The music group Kalush Orchestra decided to sell off the trophy the band won at the Eurovision Song Contest, worth hundreds of thousands of dollars, to help their homeland Ukraine fight Russia.
In a post on Facebook, the Ukrainian band thanked fans for their support after the group was able to auction off the crystal microphone award for $900,000. The message said the money would go toward purchasing drones to help Ukraine’s armed forces fight off Russia after President Vladimir Putin invaded the country in February, the Hollywood Reporter reported.
“You guys are amazing!” the post read. “We appreciate each and every one of you who donated to this auction, and a special thanks to the team (of cryptocurrency exchange) Whitebit who purchased the trophy for $900,000 and are now the rightful owners of our trophy.”
The sale coincided with the group’s appearance at a charity concert in Berlin, Germany, to raise funds for supplies and medical care, the BBC noted.
Speaking to the crowd, a member of the band, Oleh Psiuk, pleaded with people not to get used to what was happening in his home country.
“I think it should be on the front pages always, until peace comes,” Psiuk shared.
The winner of the #Eurovision Song Contest 2022 is Ukraine 🇺🇦 pic.twitter.com/vPbOdfzKx9
— Eurovision Song Contest (@Eurovision) May 14, 2022
The song the band performed that won the European contest, “Stefania,” was originally written as a tribute to Psiuk’s mother. But since the war, lyrics like “I will always walk to you by broken roads” have become a rallying cry and a tribute to the country.
Given that most Ukrainian men between the ages of 18 and 60 are not allowed to leave the country in case they are needed on the front lines to fight, the group was granted special permission to compete in the contest held earlier this month in Turin, Italy.
Following the group’s win, Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky congratulated them, calling it a victory for Ukraine, the BBC noted.
“Our courage impresses the world, our music conquers Europe,” Zelensky wrote. “We will do our best to one day host the participants and guests of Eurovision in Ukrainian Mariupol. Free, peaceful, rebuilt.”