105-488: " Wild Dances " is a song composed and recorded by Ukrainian singer-songwriter Ruslana , with lyrics by herself, Oleksandr Ksenofontov , Jamie Maher, Michael Fayne, and Sherena Dugani. It represented Ukraine in the Eurovision Song Contest 2004 , held in Istanbul , resulting in the country's first win at the contest. "Wild Dances" was composed and recorded by Ruslana , with lyrics by herself, Oleksandr Ksenofontov , Jamie Maher, Michael Fayne, and Sherena Dugani. The work on
210-465: A market economy from a command economy in 1990–1991 and made efforts to rebuild and restructure their economic systems, often following neoliberal shock therapy policies, with varying results. In all, the process triggered severe economic declines, with gross domestic product (GDP) dropping by more than 40% overall between 1990 and 1995. This decline in GDP was much more intense than the 27% decline that
315-731: A roadmap for future integration and established the Eurasian Economic Commission (modelled on the European Commission ). The Eurasian Economic Commission serves as the regulatory agency for the Eurasian Customs Union, the Single Economic Space and the Eurasian Economic Union. The Eurasian Economic Union is an economic union of post-Soviet states. The treaty aiming for the establishment of
420-508: A free trade area, but the agreements were never signed. On 19 October 2011, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan and Ukraine signed a free trade agreement. Uzbekistan joined the free trade area in 2013. The Eurasian Economic Community (EURASEC), formerly the CIS Customs Union, was established by Russia , Belarus , Kazakhstan , Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan . Ukraine and Moldova have observer status in
525-517: A future city which experiences a global energy crisis, far more threatening than lack of oil and gas, people are lacking their will to live, their energy of the heart – the "fuel for people". Lana, one of the synthetic inhabitants, sets out to find the mystical energy source. After many adventures, she discovers that the wild energy comes from her own heart. Wild Energy combines the art of music and video production, literature and social commitment in an extraordinary way. In June 2006 Ruslana presented
630-1121: A number of multinational organizations such as: Regarding political freedom in the former Soviet republics, Freedom House 's 2021 report listed the following: Similarly, the Press Freedom Index published by Reporters Without Borders in 2022 recorded the following as regards press freedom : It has been remarked that several post-Soviet states did not change leadership for decades since their independence, such as Nursultan Nazarbayev in Kazakhstan until his surprise resignation in 2019, and Islam Karimov in Uzbekistan, until his death in September 2016. All of these had originally more limited terms but through decrees or referendums prolonged their stay in office (a practice also followed by Presidents Alexander Lukashenko of Belarus and Emomali Rahmon of Tajikistan). Askar Akayev of Kyrgyzstan had likewise served as President since its independence until he
735-673: A pressure for democracy. This is one of the few social disasters that the church has survived, in which it was not the cause. But if successful politically, it faces economic challenges beyond its grasp." The Central Asian states ( Kazakhstan , Kyrgyzstan , Tajikistan , Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan ) plus Azerbaijan in the Southern Caucasus are Muslim , except for their dwindling Russian and other European minorities. The Baltic countries are historically Western Christian ( Protestant and Roman Catholic ), which adds another layer of pro-Western orientation to those countries, although
840-475: A successful transition to capitalism and more democracy." Commenting on Milanović's report in 2021, Kristen Ghodsee says this view is "essentially correct" and perhaps underestimates "the negative impacts of transition by focusing only on GDP, inequality and democratic consolidation" whereas Mitchell A. Orenstein says this view is "overly pessimistic" and notes that "Poland had done spectacularly well and living standards had increased in many countries." Most of
945-708: A version only in Ukrainian called "Dyki tantsi" (Ukrainian: Дикі танці ) in Ukraine and Russia. On 23 January 2004, the National Television Company of Ukraine (NTU) announced that it had internally selected Ruslana as its performer for the 49th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest . On 28 January 2004, NTU announced that "Wild Dances" would be the Ukrainian entry for Eurovision. The official music video
1050-557: Is a Ukrainian singer, songwriter, dancer, producer, actress, activist, and former politician. She is a World Music Award and Eurovision Song Contest winning recording artist, holding the title of People's Artist of Ukraine . She is also a former MP serving as deputy in the Ukrainian parliament ( Verkhovna Rada ) for the Our Ukraine Party . Ruslana was the UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador in Ukraine in 2004–2005. She
