Sofia Samolyuk: I will not sing on the same stage as Russian terrorists who kill Ukrainian children

13-year-old Sofia Samolyuk refused to perform on the same stage as a Russian singer at the famous Sanremo Junior festival in Italy. Instead of her vocal performance, which had taken a very long time to prepare, Sofia gave a speech in which she pointed out the shameful fact that the aggressor country’s representatives were present on the internationally recognized stage.

“I will not sing on the same stage with Russian terrorists killing Ukrainian children. I hope that next year the terrorist country will not be on this stage. Please, support Ukraine,” the girl addressed the audience from the stage in English. 

Sanremo Junior is a vocal competition held in Italy under the auspices of the international organization UNICEF, the United Nations Children’s Fund, which aims to protect the rights and interests of children. The organizers announced the participation of Russians a few hours before the competition on May 3.

We thank Sofia for her example of dignity and are proud of this brave and selfless act!