Who are Ziferblat? Meet Ukraine's Eurovision 2025 entry
The band previously tried to enter Eurovision twice but were unlucky.
The countdown to the Eurovision Song Content 2025 is well under way with the 37 acts this year set to battle it out on stage in Basel, Switzerland.
Ukraine has entered the contest 19 times and won three. Even when not winning it consistently scores well, with its average place being seventh. It even holds the title of the first country to win Eurovision three times in the 21st century.
The eastern European country most recently won Eurovision in 2022, but due to the ongoing war, the following year's event was held in the United Kingdom as Sam Ryder had come in second place.
But can Ukraine's entry this year bring it home another trophy? Read on to find out about the band Ziferblat.
Who are Ukraine's Eurovision 2025 entry Ziferblat?
Instagram: @ziferblat_band
TikTok: @ziferblat_band
Ziferblat are an Ukrainian rock band founded in 2015 by non-identical twin brothers Daniil and Valentyn Leshchynskyi. Daniil sings and Valentyn plays guitar, while the band's third member Fedir Khodakov is the drummer. The band gained notoriety after performing on The X Factor Ukraine in 2019.
The band have tried to represent Ukraine in Eurovision on two previous occasions but were unlucky each time. In 2022, it was announced that the band made it to the long list of the Vidbir 2023, the Ukrainian pre-selection contest for the 2023 contest, but did not make it to the shortlist.
In 2024, the band came second in Vidbir 2024 and narrowly missed out on representing Ukraine at the contest last year. This year the band won and earned the honour of representing Ukraine at the Eurovision Song Contest 2025.
This week, the band's back-up singer Khrystyna Starykova shared on social media that her home had been destroyed by Russian shelling. She captioned her post: "Home. And I dreamed so much of returning home. Fortunately, all my relatives and friends are alive and well."
Despite the tragic loss, the 19-year-old has made the decision to stay and participate in Eurovision to "show what a strong people we are".
What nationality are Ziferblat?
The members of Ziferblat are all Ukrainian.
What have Ziferblat said about representing Ukraine at Eurovision 2025?
In an Instagram post, the members of Ziferblat shared how much it much it meant to them to represent their country in the contest: "We made an important step for the music of Ukraine.
"The Eurovision stage is more than just a performance, it's a place where your voice can be heard by millions. Our main message is to remind the world that the war in Ukraine is still on going. People get used, they get tired but for us this fight never stops for a moment."
What is Ukraine's Eurovision 2025 song called?
Ziferblat will be representing Ukraine in Eurovision this year with the song Bird of Pray which is about the effect the Russian war has had on the Ukrainian people.
"It's about our problems we go through, the tragedy for the last three years. To be honest, the last 11 years," Valentyn Leshchynskyi said.
The song was written by the three band members themselves and the lyrics switch between being in Ukrainian and English.
Where did Ukraine come in the 2024 Eurovision Song Contest?
Representing Ukraine, Alyona Alyona and Jerry Heil with their song Teresa & Maria secured themselves a podium finish of third place at Eurovision 2024.
The Eurovision Song Contest 2025 semi-finals will take place on Tuesday 13th May and Thursday 15th May, airing at 8pm on BBC One and iPlayer.
You can also check out the full list of Eurovision winners and how many times the UK has won Eurovision.
Check out more of our Entertainment coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Authors
Phoebe Kowhai Barnes is a Freelance Writer who covers pop culture and entertainment programmes for the Radio Times. She previously worked as the Senior Assistant Editor at The Tab where she managed its local department. She obtained a BA (Hons) in English Literature from University of Nottingham.