1155-504: Is a closely related organization. Observer countries include Armenia , Bulgaria and Poland . Just like GUAM before it, this forum is largely seen as intending to counteract Russian influence in the area. This is the only international forum centered in the post-Soviet space in which the Baltic countries also participate. In addition, the other three post-Soviet states in it are all members of GUAM. The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO),
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#17329012719011260-399: Is a singer, songwriter, producer, musical conductor, multi-instrumentalist , dancer, voice actress and social activist . She writes, composes and produces her own songs and music videos. Since 28 December 1995 she has been married to Oleksandr Ksenofontov , a Ukrainian record producer. Together they have run the company Luxen Studio since 1993, producing radio and film trailers. Ruslana
1365-456: Is composed of China and five post-Soviet states, namely Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. The organization was founded in 2001, though its predecessor, the Shanghai Five grouping, has existed since 1996. Its aims revolve around security-related issues such as border demarcation, terrorism and energy. Apart from above, the former Soviet republics also hold membership in
1470-481: Is designed for flash mob type synchronous dances. In April/May 2012 she toured 11 Ukrainian cities with a unique show concept called OGO Show . During these open-air events Ruslana appeared as lead dancer teaching the audience the moves. The audience doesn't consume passively, but is integrated into the show. More concept concerts followed within the framework of the EURO 2012 public fan events. Her third international album
1575-541: Is featured as one of the songs on Vladivostok. On 13 May 2008, Grand Theft Auto IV broke the Guinness World Records for "Highest grossing video game in 24 hours" and "Highest Revenue Generated by an Entertainment Product in 24 Hours". It sold 3.6 million copies on day one generating $ 310 million in revenue. In 2009, she was invited to attend the sixth Asia Song Festival which took place in Seoul , Korea . The event
1680-564: Is recognized as the most successful Ukrainian female solo artist internationally and was included in the top 10 most influential women of 2013 by the Forbes magazine. The U.S. Secretary of State honored her with the International Women of Courage Award in March, 2014. She has been named an honorary citizen of her hometown Lviv and was nominated to receive the title Hero of Ukraine . She
1785-569: Is sometimes used to refer to the post-Soviet states other than Russia. Following the end of the Cold War , the international community de facto recognized Russia as the successor state to the Soviet Union as a whole, rather than to just the Russian SFSR. In contrast, the other post-Soviet states were recognized as successors only to their corresponding Union Republics. However, Russia's status as
1890-1227: The Armenian SSR , the Azerbaijan SSR , the Byelorussian SSR , the Estonian SSR , the Georgian SSR , the Kazakh SSR , the Kirghiz SSR , the Latvian SSR , the Lithuanian SSR , the Moldavian SSR , the Russian SFSR , the Tajik SSR , the Turkmen SSR , the Ukrainian SSR , and the Uzbek SSR . In Russia, the term " near abroad " ( Russian : ближнее зарубежье , romanized : bližneye zarubežye )
1995-512: The Baltic states (Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania) were the first to break away from the Soviet Union by proclaiming the restoration of their national independence in 1990; they cited legal continuity from the original Baltic states , asserting that Baltic sovereignty had continued on a de jure basis due to the belligerent nature of the 1940 Soviet annexation . Subsequently, the 12 remaining Union Republics seceded, with all of them jointly establishing
2100-839: The Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) and most of them later joining the Russian-led Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO). On the other hand, the three Baltic states pursued a policy of near-total disengagement with the Russian-dominated post-Soviet sphere, instead focusing on integrating themselves with the European Union (EU) and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). They successfully attained NATO membership and were granted EU membership in 2004. Since
2205-544: The Community for Democracy and Rights of Nations which aims to forge closer integration. The Community of Democratic Choice (CDC) was formed in December 2005 at the primary instigation of Ukraine and Georgia, and composed of six post-Soviet states (Ukraine, Georgia, Moldova, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania) and three other countries of Eastern and Central Europe ( Slovenia , Romania and North Macedonia ). The Black Sea Forum (BSF)
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#17329012719012310-555: The Eurovision Song Contest 2005 . However, the singer had to decline the offer due to her involvement in the organization of a big charity concert dedicated to the victims of the Chernobyl disaster . Therefore, Ruslana appeared at the event only as a guest star. She performed a medley of Wild Dances and Heart on Fire at the opening ceremony being accompanied by the Zhyttia ballet and the Ukrainian drums ensemble ARS Nova. After interviewing
