Just hours before the start of the event, organizers announced that a Russian boy would finally be allowed to participate. Rather than perform, 13-year-old Sofia Samoliuk refused to sing, gave a speech in English and left the stage.
As she said, Russia has been responsible for the deaths of more than 500 children in Ukraine since the start of the war, as well as 16,000 kidnappings.
Sanremo Junior is organized under the patronage of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and is one of Europe’s most prestigious competitions for young solo singers.
If only the adults organizing the event had shown so much common sense.
Source: Daily Mail
A Ukrainian teenager yesterday refused to share a stage with a Russian contestant ahead of her performance at a UNICEF singing competition in Italy.
Sofia Samoliuk, 13, pulled out of the Sanremo Junior festival yesterday after learning that Kirill Yezhov would be taking part.
The organizers had announced the participation of the Russians a few hours before the competition – but Sofia waited and gave a speech.
In the video, a host introduces the performers to the stage to sing.
Sofia takes her bearings and launches into a pre-prepared speech in English.
I’ve decided that I can’t sing today. I found out there was a participant from Russia – the state that has already killed over 500 Ukrainian children. I cannot sing on the same stage as a representative of the terrorist state. I believe that next year this terrorist country will not be here. Please stick with Ukraine.
