Every year in May, Katya Miasoid and her family gathered at her uncle’s house in north-eastern Ukraine. First, they would have a meal to celebrate his birthday, then they would crowd around the television with other members of the village to engage in the serious business: Eurovision. “It was our little family tradition,” said the 24-year-old.
But that was before the war. Now, having fled to Liverpool, and with most of her family still in Ukraine, such moments of togetherness have been forcibly consigned to memory. “Now it’s different times. In a way it’s hard to celebrate.”
Instead, she has decided to take part. As a volunteer for her new home city – selected to host the song contest on behalf of Ukraine, last year’s winners – she will be working at an information desk welcoming Eurovision visitors.
“I feel like it’s my responsibility to support my fellow countrymen in any way I can,” she said. “And I wanted to give back to the community of Liverpool to show my gratitude.”
When she arrived in Liverpool in April last year, Miasoid had never travelled by herself to another city, let alone left Ukraine. Having crossed the country by bus from her home city of Poltava in central Ukraine to Lviv in the west, she took a second bus to Warsaw, where it was snowing heavily, before flying from Poland to Liverpool – her first time on a plane. In the car from the airport, she vividly remembers thinking how green the city was, and her host, a family friend, pointing out John Lennon’s old house.
In this year’s contest, Miasoid, who works in university catering and has taken interpreting courses so she can help other Ukrainians, will be supporting Denmark, which she got in a work sweepstake, and the UK. But having studied Watching the English, social anthropologist Kate Fox’s book about the “hidden rules of English behaviour”, she will not be mentioning “the elephant in the room” – Britain’s recent poor record in the contest, although that all changed last year when Sam Ryder came second.
Miasoid tried to get tickets for the grand final next Saturday but, like thousands of others, she was unsuccessful. Across nine live shows during the week – each with a capacity of about 7,000, according to the BBC – just under 3,000 tickets were made available to Ukrainian refugees in a government-run “displaced Ukrainians” ballot. In total, 90,000 tickets were applied for in that ballot, the Observer understands.
Instead, Miasoid will either be watching at home, with neighbours or colleagues, or in the city centre. “I have options, but I won’t be able to watch with my family, which is sad.”
Svitlana Kostovska, 38, who came to Liverpool from Kyiv last June, also tried and failed to get tickets for the final, but will instead be going to a preview performance on Saturday with her son. While she is happy that Ukraine is receiving attention from Britain with Eurovision, it comes at an especially worrying time at home, where her husband has been struggling to sleep because of drone attacks. “We remember that war continues. War is still in Ukraine,” she said.
The Rev Dr Taras Khomych, a priest at the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic church in Liverpool and chair of the Liverpool branch of the Association of Ukrainians in Great Britain (AUGB), was involved in Liverpool’s planning of the event. Already the city felt like “little Ukraine”, he said.
Liverpool, which beat Glasgow to host the contest, is holding a two-week cultural festival that runs until 14 May, the day after the grand final at the M&S Bank Arena. The last time the UK hosted the event was in 1998 in Birmingham.
Symbols of Ukraine around Liverpool include 12 illuminated soloveiko (nightingales) – its national bird – each singing a different song, and sandbags covering the Nelson monument, as they are used to protect statues in Ukraine. In the Royal Albert dock, bars and restaurants are serving recipes by Ukrainian chef Olia Hercules.
The Eurovision village fanzone hosted a performance by the 2022 winners, Kalush Orchestra, on Friday and will feature some of this year’s entries from other countries, and the English National Opera. On Sunday, simultaneous raves will be held in Liverpool and Kyiv.
Liverpool, which is twinned with Odesa, had become a second home for many Ukrainians, said Khomych. “With all those Ukrainian symbols around and the emphasis on Ukraine, it’s a warm feeling for many people. They are really pleased to experience all of this.”
The AUGB was involved in the event’s programming, which runs across the city including in public spaces, schools and care homes. Last week, it opened Liverpool’s first Ukrainian community centre, and the city’s Ukrainian children’s choir has been in high demand. “It is something which we do not only for ourselves but also for Ukraine,” said Khomych.
Mariia Kostyk is going to Liverpool from Marlow in Buckinghamshire for the final with Zoe, a Ukrainian flag and the teenage daughter of her Homes for Ukraine host family, after securing two tickets. “I love the song contest. I watch it every year on TV but I never thought it was possible to see it live. I’m very excited to go,” said Kostyk, 38, who is in Britain with her two children while her husband is in the Ukraine military. “Usually it’s me and my mother-in-law [watching it]. She’s still in Ukraine.”
Claire McColgan, Liverpool’s director of culture, said she had not felt an atmosphere like it since 2008, when the city was European capital of culture. “Liverpool has completely embraced the whole thing. You can’t escape it.”
Stuart Andrew, the Eurovision minister, said: “The stage is set, the musicians are ready, the sequins have been sewn on and this wonderful city is full of colour and world-class culture.”
Who to watch
British entry
Last year, Sam Ryder defied the traditionally rock bottom expectations of British Eurovision entries by coming second with Space Man after his 2021 predecessor, James Newman, came last. This year, hoping to follow his trajectory is singer-songwriter Mae Muller, 25, with I Wrote a Song.
Ukraine entry
Nigerian-Ukrainian pop duo Tvorchi wrote their song Heart of Steel during last year’s siege of the Azovstal steel works in Mariupol. Jeffery and Andrii have had considerable success at home, with four No 1 albums. Their selection as Ukraine’s entry was announced live from a Kyiv bomb shelter and their Eurovision preparations have been interrupted by air raid sirens.
The favourite
Having won six times (only Ireland, with seven wins, has been more successful), Sweden has form as Eurovision champions. And this year, their entry by Loreen (who also won the contest in 2012) is the bookmakers’ favourite to triumph once again. Her song Tattoo was No 1 in Sweden for most of March.
