Blast from the past: Ukraine 2010

We know a lot about Eurovision and we want to share this knowledge with you! Therefore we’d like to bring you a blast from the past. Today we look back at Alyosha‘s “Sweet people”, the Ukrainian song in 2010.

Ukraine in the Eurovision Song Contest

The first Ukrainian entry in the Eurovision Song Contest was “Hasta la vista”, sung by Olexandr Ponomariov in 2003. Already a year later, the country had it’s first victory with Ruslana and her “Wild dances”. Ukraine is the only country that always reached the final so far. Ukraine managed to win the contest even three times already: with Ruslana, in 2016 with Jamala and her “1942” and in 2022 with Kalush Orchestra’s “Stefania”.

Evrobachennya. Ukrayina-2010

Vasyl

The road that lead to “Sweet people” being the Eurovision song was quite a complicated one. In December 2009, Ukrainian Television announced that the artist representing the country was selected internally. It was the 28 years old singer and performer Vasyl Lazarovych who got the job. The national final Evrobachennya. Ukrayina was held on March 5. Vasyl sang a total of 5 songs. The winning song was “I love you”, written and composed by Brandon Stone and Olga Yarinich. However, a storm of criticism came up, especially about the idea of giving only one artist the chance to perform.

20 songs

After 10 days, Ukrainian broadcaster NTU decided to have a new national final. “I love you” was now one of 20 songs.

Vitaliy Kozlovskiy sang “”I-L@VE?”
Vasyl Lazarovych sang “I love you”, 24 pts, 7th
SH and BB sang “Ne zhurys”
OIeksiy Matias sang “Angely ne umirayut”, 32 pts, 3rd
Zaklyopi sang “Anybody home?” 23 pts, 8th
Ivan Berezovskyi sang “No doubt”, 21 pts, 10th
Stereo sang “Ne shkody s uma”, 22 pts, 9th
Irina Rosenfeld sang “Forever”, 29 pts, 6th
Shanis sang “Lechu k tebe”
Max Barskih sang “White raven”
Vladyslav Levytskyi sang “Davay, davay!”
Miya sang “Vona”
DaZzle Dreams sang “Emotional lady”
Masha Sobko sang “Ya tebya lyublyu”, 36 pts, 2nd
Zlata Ochnevich sang “Tiny island”, 30 pts, 5th
Mira Gold sang “Crazy lady”
Natalia Valevska sang “Europe”, 31 pts, 4th
Juliya Voice sang “Zavyazhi mne glaza”
El Kravchuk sang “Fly to heaven”, 21 pts, 10th
Alyosha sang “To be free”, 36 pts, 1st

A new song

Accusations of plagiarism were made about the winning song “To be free” immediately after the contest. Also, it was said to be published already in 2008. While NTU wanted to investigate this, the final deadline of submitting a song was so close that NTU decided that Alyosha could sing another song in Eurovision: “Sweet people”.

Alyosha

Olena Oleksandrivna Kucher, known as Alyosha and later by her real name, Olena Topolia, is a celebrated Ukrainian singer, songwriter, and composer. Born on May 14, 1986, in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine, she grew up in a hardworking family; her father was a traffic officer, and her mother worked at an aviation plant. From a young age, Olena was passionate about music, singing in school choirs and attending the “Youth” music studio. She later graduated from the Kyiv National University of Culture and Arts with a degree in Pop Vocal.

Olena’s career began to take off after she won the international competition Yalta 2006. In 2010, she gained worldwide attention when she represented Ukraine at the Eurovision Song Contest with the song “Sweet People,” . Olena quickly became a prominent figure in the Ukrainian music scene. She has written and composed many of her own songs, as well as for other artists.

Over the years, Olena has released several successful albums, such as A World Outside Your Door and Tocka na karte. In 2023, she returned to Eurovision as an interval act, performing a duet with Rebecca Ferguson. That same year, she started performing under her real name, Olena Topolia, marking a new chapter in her career.

