset freezes, complete cessation of commercial operations, and the halt of economic and financial obligations. Entries Scream Country🇷🇺 Russia Year2019 LanguageEnglish LyricsSharon VaughnDimitris Kontopoulos MusicPhilipp KirkorovDimitris Kontopoulos BackingsAdam SvenssonJennie JahnsMarie SjöströmErik SegerstedtSimon Lingmerth Results Semi Points: 217Position: 6Running order: 13 Results Finals Points: 370Position: 3Running order: 5 https://youtu.be/eNzlxEZ_JG4 You are the only one Country🇷🇺 Russia Year2016 LanguageEnglish LyricsJohn BallardRalph Charlie MusicPhilipp KirkorovDimitris Kontopoulos BackingsJennie JahnsAlvaro EstrellaJohan D. Seil DancersDaniel GillAdam Svensson Results Semi Points: 342Position: 1Running order: 9 Results Finals Points: 491Position: 3Running order: 18 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e94dst20C9Y