Organizers strip Russia of Eurovision victory - Crimea's deputy premier
SIMFEROPOL. May 15 (Interfax) - The victory of the Crimean-born Ukrainian signer Jamala of the Crimean Tatar origin in Eurovision 2016 is down to the West's anti-Russian policies, says Ruslan Balbek, deputy premier of the Crimean government.
"The Eurovision organizers went out of their way to deprive Russia of victory. The Ukrainian, claims such as 'Russia's victory would be catastrophic,' ignoring viewers' preferences - such is the new approach to creativity in the 'developed democracies.' Today even if you are the greatest vocalist in the world, your Russian citizenship will bar your access to the first place," the Crimean official wrote on his Facebook page on Sunday.
At the same time, "had Jamala's songs been without the political subtext, she would have been supported by the entire peninsula," Balbek said. "She is the pride of the Crimean Tatar vocal with an excellent performance manner," the Crimean deputy premier said.
"Apparently, Jamala is copying the path of the (Ukrainian) singer Ruslana. The victory in Eurovision, dances on Maidan [Square], the anti-Russian hysteria, a ministerial position. In a couple of years, no one even will remember such a singer," the politician wrote.
The Ukrainian singer Jamala with her song "1944" won the Eurovision final in Stockholm, Sweden.
Russia at the contest was represented by Sergey Lazarev with the song "You Are the Only One." The singer won the third place.
Jamala's song was about the deportation of Crimean Tatars from Crimea on Josef Stalin's orders on May 18-20, 1944.