Ukraine in the Eurovision Song Contest 2005

{{main|Ukraine in the Eurovision Song Contest}}

Prior to the 2005 contest, the National Television Company of Ukraine (NTU) had participated in the Eurovision Song Contest representing Ukraine two times since its first entry in {{Escyr|2003}},{{cite web|url=http://www.eurovision.tv/page/history/by-country/country?country=38|title=Ukraine Country Profile|publisher=EBU|access-date=20 December 2015}} winning it in {{Escyr|2004}} with the song "Wild Dances" performed by Ruslana. Its least successful result had been 14th place, which they achieved in {{Escyr|2003|2003 contest}}, with the song "{{lang|es|Hasta la Vista|i=no}}" performed by Oleksandr Ponomaryov.

As part of its duties as participating broadcaster, NTU organises the selection of its entry in the Eurovision Song Contest and broadcasts the event in the country. NTU confirmed its intentions to participate at the 2005 contest on 29 April 2004.{{Cite web|url=https://fakty.ua/ru/66488-pobeditel-novogo-proekta-mihaila-poplavskogo-stanet-uchastnikom-quot-evrovideniya-2005-quot|title=Победитель нового проекта михаила поплавского станет участником «евровидения-2005»|website=fakty.ua}} The broadcaster had used internal selections in order to select its 2003 and 2004 entries. Along with their participation confirmation, it was announced that NTU would organise a national final for the first time to select its 2005 entry.

The Ukrainian national final consisted of fifteen semi-finals held between 14 November 2004 and 20 February 2005 and a final on 27 February 2005. All shows in the competition took place at the NTU Studios in Kyiv, hosted by Maria Orlova and broadcast on Pershyi Natsionalnyi.{{Cite web|url=http://natfinals.50webs.com/90s_00s/Ukraine2005.html|title=UKRAINIAN NATIONAL FINAL 2005|website=natfinals.50webs.com}}{{Cite web |last=Pashaev |first=Osman |date=28 February 2005 |title="Гринджоли", Томенко і німа сцена в кінці пісенного змагання |url=https://www.pravda.com.ua/articles/2005/02/28/3007522/ |access-date=7 September 2005 |website=pravda.com.ua |language=uk}}

The selection of the competing entries for the national final and ultimately the Ukrainian Eurovision entry took place over three stages. In the first stage, artists and songwriters had the opportunity to apply for the competition. Seventy-five acts were selected and announced on 12 October 2004. The second stage consisted of the televised semi-finals which took place between 14 November 2004 and 20 February 2005 with five acts competing in each show. The winner of each semi-final was selected to advance based on a public televote.{{Cite web|url=http://natfinals.50webs.com/90s_00s/Ukraine2005SF.html|title=UKRAINIAN SEMI-FINALS 2005|website=natfinals.50webs.com}} The third stage was the final, which took place on 27 February 2005 and featured the fifteen acts that qualified from the semi-finals vying to represent Ukraine in Kyiv as well as an additional four wildcard entries that directly qualified to the final.{{Cite web |last=Philips |first=Roel |date=24 February 2005 |title=Ukraine: NTU names 4 wild cards for final |url=https://esctoday.com/3886/ukraine_ntu_names_4_wild_cards_for_final/ |access-date=7 September 2022 |website=Esctoday}} The winner was selected solely via a public televote.{{Cite web |title=Всеукраїнський відбірковий тур на участь у конкурсі "Євробачення-2005" |url=http://www.kieveurovision.com/ |access-date=7 September 2022 |website=kieveurovision.com |language=uk |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050305130226/http://www.kieveurovision.com/ |archive-date=5 March 2005 |url-status=dead}} Viewers participating in the public televote during the sixteen live shows had the opportunity to submit their votes for the participating entries via telephone or SMS.{{Cite web |title=THE ALL UKRAINIAN SELECTION ROUND OF THE CONTEST EUROVISION-2005 |url=http://www.solvotele.com.ua/inf.php?id_s=76&lang=eng |access-date=7 September 2022 |website=solvotele.com.ua |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050227022034/http://www.solvotele.com.ua/inf.php?id_s=76&lang=eng |archive-date=27 February 2005 |url-status=dead}}