2415-431: The Eurovision Song Contest 2011 as a songwriter. Goran Bregovich , the legendary Balkan musician from Serbia produced the song Kray At the same time of the release of the new English album Ruslana's Ukrainian album ЕЙ-форі-Я ( EY-fori-YA , Euphoria ) was re-released under the new title Мій Брат! (разом) ( Miy Brat! (razom!) , My Brother! (together!) ). The renaming of the album had become necessary because of
2520-538: The Partnership for Peace and Individual Partnership Action Plan program include Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. Four member states, namely Georgia , Ukraine , Azerbaijan and Moldova , established the GUAM group that was largely seen as intending to counter Russian dominance in the region. Notably, these four nations do not participate in any of
2625-575: The Wild Dances project as her most creative work. Due to her active involvement in the Euromaidan in Ukraine, Ruslana had to postpone her musical plans. Ruslana was invited as music expert for Eurosong, the Belgian selection for the 2014 Eurovision Song Contest in order to choose the best candidate to represent Belgium at the Eurovision Song Contest 2014 . On 9 and 10 October Ruslana held two concerts at
2730-463: The dissolution of the Soviet Union . Only organizations that are mainly (or completely) composed of post-Soviet states are listed in this section; organizations with wider memberships are not discussed. The 15 post-Soviet states are divided in their participation to the regional blocs: The Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) consists of 10 former Soviet Republics that differ in their membership status. As of December 2010, 9 countries have ratified
2835-659: The former Soviet Union ( FSU ) or the former Soviet republics , are the independent sovereign states that emerged/re-emerged from the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991. Prior to their independence, they existed as Union Republics , which were the top-level constituents of the Soviet Union . There are 15 post-Soviet states in total: Armenia , Azerbaijan , Belarus , Estonia , Georgia , Kazakhstan , Kyrgyzstan , Latvia , Lithuania , Moldova , Russia , Tajikistan , Turkmenistan , Ukraine , and Uzbekistan . Each of these countries succeeded their respective Union Republics:
2940-405: The 2000s, many EU officials have stressed the importance of establishing EU Association Agreements with the other post-Soviet states. Ukraine and Georgia have actively sought NATO membership due to increasingly hostile Russian interference in their internal affairs . Due to the post-Soviet conflicts , several disputed states with varying degrees of international recognition have emerged within
3045-565: The 60th anniversary of the contest. Her repertoire includes songs performed mainly in Ukrainian and English , but she also recorded cover versions in Spanish and Latin languages. Ruslana was born on 24 May 1973 in Lviv , Ukraine to Ukrainian father Stepan Lyzhychko and Russian mother Nina Sapegina. She was raised in the Lviv Oblast ( province ). Encouraged by her mother, Ruslana studied from
3150-582: The 60th anniversary of the contest. As the winning broadcaster, the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) gave NTU the responsibility to host the following edition of the Eurovision Song Contest. The grand final held on 21 May 2005, opened with Ruslana performing a medley of "Wild Dances" and "Heart on Fire" accompanied by the Zhyttia ballet and the Ukrainian drums ensemble ARS Nova. She also performed her latest single " The Same Star " in
3255-456: The CIS charter and are full CIS members (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Moldova, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan), one country (Turkmenistan) is an associate member and two countries (Georgia, Ukraine) left the organization in 2009 and in 2018. In 2014, Ukraine declined its CIS chairmanship and considered withdrawal from the organization. In 1994, the CIS countries agreed to create
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3360-656: The Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), this being an expansion of the previous Collective Security Treaty (CST). Uzbekistan which (alongside Georgia and Azerbaijan) withdrew from the CST in 1999, joined GUAM. Then in 2005, it withdrew from GUAM and joined the CSTO in 2006. On 28 June 2012, Uzbekistan suspended its membership in the CSTO. Three former Soviet states are members of NATO: Estonia , Latvia and Lithuania . Georgia, where both public opinion and
3465-822: The EAEU was signed on 29 May 2014 by the leaders of Belarus , Kazakhstan and Russia , and came into force on 1 January 2015. Treaties aiming for Armenia 's and Kyrgyzstan 's accession to the Eurasian Economic Union were signed on 9 October 2014 and 23 December respectively. Armenia's accession treaty came into force on 2 January 2015. Kyrgyzstan ratified its accession's treaty in May 2015, and it came into force in August 2015. Moldova and Tajikistan are prospective members. Seven CIS member states, namely Russia , Belarus , Kazakhstan , Kyrgyzstan , Tajikistan , Uzbekistan and Armenia , have enhanced their military cooperation, establishing
3570-500: The Georgian language. While the Soviet system placed severe restrictions on religious intellectual life, traditions continued to survive. After the dissolution of the Soviet Union, Islamic movements have emerged alongside ethnic and secular ones. Vitaly Naumkin gives the following assessment: "Throughout the time of change, Islam has served as a symbol of identity, a force for mobilization, and
