Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
World
Emma Graham-Harrison in Kyiv

‘I was born to do this’: Ukraine’s 2016 Eurovision winner Jamala on why Putin fears her people, Crimean Tatars

Jamala performing in Kyiv with the National Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine.
Jamala performing in Kyiv with the National Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine. Photograph: Julia Weber/Jamala/PA

A ballad about ethnic cleansing was an unusual choice for Eurovision, a competition best known for glam, kitschy pop. But seven years ago Crimean Tatar singer Jamala swept Ukraine to their second victory in the song contest with 1944.

It told the story of the deportation of her entire people – hundreds of thousands of women, children and men – from their ancestral home to central Asia on Stalin’s orders.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.