Sweet people

The song “Sweet people” was composed by Alyosha, alongside Borys Kukoba and Vadym Lisitsa. It was written in response to environmental concerns, carrying a strong message about the negative impact of human actions on the world. The lyrics call for awareness and responsibility, warning about the destruction caused by pollution and the need to protect the planet for future generations.

At the Eurovision Song Contest, “Sweet People” represented Ukraine after the forementioned last-minute change from Alyosha’s original song, “To Be Free,” due to plagiarism accusations. In the grand final, Alyosha delivered a powerful performance of the ballad in Oslo, Norway. The song finished 10th out of 25 participants, scoring a total of 108 points. “Sweet People” stood out for its emotional message and Alyosha’s strong vocal performance, gaining widespread recognition across Europe.

Martijn
September 11, 2024
8:00 pm
2010, Blast from the past, Female Artists, Ukraine

Martijn

See all contributions

Related news

Eurovision 2026

Road to Vienna: Montenegro

Road to Vienna: Montenegro As the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 in Vienna approaches, we continue our daily spotlight on this year’s contestants. Today, we focus on Montenegro Tamara Živković: from local festivals to the Eurovision stage Tamara Živković is a Montenegrin singer and flutist known for her powerful vocals and emotional performances. She rose to fame through major Balkan music competitions and gained international attention after winning Montesong 2025. This victory secured her place as Montenegro’s representative at the Eurovision Song Contest 2026. Early Life and Musical Education Born in Kotor, Montenegro, Tamara showed musical talent from a young age. She completed both primary and secondary music school, specializing in flute performance. During this time, she won several national and international awards in wind instrument competitions. She later studied at the Faculty of Music Arts in Belgrade, where she refined her classical training. This strong musical foundation plays a key role in her vocal control and stage presence today. From Choir Singer to TV Competitions Tamara began singing at the age of 10 in her school choir, quickly becoming a soloist. She performed at well-known children’s festivals such as Zlatna Pahulja and Naša Radost. Her national breakthrough came in 2016 when she appeared on Pinkove Zvezdice. In the early 2020s, she expanded her audience by competing in Zvezde Granda, one of the most popular music shows in the Balkans. Reaching the finals, she stood out as the only Montenegrin contestant and showcased her versatility across pop, rock, and ethno music. Montesong Journey and Breakthrough Win Tamara first entered Montenegro’s Eurovision selection with Montesong 2024. Performing “Poguban let,” she finished 9th in the final. In 2025, she returned stronger than ever. Competing with “Nova Zora,” Tamara won Montesong 2025, earning top scores from both the jury and the public. This marked a major turning point in her career. With a unique blend of classical training and modern style, Tamara is set to become one of Montenegro’s most exciting music exports. Nova Zora: A Song About Letting Go and New Beginnings Nova Zora tells the story of reaching a personal breaking point and choosing a fresh start. The song focuses on leaving behind toxic relationships, emotional pain, and outside expectations. It delivers a powerful message about reclaiming identity and putting yourself first. Self-Love and Empowerment At its core, the track highlights self-love, resilience, and inner strength. With a strong sense of female empowerment, it emphasizes that true confidence comes from within, not from external validation. The message is clear: growth begins when you choose yourself. Symbolism and Imagery Nature imagery plays a key role in the song. Storms and rain represent emotional struggle and release, while the “new dawn” symbolizes hope, clarity, and renewal. This contrast reinforces the journey from hardship to healing. Montenegro in the Eurovision Song Contest Montenegro has participated in the Eurovision Song Contest since 2007. The country’s best result came in 2015 when Knez‘s “Adio” reached 13th place in the Grand Final. The Bookmakers Tamara Živković is currently ranked 33rd with the bookmakers, making a place in the final seem almost out of reach. But could she defy the odds and deliver one of the competition’s biggest surprises?

April 10, 2026 No Comments

Eurovision 2026

Road to Vienna: Montenegro

April 10, 2026 No Comments