Vadim Rabinovich, co-chairman of the Opposition Platform - For Life (Opposition Platform - For Life) faction, sent an appeal to the Ukrainian government and the State Committee for Television and Radio Broadcasting (SCTR) of the country regarding the cancellation of the application of 12-year-old Maxim Tkachuk to participate in the national qualifying stage of the Junior Eurovision Song Contest. The press service of the party reports.

The politician asked the authorities to check the actions of the National Public Television and Radio Company of Ukraine (NOTU), which on August 17 denied the boy the opportunity to compete for the right to represent his country at the Junior Eurovision Song Contest. According to the OLE, Tkachuk was in the lead in online casting of applicants for participation in an international competition. 

“In addition, a video in which Maksim Tkachuk sang the song“ Jamaica ”in Ukrainian has disappeared from the YouTube page of the national selection. At the same time, the performance gained 12,000 "likes", which guaranteed the boy participation in the national selection, "- says the website of the HLE.

"I crossed the red line"

A native of the village of Turiysk, Volyn region, Maxim Tkachuk became known after he was persecuted for singing the Soviet song "Smuglyanka" in the uniform of a Red Army soldier. A resounding performance took place at the prestigious international competition Stars of the Albion 2020 in London in late February - early March this year.

The boy's number aroused indignation from Ukrainian nationalists, a number of media outlets and radical users of social networks. The teenager, who is being raised by his grandparents, was insulted with the use of profanity on the Internet, and the competition itself was called a “Kremlin propaganda show”.

In addition to "Darkie", Tkachuk performed in London "Blue Eternity" by Muslim Magomayev and "Souvenir" by Demis Roussos. As a result of the competition, the child won awards in three nominations, but the haters did not pay attention to this.

One of those who were outraged by the performance of "Smuglyanka" was Alexander Pirozhik, a deputy of the Volyn Regional Council from the ultra-right party "Svoboda". He re-posted on his Facebook page angry materials about Tkachuk.

Later, Pirozhik said that the administration of the Stars of the Albion 2020 competition allegedly set a "strict condition" for the child and his grandmother - to sing only in Russian. According to him, Tkachuk and his guardian, over time, realized that they were "roughly set up."

“Maksim's grandmother later expressed her indignation over this to a member of the jury, Sandra Lisovskaya, who, to put it mildly, used them for her propaganda purposes. We were convinced how insidiously the propagandists of the “Russian world” act, trying to embroil us, Ukrainians, ”Pirozhik wrote on his Facebook page.

  • Flashmob in Sumy in support of Maxim Tkachuk
  • © zagittya.com.ua

However, the teenager's grandmother denied the information disseminated by the Volyn nationalist. On her grandson's Facebook page, she wrote that the whole world is singing "Darkie", and it is not propaganda of the "Russian world." Also, the boy's grandmother expressed gratitude to Lisovskaya, noting that she "does more than you (meaning Pirozhik. - RT ) with her entire party (" Freedom "- RT ) put together."

Tkachuk himself, commenting on the negative resonance around the song "Smuglyanka" to the Avers TV channel, said that he saw no reason for offensive and critical statements. 

“I would ask why, what do they dislike? The fact that I sang a song for the 75th anniversary of Victory does not mean that they should write all sorts of nasty things to me. I like Ukraine, I like people, but there are those who consider themselves such patriots that I don’t know, ”Tkachuk said.

Some caring Ukrainians have launched a flash mob in support of a talented child. Against the background of the monuments of the Great Patriotic War, "Smuglyanka" was performed by residents of Odessa and Sumy. Tkachuk was also supported by the journalists of the "NASH" TV channel, and representatives of the Odessa diocese of the UOC-MP presented the boy with gifts.

In an interview with RT, a leading researcher at RISS Oleg Nemensky noted that for the vast majority of Ukrainians, the language in which a person speaks or sings does not matter. However, the country's authorities condone the "active nationalist minority", which allows itself aggressive attacks even against children.

“Terror on the part of the ultra-right has long dominated in Ukraine. For them, this boy crossed the red line only because he sang a song in Russian. This happens because Ukrainian radicals feel like complete monopolists of patriotic discourse. From their point of view, patriotism should be based on intolerance towards any elements of Russian and Soviet culture, ”explained Nemensky.

"Cave Russophobia"

NOTU Tkachuka explained the cancellation of the application as a violation of subparagraph "d" of paragraph 3.4 of the provisions on the national selection for participation in the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2020.

It says that the applicant must not perform at any events organized by the authorities or organizations of the "aggressor country", as well as give concerts on the territory of Crimea and in the uncontrolled regions of Donbass. NOTU did not provide more specific explanations for its actions.

  • Chairman of the National Public TV and Radio Company of Ukraine Zurab Alasania
  • Reuters
  • © Valentyn Ogirenko

Currently, Tkachuk supports the leadership of the HLE. Rabinovich demands the removal of the head of NOTU, Zurab Alasania, if an inspection by the government and the SCTR reveals violations. According to the co-chairman of the HLS, "the persecution of a gifted child continues to this day, but at the state level."

Another posting on the Opposition Platform's website says that the NOTU's decision to remove Tkachuk's song "embodied the worst features of the current state system, which inherited the vilest and most disgusting methods of the Poroshenko regime." The decision of the management of the TV and radio company regarding the 12-year-old singer in the party is associated with the resonance around the performance of "Smuglyanka".

“Firstly, this is another manifestation of cave-like Russophobia, hatred for everything connected with the Russian language, with Russian culture, with the heroic pages of our history. The song "Smuglyanka" became a real anthem of friendship between the peoples of the USSR during the Great Patriotic War. Secondly, this is a cynical and dirty reprisal against a child's dream and child's talent, ”the party's website says.

The opposition political force demanded an "immediate examination" of the leadership of the NOTU by "specialists in the field of psychiatry." In the HLE, Alasania and his colleagues were accused of an “outrageous level” of unprofessionalism and inadequacy.

Experts interviewed by RT drew attention to the fact that the official authorities of Ukraine again ignore attacks for the 12-year-old Volynian. In their opinion, this situation can be viewed as a manifestation of the hypocrisy and weakness of the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky, who before his election had a liberal attitude to the Russian language in his creative activities.

In an interview with RT, Deputy Director of the Institute of CIS Countries Vladimir Zharikhin recalled that in 2017 Zelensky, being the artistic director of the Kvartal 95 studio, defended the Russian-language TV series Matchmakers from attacks by Ukrainian government agencies.

“What is happening to the boy because of the previously performed" Darkie "is a complete absurdity. Moreover, the film "Only Old Men Go to Battle", which immortalized this song, was filmed in Kiev. Now there is no one to intercede for the child again. At the same time, before the presidency, Zelensky defended his Quarter 95 from the SBU, and now he does not consider it necessary to help those who speak Russian, ”Zharikhin said.

Oleg Nemensky believes that NOTU removed Tkachuk from the qualifying stage of the Junior Eurovision Song Contest, fearing the anger of radicals. Zelensky, from the expert's point of view, deliberately ignores the discrimination of the young singer, also not wanting to incur the discontent of the "ultra-right minority."

“In this case, we are dealing with the fear of the relevant body, which does not want to get problems with the nationalists. Despite the absence of any legal basis, they decided not to let the boy in anyway. And if we talk about Zelensky, then he once again demonstrated that he is afraid of the ultra-right forces and is ready to follow their lead and follow their militant agenda, ”concluded Nemensky.