16.05.2016, DPR.
Donetsk People’s Republic Culture Ministry is ready to “provide help to Kiev and host ‘Eurovision-2017’ in Donetsk, but on special conditions”. This opinion was expressed to Donetsk News Agency by the acting Culture Minister Mikhail Zheltyakov.
“Only Donbass can undertake such a noble action in support of Ukraine,” he said. “We are even prepared to provide the place to host the song contest, but on the condition that Europeans must see how Ukraine loves its own people.“
In particular, he said, the singers must go to the contest through the same checkpoints people of Donbass are forced to go through every day. It would be desirable that the guests would visit Oktyabrskaya mine and the area of Donetsk airport. “Let the song contest open the eyes of Europeans to the existing reality. It’s a whole other thing that Kiev would never agree to this,” Zheltyakov noted.
Another condition, according to the acting Culture Minister, is the desire of the residents to host such an event. “It must take place only after a referendum. The opinion of DPR capital residents must be studied to find out whether they want to see ‘Eurovision’, which became so politicized in the past years, in their city. To host this contest is a good and tempting idea. But do people here want to see and hear ‘Eurovision’?“
The final of the “Eurovision-2016” song contest concluded late in the night of May 14. The winner was Ukrainian singer Jamala with her song “1944”. Two hours before the start of the final, Russian TV channel NTV aired an audio recording, in which Jamala on the phone with Russian pranksters, while being convinced that she was speaking to the Culture Minister of Ukraine, admitted that her song was political, which is forbidden by the rules of “Eurovision”. There was, nevertheless, no reaction of the organizers, and Jamala won the contest. Australian singer Dami Im won the second place, Sergey Lazarev from Russia won the third place. According to the rules of the contest, it will take place in Ukraine next year.
Source: Donetsk News Agency
