Ukraine reached the Eurovision Final with the song “Teresa & Maria” by the duo Alyona Alyona and Jerry Heil. We will hear the song again on Saturday, but even before Tuesday’s performance, Polish social media were flooded with information about the political sympathies of one of the singers. Photos of Jerry Heil wearing a sweatshirt emblazoned with the words “Banderaciaga” went viral on the Internet and caused a wave of comments, including political ones.
Eurovision 2024. Controversial sweatshirt by the Ukrainian singer
The Ukrainian singer Jana Shemayeva hides under the pseudonym Jerry Heil. On her social media channels, almost every day she informs about subsequent bombings of Ukraine by Russia, encourages people to support their homeland and shows the effects of the brutal “military operation” against her country.
One TikTok recording was enough for all the sympathy she could have enjoyed from Polish viewers and listeners to disappear. In the recording, Heil appears in a sweatshirt with the words “Banderaciaga”, a combination of the name Bandera and Balenciaga, an exclusive brand. For some Ukrainians, Stepan Bandera is a national hero fighting for the country’s independence, but in Poland this figure is associated only negatively. As the leader of Ukrainian nationalists, he is responsible for the genocide of Polish civilians in Volhynia and the surrounding area, his orders led to the death of almost 100,000 people.
It didn’t take long for Poles to react. The following people reacted to the post “retweeted” by the WarNewsPL profile, providing current information about the war situation in Ukraine: MP of the New Left Anna-Maria Żukowska:
Well, I won’t vote for Ukraine this time. If Ukraine focuses on promoting Bandera in its historical policy, it will discourage Europe, which has a clear opinion about Nazi collaborators (yes, yes, the Świętokrzyska Brigade). I say no to nationalities! – she announced.
On one of the websites offering “Banderaciaga” sweatshirts for sale, you can read that it is supposed to be a manifesto of free people:
“What do Bandera and Balenciaga have in common? Freedom. Freedom of body, movement, expression. Christobal Balenciaga had a reputation as an uncompromising designer, Christian Dior called him “the greatest champion of us all”. Stepan Bandera, who was also uncompromising in his fight, wanted full independence for the Ukrainian nation. This cooperation is a manifesto of internal freedom. As free people from a free country, we strive to confirm this through our actions, thoughts, fashion. (…) The Ukrainian nation begins with you, and style begins with Banderaciaga’s sweater! – it was written on the website of Hype Laboratories, the manufacturer of “Banderaciaga” sweatshirts.
Source: Gazeta
Bruce is a talented author and journalist with a passion for entertainment . He currently works as a writer at the 247 News Agency, where he has established himself as a respected voice in the industry.
