Last year’s winners Kalush Orchestra
(Picture: AFP via Getty Images)Ukraine has chosen pop duo Tvorchi as its act for Eurovision 2023 in a live broadcast from a bomb shelter in Kyiv.
Their song “Heart of Steel” is the first to be confirmed for next year’s contest, which will take place in Liverpool.
Band member Andrew Hutsuliak said: "We will try to do everything to present Ukraine with dignity."
We have our first song for #Eurovision 2023! 🤩
— Eurovision Song Contest (@Eurovision) December 17, 2022
TVORCHI will represent Ukraine in Liverpool with their song Heart of Steel 🇺🇦
🎶 Listen here: https://t.co/oSdhz8dubz pic.twitter.com/ePtiimxOAI
Ukraine’s Kalush Orchestra won Eurovision this year but cannot host in 2023 due to the ongoing war with Russia.
The final of the competition took place in a Kyiv metro station that has been used as a bomb shelter since the beginning of the war in February 2023.
Mr Hutsuliak said: “We didn't think we'd win but we want to say thank you to everyone who supported us, who listens to our music and who are fighting on the front line.”
Ukraine has won Eurovision three times since its first involvement in the competition in 2003. It has only finished outside the top 10 six times.
Ukraine's head of delegation at Eurovision Oksana Skybinska told the BBC: “We did everything possible to hold this Vidbir in full swing, and once again unite Ukrainians around this important choice for the biggest music stage in Europe.
"The decision to go underground was the first one taken. It made us feel sure that the show itself could go on uninterrupted because no matter if we have air raid alerts the work could continue."
Ukrainian politician Inna Sovsun tweeted: “This year, Ukraine won at Eurovision 2022. Next year, we’ll do it again!”