3675-666: The Lviv Music Academy. Ruslana's father is from the West-Ukrainian area of the Hutsuls , the dwellers of the Ukrainian Carpathian Mountains. They have a unique culture with an ancient and rich history that inspired Ruslana to create her concept album Wild Dances . It combines powerful and permeating ethnic drums, trumpet sounds of the trembita , an ancient Hutsul music instrument, with modern dance beats. The album
3780-650: The Manchester Ukrainian Cultural Centre 'Dnipro'. She originally planned on performing only one show however as the tickets sold out within hours, it was decided that she would perform a second concert the next day. Tickets for that show were also almost sold out. On 24 October, Ruslana performed a concert along with the Ukrainian Bandurist Chorus in Massey Hall in Toronto . The purpose of
3885-454: The Only One" by Ivan Mikulić . Her performance is memorable for an energetic performance, which Ruslana gave in a leather outfit, inspired by Xena: Warrior Princess and the ethnic tradition of Ukraine . At the close of voting of the grand final, it had received 280 points, winning the contest. It was the first victory for Ukraine. With a mixture of English and Ukrainian lyrics, "Wild Dances"
3990-499: The Soviet Union occurred against a backdrop of economic stagnation and regression within the economy of the USSR . This period marked the breakdown of the Gosplan , the state planning agency responsible for economic planning and inter-republic economic connections, exacerbating the effects on the economies of the post-Soviet states. Most of the formerly Soviet states began the transition to
4095-533: The Ukrainian Carpathians , Ruslana set new standards for modern video clip filming. In 1995, Ruslana graduated from the Lviv Conservatory as professional conductor and classical pianist. She was the student of one of the most prominent Ukrainian composers and conductors, Mykola Kolessa who is regarded as 'the father of the Ukrainian conducting school'. She used to be a part of the student choir of
4200-517: The United States suffered in the wake of the Great Depression between 1930 and 1934. The reconfiguration of public finance in compliance with capitalist principles resulted in dramatically reduced spending on health, education and other social programs, leading to a sharp increase in poverty and economic inequality . The economic shocks associated with wholesale privatization resulted in
4305-519: The age of four at an experimental musical school and sang in different bands, including in the vocal-instrumental band Horizon, the band Orion and the children's ensemble Usmishka (Smile). With Usmishka, Ruslana performed at a large concert in the Druzhba Stadium in 1989. One of the headlining acts of that concert was Vasyl Zinkevych , People's Artist of the Ukrainian SSR, who noticed her talent. At
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4410-483: The anti-Akayev climate that led to his overthrow. Economic, political, national, military and social problems have all been factors in separatism in the post-Soviet space. In many cases, problems due to factors such as ethnic divisions existed before the fall of the Soviet Union, and upon the fall of the union were brought into the open. Such territories and resulting military conflicts have so far been: Civil wars unrelated to separatist movements have occurred twice in
4515-484: The broader Russian invasion of Ukraine . In the political language of Russia and some other post-Soviet states, the term near abroad ( Russian : ближнее зарубежье , romanized : blizhnee zarubezhe ) refers to the independent republics that emerged after the dissolution of the Soviet Union . Increasing usage of the term in English is connected to assertions of Russia's right to maintain significant influence in
4620-458: The case of Dmytro and Sergiy Pavlichenko who claim to have been forced to admit a murder they have not committed. The father and son were convicted of killing a judge of a district court in Kyiv and sentenced to life imprisonment and 13 years in prison respectively. The verdict was widely criticized mainly by football fans. Ruslana dedicated her song and video Це – Ей-форі-Я ( This is Euphoria ) to
4725-510: The case of the Pavlichenkos who according to her are victims of a misjudgement. Ruslana was one of the leading figures of the pro-EU protests known as Euromaidan . On 22 November 2013, Ukrainian citizens started spontaneous protests in Kyiv , the capital of Ukraine , after the Ukrainian government had suspended preparations for signing an Association Agreement with the European Union . From
4830-617: The chainmail in which she appears in the clip resembles her internal state. After all the events in her country and her extreme expeditions into the mountains, Ruslana feels like a kind of warrioress who is called to protect the most valuable: Love. In her song, video Ruslana wants to draw attention to the widespread deforestation in the Carpathians. Her aim is the preservation of the Carpathian primeval forests, their unique wildlife, and exceptional culture. In autumn 2004 Ruslana actively supported
