Kalush Orchestra auctions Eurovision trophy for 840,000 euros to raise money for the purchase of drones and weapons of war
They promised and they delivered. Kalush Orchestra wanted to take advantage of its victory in the Eurovision Song Contest to raise its voice against the war and show its solidarity with the Ukrainian people, shocked by the Russian invasion that has been going on for three months. In show of support, on May 25, the band auctioned off the biggest trophy they’d received in Turin: the glass microphone that gave them the big winners of the music competition; the symbol of the European competition since its inception in 2008, as the winner was previously awarded a diploma. The Whitebit company, dedicated to information technology, awarded it for a prize of 838,000 euros ($900,000), according to Kalush’s Facebook account.
However, it is not the only element that the authors of “Stefania” used to raise money to help their homeland. The group also promoted a raffle among its followers, in which the pink cap with which singer Oleh Psiuk performed at the song festival was raffled. The ballot cost six euros (plus voluntary contributions) and a total of 347,000 euros was collected. The money obtained from these actions will be used to buy weapons, in addition to the purchase of three PD-2 drones to fight in the war. More focused on the musical part, Kalush Orchestra announced its intention to start a European tour with the aim of raising money for the Ukrainian Armed Forces. This Sunday, he performed at the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, in a solidarity concert that also served to guarantee medical supplies and care for the injured. It featured the participation of the Ukrainian President, Volodimir Zelensky, the German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and international stars, such as the singer of U2, Bono, David Beckham, Madonna or Angelina Jolie, among others.
The band, whose style combines modern rap with classic Ukrainian folk, won first place in Eurovision 2022 with 631 points. Two days after the festival, they returned to Ukraine after the special permission they had been granted to perform in Italy expired, and released a shocking video clip of the winning song, in which a mother in uniform walks with her daughter in her arms. poor, through some of the regions most devastated by the war, including Bucha.
Meanwhile, Kiev is still poised to host Eurovision next year as the host nation after the win.
Source: La Verdad
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
