For security reasons, the Ukrainian ESC commentator has to broadcast from the air raid shelter this year. The joy about the triumph of the Kalush Orchestra is all the greater. The Grand Prix fans in Kyiv don't want to miss out on the joint public viewing either.

In Ukraine, the victory of the band Kalush Orchestra at the Eurovision Song Contest in Turin was greeted with euphoria. "This is our common victory for our Ukraine. This is a victory in memory of everyone who perished," said public television presenter Timur Miroshnychenko on Sunday night, referring to Russia's war of aggression against the country . A video on Twitter shows the Ukrainian ESC commentator's enthusiastic reaction to the Kalush Orchestra's victory.

"Our soldiers are fighting for our lives, and not just for ours, but for everyone's life," Miroshnychenko said. "And they said: Celebrate the Eurovision Song Contest and bring us the win!" ESC fans even met in Kyiv for a joint public viewing. Because of the curfew from 10 p.m., the award ceremony could no longer be celebrated together there. For security reasons, Miroshnychenko also had to broadcast from an air raid shelter. "We're winning on the musical front and..." he said. Then his voice broke and he cried.

According to the rules, the Eurovision Song Contest should not contain any political implications. The fact that the public vote secured first place for Ukraine is still seen as a sign of solidarity with the country. "Please help Ukraine, Mariupol! Help Azovstal now!" cried Kalush Orchestra frontman Oleh Psyuk after his performance at the finale. The band was forgiven for the political statement - the ESC organizer European Broadcasting Union perceived the statements as humanitarian and not political, Deutsche Welle reported on Twitter.

The morning after the finale, the band released a music video of their winning song, which was filmed in the devastated Ukrainian city of Bucha, among other places. "I once dedicated this song to my mother, and when the war broke out, the song took on many new meanings," reads the video description.

It is unclear whether Ukraine can really host the ESC next year. No ESC could currently take place in Ukraine because of martial law in the country. This means that no major events are permitted and there are nightly curfews, for example. Ukraine is the target of a war of aggression by Russia, which is excluded from the ESC because of the invasion, which violates international law. An end to the war is not in sight.