4935-416: The coincidental same name of the winning song of the Eurovision Song Contest 2012 . The Swedish singer Loreen won the event with the song Euphoria , one month after Ruslana had released her Ukrainian album and song of the same name. In order to avoid misunderstandings Ruslana's renamed not only her album but also her English song Euphoria into This Is Euphoria . In August 2013 Ruslana globally released
5040-637: The community; however, Ukraine has declared its desire not to become a full member state. Because having common borders with the rest of the community is a prerequisite for full membership, Moldova is barred from seeking it. Uzbekistan applied for membership in October 2005, when the process of merging Central Asian Cooperation Organization and the Eurasian Economic Community began; it joined on 25 January 2006. Uzbekistan subsequently suspended its membership in 2008. On 10 October 2014 an agreement on
5145-414: The competitors in the green room she also performed her latest single The Same Star . During this performance, Ruslana wore a red costume inspired by Ukrainian ethnic elements. Also in 2005, Ruslana designed the cover for Jonathan Safran Foer 's The Unabridged Pocket Book of Lightning which was produced as part of Penguin Books ' 70th birthday celebrations. In 2006, Ruslana's song " Wild Dances "
5250-420: The concert was to showcase the beauty and the importance of the Bandura in Ukrainian music and culture. For her final song, Ruslana performed along with the Ukrainian Bandurist Chorus as well as the Zoloti Struny Youth Bandura Ensemble based in Toronto. She was a judge at Vidbir , Ukraine's National Selection for the Eurovision Song Contest 2016 . Out of the three jury members, she was the only one who supported
5355-417: The continent. As Ukraine had not finished in the top 10 at the previous contest , the song had to compete in the semi-final. Ruslana performed "Wild Dances" eleventh on the night, following Greece 's " Shake It " by Sakis Rouvas and preceding Lithuania 's "What's Happened to Your Love" by Linas and Simona . The song qualified for the grand final. After the grand final it was revealed that it had received in
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#17329012719015460-730: The countries has been rising. The constitutional background for taxation is similar. Central banks are often independent state institutions, which possess the monopoly on managing and implementing a state's or federation's monetary policy. Besides monetary policy, some of them also perform the supervision of the financial intermediary system . Change in gross domestic product (GDP) in constant prices, 1991–2015 *Economy of most Soviet republics started to decline in 1989–1990, thus indices for 1991 do not match pre-reform maximums. **The year when GDP decline switched to GDP growth ***World bank publishes GDP data for Estonia only from 1995 onwards. Figures for Estonia are relative to 1995 GDP. List of
5565-443: The country's capital. She was one of the coaches of the first season of the Clash of the Choirs TV show in Ukraine . Ruslana and her alumni from the city of Lviv have won the grand final of the project on 5 January 2014, receiving 78% of the tele voting. In January 2014 her international album My Boo! (Together!) was released digitally. For her subsequent album Ruslana intended to study again ethnic motifs as she regarded
5670-466: The cultural exchange between Ukraine and Asia in music, in the end she also won the main award of the festival, receiving the golden statue for the best artist of the Asia Song Festival 2009. In 2011, Ruslana was appointed as one of the judges of the Ukrainian version of The Voice show. Her involvement in the project was featured on the Dutch TV where the original show of the series kicked off. Eventually, Ruslana's alumni, Tonya Matvienko, placed 2nd in
5775-430: The democratic processes in Ukraine known as the Orange Revolution , to which her song " Dance with the Wolves " was devoted. She declared her support for Viktor Yushchenko during the disputed Ukrainian presidential elections . She became one of the prominent figures that addressed the mass crowds rallying in support of Yushchenko's demand that his original defeat be declared fraudulent. From spring 2006 to summer 2007 she
5880-408: The emergence of Russian-backed states in Ukraine in 2014: the Republic of Crimea in southern Ukraine briefly proclaimed independence before being annexed by Russia in 2014 ; and the Donetsk People's Republic and the Luhansk People's Republic , both located in Ukraine's Donbas , were occupied and subsequently declared independence in 2014 before being formally annexed by Russia in 2022 , amidst
5985-414: The end of the concert, Zinkevych asked her to come on stage and declared in front of an audience of 15,000 spectators: "Remember this young singer, your compatriot. You will see: she will definitely become a real star." After finishing secondary school, Ruslana entered the Lviv Conservatory where she graduated as a classical pianist and symphonic orchestra conductor in 1995. Ruslana started her career as
6090-407: The excess deaths of roughly 1 million working age individuals throughout the former Soviet bloc in the 1990s. A study by economist Steven Rosefielde asserts that 3.4 million Russians died premature deaths from 1990 to 1998, partly as the result of the shock therapy policies imposed by the Washington Consensus . The initial transition decline was eventually arrested, and after 1995 the economy in
