Olya Polyakova announced her intention to participate in the National Selection for Eurovision 2026, but faced restrictions under the current rules of the competition. The artist officially appealed to the Chairman of the Board of the Public Mykola Chernotytskyi with a demand to review the provisions prohibiting the participation of performers who performed in Russia after 2014.
In her address, published on Instagram, Polyakova emphasized that the rules should correspond to modern realities and not restrict the civil rights of Ukrainian artists.
"I am a citizen of Ukraine and a taxpayer. Part of the money I pay is financed by the Public. Therefore, I consider it unfair when Ukrainian artists are forbidden to participate in the competition on their own land," she wrote.
Polyakova also presented the song Warrior, which she plans to perform at the National Selection. At the same time, she does not rule out a lawsuit in case of refusal to change the rules:
"If necessary, I will defend my rights in court."
The Public Service reminded that clause 4.6 of the National Selection rules explicitly prohibits participation by performers who performed in Russia after March 15, 2014 or in Belarus after February 24, 2022. According to the Public Service, Olia Polyakova's last performance in the Russian Federation took place on May 23, 2015 — when she was the host of the RU.TV award, appearing on stage in a kokoshnik with a trident.
In addition, the competition's terms prohibit participation by artists who may have expressed support for discriminatory or political regimes.
The acceptance of applications for the National Selection will continue until October 27, 2025. Whether Polyakov will be allowed to participate will be known after the candidates are checked for compliance with the rules.