Artists and composers had the opportunity to submit their entries between 1 August 2004 and 20 September 2004, which was later extended to 8 October 2004.{{Cite web | url=https://esctoday.com/3176/update_low_interest_in_ukrainian_selections/ | title=Update: Low interest in Ukrainian selections | date=2004-09-24 | website=esctoday.com}} A seven-member selection panel consisting of Olena Mozgova (director of music and entertainment at NTU), Volodymyr Orlov (general director of OTV), Eduard Klim (general director of Lavina Music), Serhiy Kuzin (general director of HIT-FM), Oleg Vergelis (editor at the newspaper "Kievskiye Vedomosti"), Andriy Sokolovskyi (editor at the newspaper "Komsomolska pravda v Ukrayini") and Oleksandr Ksenofontov (music producer) reviewed the 527 received submissions and shortlisted 75 entries to compete in the national final.{{cite web |date=12 October 2004 |title=Завершився перший етап Всеукраїнського відбіркового конкурсу на участь у "Євробаченні-2005""Детектор медіа" |url=https://detector.media/withoutsection/article/20691/2004-10-12-zavershyvsya-pershyy-etap-vseukrainskogo-vidbirkovogo-konkursu-na-uchast-u-ievrobachenni-2005detektor-media/}}{{Cite web |title=Верка сердючка, ани лорак и алена винницкая будут соревноваться за право представлять украину на «евровидении-2005» |url=https://fakty.ua/ru/64343-verka-serdyuchka-ani-lorak-i-alena-vinnickaya-budut-sorevnovatsya-za-pravo-predstavlyat-ukrainu-na-quot-evrovidenii-2005-quot |website=fakty.ua}} On 12 October 2004, the 75 selected competing acts were announced.{{Cite web |date=2004-10-13 |title=The 75 Ukrainian finalists announced |url=https://esctoday.com/3222/the_75_ukrainian_finalists_announced/ |website=esctoday.com}} The seventy-five acts were allocated to one of fifteen semi-finals during a draw that took place on 3 November.{{cite web |date=2 November 2004 |title=1 та 2 листопада НТКУ провела відеозапис пісень претендентів на участь у "Євробаченні-2005" |url=https://detector.media/community/article/3545/2004-11-02-1-ta-2-lystopada-ntku-provela-videozapys-pisen-pretendentiv-na-uchast-u-ievrobachenni-2005/}}{{Cite web |date=2004-11-07 |title=Ukraine: the draw has been revealed |url=https://esctoday.com/3297/ukraine_the_draw_has_been_revealed/ |website=esctoday.com}} The four wildcard finalists: De Shifer, GreenJolly, Mandry and Tartak, were announced on 24 February 2005.

The fifteen semi-finals took place between 14 November 2004 and 20 February 2005. The performances of the 75 entries were filmed earlier on 30 and 31 October 2004.{{Cite web |title=Інформація про всеукраїнський відбірковий тур на участь у конкурсі "Євробачення-2005" |url=http://www.kieveurovision.com/info.html |access-date=7 September 2022 |website=kieveurovision.com |language=uk |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050210005700/http://www.kieveurovision.com/info.html |archive-date=10 February 2005 |url-status=dead}} In each semi-final five acts competed and the winner advanced to the final of the competition as determined by a public televote, while the remaining four entries were eliminated.