6195-423: The final, Switzerland was the only country not giving any points to the song. The single Wild Dances stayed a total of 97 weeks in various European single charts. It was certified gold in Belgium, Sweden, Russia, Greece, the Czech Republic and Slovakia. In Belgium, it topped the singles charts at #1 for 10 consecutive weeks. Also in Ukraine and Greece, the song peaked at #1. The English language album Wild Dances
6300-400: The first L'viv Christmas television project of an All-Ukrainian scale including the video clip Ballad of a Princess which was the first animated music video made by a Ukrainian singer. Her first album Myt Vesny – Dzvinkyi Viter ( A Moment of Spring – Wind Bells ), released in 1998, received high praise from the critics. Still, wider recognition did not come until 1998 with
6405-423: The first day of the protests she stayed on Kyiv 's Maidan Nezalezhnosti virtually all night, up to ten hours a night. In an interview with The Daily Beast on 11 December 2013 she explained her role in the opposition as "charging Maidan with freedom-loving energy", insisted she "hates" politics and denied supporting any single leader. Post-Soviet states The post-Soviet states , also referred to as
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#17329012719016510-422: The grand final of the Ukrainian show. Also in 2011, her song Wild Dances was used by the American gymnast Jordyn Wieber as the soundtrack for her floor exercise. Wieber eventually became the 2011 World Women's All-Around Champion and won the golden medal at the 2012 Summer Olympics performing her floor exercise on Ruslana's song. In April 2012 the new Ukrainian language album ЕЙ-форі-Я ( EY-fori-YA )
6615-718: The interval act and presented the trophy to the winner. Sales figures based on certification alone. The song was bought with exclusive copyright in Vietnam by Vietnamese singer-songwriter Hồ Quỳnh Hương . She has an own Vietnamese version of the song, entitled "Vũ điệu hoang dã". The song is used in the soundtrack of the 2008 video game Grand Theft Auto IV . American gymnast and 2011 world champion Jordyn Wieber has revealed that she uses this song as her floor exercise music. Ruslana Ruslana Stepanivna Lyzhychko ( Ukrainian : Руслана Степанівна Лижичко , IPA: [rʊsˈlɑnɐ steˈpɑn⁽ʲ⁾iu̯nɐ lɪˈʒɪtʃko] ; born 24 May 1973), known mononymously as Ruslana ,
6720-416: The language lost its status in other post-Soviet states after the end of the Soviet Union. It maintains semi-official status in all CIS member states, because it is the organisation's official working language, but in the three Baltic states, the Russian language is not recognized in any official capacity. Georgia, since its departure from the CIS in 2009, has begun operating its government almost exclusively in
6825-447: The most successful album in Ukraine ever. Ruslana was internally selected by the NTU to represent Ukraine at the Eurovision Song Contest 2004 . Before the contest, she was a hot favorite for victory by the bookmakers. At the Eurovision Song Contest 2004 , she performed her self-composed song, Wild Dances and won the contest receiving 280 points. In the semifinal, the song received points from all other participating countries; in
6930-401: The new single and video Wild Energy in a unique fantasy style. In this video clip, the singer develops from a synthetic blonde girl into her wild image. In March 2008 Ruslana's Ukrainian album Amazonka was released in Ukraine, Czech Republic and Slovakia. The English album Wild Energy was released by Warner Music in Canada and several European countries in autumn 2008. The album
7035-409: The new states' constitutions define directly or indirectly the economic system of the countries parallel to the democratic transition of the 1990s, emphasising the free market economy . The average government debt in these countries is nearly 44%, but the deviation is great, because the lowest figure is close to 10% but the highest is 97%. The trend shows that the sovereign debt-to-GDP ratio in most of
7140-455: The other regional organizations that sprang up in the region since the dissolution of the Soviet Union (other than the CIS). The Union State of Russia and Belarus was originally formed on 2 April 1996 under the name Commonwealth of Russia and Belarus , before being tightened further on 8 December 1999. It was initiated by the president of Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko . On paper, the Union of Russia and Belarus intends further integration, beyond
7245-478: The politics of some post-Soviet States. Heydar Aliyev , after constructing an extensive and ongoing cult of personality , handed the Presidency of Azerbaijan to his son, Ilham Aliyev . Theories about the children of other leaders in Central Asia being groomed for succession abound. The participation of Akayev's son and daughter in the 2005 Kyrgyz parliamentary elections boosted fears of dynastic succession being used in Kyrgyzstan as well, and may have contributed to
