The Kalush Orchestra from Ukraine won the Eurovision Song Contest in mid-May with their song "Stefania". However, the winner's trophy will not have a place of honor in the rehearsal room, but will be auctioned off by the highest bidder. Proceeds go to the Ukrainian army.
The Ukrainian winners of the Eurovision Song Contest have said they have auctioned their trophy to benefit their home country's army. "A special thanks to Team Whitebit, who bought the trophy for $900,000 and are now the legal owners of our trophy," the band said in a statement to Kalush Orchestra. Whitebit is a Ukrainian crypto exchange operator.
Kalush Orchestra won the 66th ESC in Turin in mid-May with the song "Stefania". Especially in the audience ratings from all over Europe, the band was clearly ahead. Against the background of the Russian war of aggression in Ukraine, the clear victory was also taken as a signal of solidarity by audiences in dozens of countries. Russia had been excluded from the ESC because of the war.
Since 2008, the winning artists at the Eurovision Song Contest have been presented with a glass microphone trophy. This trophy was designed by the Swedish designer Kjell Engman. The songwriters of the winning title will receive a small copy of the trophy. The so-called mother's trophy remains with the ESC organizers, the European Broadcasting Union. It is usually on display at the EBU (European Broadcasting Union) in the reception area of their headquarters in Geneva.
The band's auction sale through Sunday evening also included frontman Oleh Psjuk's trademark - a pink bucket hat. Interested parties should donate at least five euros to have a chance of winning it. At the end of the raffle, a random number generator was used to determine who would receive the bucket hat. The entire proceeds from the donation will benefit the Ukrainian army via a foundation.
On Sunday evening, the artists also campaigned elsewhere for money and attention for their home country. At a charity event under the motto "Save Ukraine -