The final took place on 27 February 2005. The show was scheduled to take place at the Palace of Sports in Kyiv, however such plans were cancelled due to insufficient funding.{{Cite web|url=https://fakty.ua/ru/53402-final-otborochnogo-konkursa-quot-evrovidenie-2005-quot-sostoitsya-ne-v-kievskom-dvorce-sporta-a-v-televizionnoj-studii|title=Финал отборочного конкурса «евровидение-2005» состоится не в киевском дворце спорта, а в телевизионной студии|website=fakty.ua}} The fifteen entries that qualified from the semi-finals and the four wildcard finalists competed, with NeDilya, Sergei Gavrilov and Viktor Pavlik performing their entries in a different language than in the semi-finals. The winner, "Razom nas bahato" performed by GreenJolly, was selected exclusively through a public televote.{{cite web |date=28 February 2005 |title=Украину на Евровидении будет представлять группа "Гринджолы" |url=https://detector.media/withoutsection/article/23176/2005-02-28-ukraynu-na-evrovydenyy-budet-predstavlyat-gruppa-gryndzholy/}}{{Cite web |title="Eurovision 2005": the final of the national selection |url=https://mediateka.suspilne.media/en/media/1260 |access-date=2024-08-13 |website=Suspilne Mediateka |language=en}} 6,378 votes were registered by the televote during the show.{{Cite web |last=Phillips |first=Roel |date=27 February 2005 |title=Ukrainian final ends with political farce: Greenjolly! |url=https://esctoday.com/3911/ukrainian_final_ends_with_political_farce_greenjolly/ |access-date=7 September 2022 |website=Esctoday}} In addition to the performances of the competing entries, guests included Yulia Zabrodska, Fedor, Deema, Yulia Boday and 2005 Belarusian Eurovision entrant Angelica Agurbash performing the 2005 Belarusian entry "Boys and Girls".{{Cite web |last=Phillips |first=Roel |date=27 February 2005 |title=Host country to select song for Kiev |url=https://esctoday.com/3909/host_country_to_select_song_for_kiev/ |access-date=7 September 2022 |website=Esctoday}}

Following the Ukrainian national final, runner-up Ani Lorak launched a protest against the final results and challenged the legitimacy of the results, alleging that the phone lines for her entry was blocked. Solvo International, which organised the televoting, denied the information that there was a falsification of the results and stated that "the results correspond to reality."{{Cite web|url=https://fakty.ua/ru/55273-ani-lorak-ne-isklyuchaet-chto-golosovanie-v-finale-otborochnogo-tura-quot-evrovideniya-quot-bylo-podtasovano|title=Ани лорак не исключает, что голосование в финале отборочного тура "евровидения" было подтасовано|website=fakty.ua}}{{cite web |title=Архив (1998-2006) |date=11 July 2022 |url=https://www.segodnya.ua/oldarchive/c2256713004f33f5c2256fb7005b1375.html}} In addition, Lorak's producer Yuri Falyosa stated that "the political situation won instead of music", referring to the four final wildcards (one of them being GreenJolly) that were added just a week before the show by the Government of Ukraine based on their participation in the Orange Revolution that ended in January 2005. Vitaly Zhuravsky, leader of Christian-Democratic Party of Ukraine, also criticized inclusion of four wildcards stating that it's "a gross violation of the rules of the competition".{{Cite web |date=3 March 2005 |title=ХДПУ требует сменить украинского представителя на "Евровидении-2005"|url=https://detector.media/withoutsection/article/23229/2005-03-03-khdpu-trebuet-smenyt-ukraynskogo-predstavytelya-na-evrovydenyy-2005/ |access-date=24 December 2022 |website=Detector Media |language=ru}} In response, producer of the national final Olena Mozgova defended the choice of GreenJolly as the Ukrainian Eurovision representative, while stating that the decision to include wildcards as a way for new names and music that emerged after the Orange Revolution to be heard was "quite a healthy proposal", and was not opposed by any of the fifteen finalists that qualified from the semi-finals.{{Cite web |last=Polischuk |first=Tetyana |date=2 March 2005 |title=Як "подружитися" з правилами? |url=https://m.day.kyiv.ua/uk/article/panorama-dnya/yak-podruzhitisya-z-pravilami |access-date=7 September 2022 |website=day.kyiv.ua |language=uk}}

In March 2005, it was reported that "Razom nas bahato" appeared to have violated two of the Eurovision Song Contest rules. Firstly, it was openly derivative of an older revolutionary song, and therefore was arguably not an original composition, and secondly, the lyrics could be classed as political propaganda.{{Cite web | url=https://esctoday.com/3922/ukrainian_song_flirting_with_disqualification/ | title=Ukrainian song flirting with disqualification | date=2005-03-01 | website=esctoday.com}}{{Cite web | url=https://esctoday.com/3983/lyrics_ukrainian_song_to_change/ | title=Lyrics Ukrainian song to change | date=2005-03-07 | website=esctoday.com}}{{Cite web |last=Shekera |first=Svetlana |date=2 March 2005 |title=Песню "Разом нас багато!" как политическую агитацию не пустят на "Евровидение" |url=https://www.mediaport.ua/news/culture/22032/pesnyu_razom_nas_bagato_kak_politicheskuyu_agitatsiyu_ne_pustyat_na_evrovidenie |access-date=24 December 2022 |website=mediaport.ua |language=ru}} After changing the lyrics at the request of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), the song was deemed eligible for the contest.{{Cite web | url=https://esctoday.com/4037/ebu_accepts_new_lyrics_by_greenjolly/ | title=EBU accepts new lyrics by Greenjolly | date=2005-03-15 | website=esctoday.com}}{{Cite web |last=Shekera |first=Svetlana |date=15 March 2005 |title="Гринджолы" переписали слова песни "Разом нас багато"|url=https://www.mediaport.ua/news/ukraine/22328/grindjolyi_perepisali_slova_pesni_razom_nas_bagato |access-date=24 December 2022 |website=mediaport.ua |language=ru}}