7350-546: The post-Soviet states began to recover, with GDP switching from negative to positive growth rates. By 2007, 10 of the 15 post-Soviet states had recovered their 1991 GDP levels. According to economist Branko Milanović , in 2015 many former Soviet republics and other former communist countries still have not caught up to their 1991 levels of output, including Bosnia-Herzegovina , Georgia , Kyrgyzstan , Moldova , Serbia , Tajikistan and Ukraine . He concluded that "only 1 out of 10 people living in 'transition' countries have seen
7455-404: The present gross domestic product (GDP) (figures are given in 2023 United States dollars for the year 2023 according to the IMF ) The post-Soviet states listed according to their Human Development Index scores in 2021: Very High Human Development: High Human Development: Medium Human Development: A number of regional organizations and cooperating blocs have sprung up since
7560-548: The region. The concept has been compared to the Monroe Doctrine , central to American grand strategy in the 20th century. The AP Styleguide recommends avoiding use of the shorthand "former Soviet republic(s)" unless relevant to the story. The 15 states may be divided into four subregions . Not included in these categories are the several de facto independent states presently lacking international recognition (read below: Separatist conflicts ). The dissolution of
7665-487: The region: Since 2003, a number of (largely) peaceful " colour revolutions " have happened in some post-Soviet states after disputed elections, with popular protests bringing into power the former opposition. There is a significant Russophone population in most of the post-Soviet states, whose political position as an ethnic minority varies from country to country. While Belarus, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, in addition to Russia, have kept Russian as an official language,
7770-634: The restoration of the old castles from Western Ukraine. The tour was a success and thanks to Ruslana's efforts, the Zolochiv Castle was restored. In 1999, she worked on the Christmas musical Ostanne rizdvo 90th ( The Last Christmas of the 90s ), which won the Ukrainian Movie of the Year award. With the video clip to the song Znaju ya ( I Know ), which is about the ancient people of the Hutsuls living in
7875-584: The ruling government favor NATO membership, is in the Intensified Dialogue program with NATO. Ukraine also declared joining NATO as its geopolitical goal once again in 2017 (the first time being right after the Orange Revolution and in the beginning of presidency of Viktor Yushchenko ), after the presidency of Viktor Yanukovych , during which the government officially declared non-alignment status and ceased to seek NATO membership. Other states in
7980-515: The scope of mere cooperation, including the introduction of the rouble as a common currency. The Economic Cooperation Organization was originally formed in 1985 by Turkey , Iran and Pakistan but in 1992 the organization was expanded to include Afghanistan and the six primarily Muslim former Soviet republics: Azerbaijan , Kazakhstan , Kyrgyzstan , Tajikistan , Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan . The post-Soviet disputed states of Abkhazia , South Ossetia and Transnistria are all members of
8085-441: The semi-final 256 points, placing second in a field of twenty-two. Mistakenly, the song title was captioned on screen at the contest as being "Wild Dance", without the S, both in semi final and grand final. On 14 May 2004, the grand final for the Eurovision Song Contest was held. Ruslana performed again "Wild Dances" tenth on the night, following Albania 's " The Image of You " by Anjeza Shahini and preceding Croatia 's "You Are
8190-743: The singer Jamala who later on became the second Eurovision winner from Ukraine . In late 2016, after Jamala's victory at Eurovision in Stockholm, Ruslana played 3 concerts in Western Europe. In October she played in London, in November she played in Paris and in December she played in Hanover (Hannover). In all of these concerts she spoke about the victory that Jamala brought for Ukraine, and how Ukraine would be opening up to
8295-534: The single This Is Euphoria digitally. The track was composed and produced by Ruslana and the Swedish musician Stefan Örn . She was invited to perform at the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2013 which took place in her country's capital Kyiv . Nevertheless, she withdrew her act from the show considering the violence shown by the Ukrainian authorities against those who were peacefully protesting in
8400-426: The sole legitimate successor in this capacity has been disputed by Ukraine, which has proclaimed by law that it is the successor state to both the Ukrainian SSR and the Soviet Union as a whole. The question of whether Russia or Ukraine succeeded the Soviet Union in 1991 arose due to a comprehensive dispute between the two countries over what had been collective Soviet state-owned properties. The Union Republics of
8505-409: The song Svitanok ( Sunrise ) and the album Myt' Vesny – Dzvinkyj Viter Live . Svitanok was the first Ukrainian big-budget music video. In 1998, Ruslana was awarded Person of the Year, the song Svitanok was awarded Song of the Year and its accompanying music video was awarded Music Video of the Year. In the second half of 1998, she organized a charity tour which had the aim of raising funds for
