Russia calls foul after Ukraine wins 2016 Eurovision contest with song criticizing Stalin


On Sunday, Russia protested the results of Saturday night's Eurovision Song Contest finals, in which Ukrainian singer Jamala won with a song about Josef Stalin's bloody 1944 mass deportations of ethnic Tatars — including Jamala's grandmother — from Crimea to Central Asia. Jamala, the stage name for Susana Jamaladinova, 32, beat Australia's Dami Im and Russian singer Sergey Lazarev, who won the popular vote but placed third when the popular tally from around Europe was added to the scores from the juries. Crimean Tatars, who opposed Russia's annexation of Crimea from Ukraine in 2014, celebrated the victory.
Eurovision entries can't be political, and Jamala insisted that her song, "1944," was not about politics. Lazarev's song, "You Are the Only One," is a catchy dance number, and he performed it using a set that allowed him to climb an LED backdrop and ride a virtual iceberg through space. On Facebook, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said mockingly that next year's winner would sing about Syria's "bloody" Bashar al-Assad, an ally of Russia. She even suggested some lyrics: "Assad blood, Assad worst. Give me prize, that we can host."
The Eurovision contest was broadcast in the U.S. for the first time, on LGBT network Logo. If you missed it, you can watch a sampling from The Associated Press below (the country can be found in the lower left part of the screen during each song). Peter Weber
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.
-
5 hilariously cold cartoons about the Alaska summit
Cartoons Artists take on the Alaskan totem pole, a peace flag, and more
-
Journalists killed in Gaza: a chilling assault
In the Spotlight Anas al-Sharif and three of his Al Jazeera colleagues were targeted by the IDF
-
Crossword: August 16, 2025
The Week's daily crossword puzzle
-
Trump to host Kennedy Honors for Kiss, Stallone
Speed Read Actor Sylvester Stallone and the glam-rock band Kiss were among those named as this year's inductees
-
White House seeks to bend Smithsonian to Trump's view
Speed Read The Smithsonian Institution's 21 museums are under review to ensure their content aligns with the president's interpretation of American history
-
Charlamagne Tha God irks Trump with Epstein talk
Speed Read The radio host said the Jeffrey Epstein scandal could help 'traditional conservatives' take back the Republican Party
-
CBS cancels Colbert's 'Late Show'
Speed Read 'The Late Show with Stephen Colbert' is ending next year
-
Shakespeare not an absent spouse, study proposes
speed read A letter fragment suggests that the Shakespeares lived together all along, says scholar Matthew Steggle
-
New Mexico to investigate death of Gene Hackman, wife
speed read The Oscar-winning actor and his wife Betsy Arakawa were found dead in their home with no signs of foul play
-
Giant schnauzer wins top prize at Westminster show
Speed Read Monty won best in show at the 149th Westminster Kennel Club dog show
-
Beyoncé, Kendrick Lamar take top Grammys
Speed Read Beyoncé took home album of the year for 'Cowboy Carter' and Kendrick Lamar's diss track 'Not Like Us' won five awards