The official music video of "Razom nas bahato", directed by Andrey Novoselov and Vitaly Kokoshka and filmed at the Theater Studio "Kryla" in Lviv, was released on 30 March. A maxi-single, featuring additional mixes, was also released on the same day to promote the song as the Ukrainian Eurovision entry.{{Cite web|url=https://www.pravda.com.ua/rus/news/2005/03/21/4386653/|title="Гринджолы" раскрасили Подол, и будут петь на двух языках|website=Украинская правда}}{{cite web |title=Архив (1998-2006) |date=11 July 2022 |url=https://www.segodnya.ua/oldarchive/c2256713004f33f5c2256fe7002be36f.html}}{{cite web |date=31 March 2005 |title="Гринджоли" презентували кліп та змінену версію пісні "Разом нас багато" |url=https://detector.media/withoutsection/article/23469/2005-03-31-gryndzholy-prezentuvaly-klip-ta-zminenu-versiyu-pisni-razom-nas-bagato/}}

According to Eurovision rules, all nations with the exceptions of the host country, the "Big Four" (France, Germany, Spain and the United Kingdom) and the ten highest placed finishers in the 2004 contest are required to qualify from the semi-final in order to compete for the final; the top ten countries from the semi-final progress to the final. As the host country, Ukraine automatically qualified to compete in the final on 20 May 2006. In addition to their participation in the final, Ukraine is also required to broadcast and vote in the semi-final on 18 May 2006. Ukraine placed nineteenth in the final, scoring 30 points.{{cite web |title=Grand Final of Kyiv 2005 |url=https://eurovision.tv/event/kyiv-2005/grand-final |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210420054251/https://eurovision.tv/event/kyiv-2005/grand-final |archive-date=20 April 2021 |access-date=20 April 2021 |publisher=European Broadcasting Union}}

In Ukraine, both the semi-final and the final were broadcast on Pershyi Natsionalnyi with commentary by actor, radio DJ and voice-over narrator Yaroslav Chornenkyi.{{cite web |date=2005-05-20 |title=10 обранців приєднаються до 14 уже відібраних учасників конкурсу Євробачення, фінальне змагання відбудеться завтра - Новости на Киев 2000 |url=http://www.kiev2000.com/news/view.asp?Id=147335&Part=38 |access-date=2012-07-04 |publisher=Kiev2000.com |archive-date=2012-03-17 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120317180444/http://www.kiev2000.com/news/view.asp?Id=147335&Part=38 |url-status=dead }} The two shows were also broadcast via radio on the National Radio of Ukraine with commentary by presenter Galyna Babiy.{{cite web |script-title=uk:Галина Бабій |url=http://www.nrcu.gov.ua/prog-presenter.html?id=20 |access-date=24 May 2013 |publisher=Ukrainian Radio |language=uk}} NTU appointed Maria Orlova as its spokesperson to announce the Ukrainian votes during the final.

Below is a breakdown of points awarded to Ukraine and awarded by Ukraine in the semi-final and grand final of the contest. The nation awarded its 12 points to Moldova in the semi-final and the final of the contest.

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{{reflist}}

• [http://www.theage.com.au/news/World/Ukraine-Eurovision-entry-is-on-song/2005/03/11/1110417688791.html The Age - Ukraine Eurovision entry is on song]. Retrieved 25 March 2008

{{Ukraine in the Eurovision Song Contest}}

{{Eurovision Song Contest 2005}}

2005

Category:Countries in the Eurovision Song Contest 2005

Eurovision