Oleh Psiuk and the Kalush Orchestra are back in Ukraine.

On Monday, Psiuk's 28th birthday, the winners of the Eurovision Song Contest (ESC) traveled overland to their homeland via Poland.

They were met at the border by Ukrainian soldiers and children and young people from the city of Yavoriv.

Together they sang the winning song "Stefania".

From there we continued to Lviv (Lemberg), where the artists spent the night.

On Tuesday, Oksana Skybinska, head of the Ukrainian ESC delegation in Lviv, handed over the documents she had received in Turin to Mykola Chernotytskyi, the head of the country's public broadcaster (Suspilna), which will host the ESC in 2023.

Peter Philipp Schmitt

Editor in the department "Germany and the World".

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No effort will be spared, said Chernotytskyi, so that the next ESC can take place in a "peaceful Ukraine".

However, there are safety concerns.

Negotiations with the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), which organizes the ESC, would begin on Friday.

Chernotytskyi pointed out that Ukraine had to deposit 15 million euros as a guarantee in a Swiss bank account back in 2017, when the ESC took place in Kyiv.

The money was intended in case the competition had to be held in another country at short notice.

For the first time in the history of the music competition, the EBU had requested the money as a guarantee should Ukraine not be able to host the ESC.

Vocalist Oleh Psiuk announced that the band will auction their winner's trophy, a glass microphone, in aid of Ukraine.

"We are proud that we have boosted the morale of the Ukrainians a little with our victory." Regarding the controversy surrounding his appeal at the end of their performance ("Help Ukraine, Mariupol, help Azovstal - now!") Psiuk said was aware of the risk that this could have led to disqualification from the ESC, which has to be apolitical.

But he took the risk because the people in Ukraine were more important to him.

Kalush Orchestra announced a European tour to raise funds for Ukraine and its armed forces.

Where they will be performing will be announced shortly.

Psiuk wanted to travel on to Kalush to his mother Stefania on Tuesday,

for whom he wrote the song.

He wants to celebrate his birthday with her.