8610-420: The song lasted for about three months. Editing and sound engineering was done by Ruslana together with specialists from Kyiv , London , and New York City . The recording was done together with a guitarist from Cool Before, and an ex-trumpet player from Zdob și Zdub . The Ukrainian and English lyrics of the song, as well as the chorus and melody, underwent significant changes since the initial stage. She released
8715-572: The soundtrack Ruslana acquired on sometimes extreme expeditions into the Carpathian Mountains. The song was released in an English ("It's Magical") and a Ukrainian version ("Я люблю" / "Ya lyublyu" / "I Love"). The film production took place in a unique place, the Basalt quarry in the Rivne region. Director Oles Sanin created a thunderstorm in a realistic way for the video clip. The image of Ruslana in
8820-600: The stage, wireworks and even a real military flame thrower, only the "Wild Dances" could help people to ultimately warm up. It was first aired on 6 May 2004 on MTV Russia in the 12 Angry Viewers show, but was booed by the audience. On 12 May 2004, the semi-final for the Eurovision Song Contest was held at the Abdi İpekçi Arena in Istanbul hosted by the Turkish Radio and Television Corporation (TRT), and broadcast live throughout
8925-698: The termination of the Eurasian Economic Community was signed in Minsk after a session of the Interstate Council of the EAEC. The Eurasian Economic Community was terminated from 1 January 2015 in connection with the launch of the Eurasian Economic Union . Russia , Belarus , Kazakhstan created a customs union that entered into force in July 2010. Ukraine , Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan indicated interest in joining at
9030-471: The territory of the former Soviet Union. These include: Transnistria , an unrecognized Russian-backed state in eastern Moldova; and Abkhazia and South Ossetia , two partially recognized Russian-backed states in northern Georgia. The United Nations (UN) has historically considered Russian-backed states in the "near abroad" to be illegitimate and instead views them as constituting Russian-occupied territories . The aftermath of Ukraine's Maidan Revolution saw
9135-582: The time. Russia has been eager for Armenia , Moldova and Ukraine to join the custom union instead of the European Union , and the Moldovan break-away state of Transnistria has supported this. In 2013, Kyrgyzstan and Armenia announced plans to seek membership, but division over the issue in Ukraine led to the Revolution of Dignity after the Ukrainian government backed out of an EU Eastern Partnership in favor of
9240-655: The top 15 ranked performers with her singles " Wild Dances " and " Dance with the Wolves ". Ruslana was named the most popular person in Belgium , the sexiest girl in Greece , the most influential public person in Ukraine and was the first foreigner to receive the award of the Federation of Journalists in Turkey . Ruslana had been initially chosen to host the semi-final and the grand final of
9345-472: The union. In 2014, voters in the Moldovan autonomous region of Gagauzia rejected closer ties to the EU in favor of the union. On 1 January 2012, Russia, Kazakhstan and Belarus established the Single Economic Space which ensures the effective functioning of a single market for goods, services, capital and labour, and to establish coherent industrial, transport, energy and agricultural policies. The agreement included
9450-631: The winner of the Slavianski Bazaar song competition in Vitebsk, Belarus in 1996 with the song Oj, letili dyki husi . In the same year, she was among the nominees for the Ukrainian Singer of the Year award and the video for Dzvinkyi Viter ( Wind Bells ) was awarded Music Video of the Year. Since her early career, Ruslana's producer was Oleksandr Ksenofontov, whom she married in 1995. In 1997, Ruslana began working on Christmas with Ruslana –
9555-465: The world again in May 2017. After her long-lasting creative break, which was caused by the dramatic and stormy events in Ukraine, Ruslana presented her new single "It's Magical / Я люблю" at the Eurovision Grand Finale in Kyiv on 13 May 2017. The new music style combines tender cradle songs with brisk exotic melodies and rhythms. The original, exotic manner of singing which forms the basis of
9660-468: Was a Member of the Ukrainian Parliament for the party Our Ukraine . Ruslana endorsed Yulia Tymoshenko during the 2010 Ukrainian presidential election and actively supported her candidature during the election campaign . In December 2012 Ruslana launched the human rights campaign Не мовчи ( Don't keep silent ) which challenges the juridical system of Ukraine. In particular she supports
9765-565: Was a record of points. Following her victory, she rose to fame in Europe and became one of the biggest pop stars from the Eastern part of the continent . Her winning song "Wild Dances" dominated the European charts for 97 weeks peaking at number one in Belgium for 10 consecutive weeks. Her Eurovision winning song was included on the official compilation album called The Very Best of Eurovision celebrating
9870-468: Was also the first Eurovision-winning song to be sung at least partly in a language other than English since the rule-change of 1999, when countries were allowed to sing in a language of their choosing, rather than one of their official languages. With this win, Ukraine became the third post-Soviet country to win the contest, after Estonia and Latvia . The single was included on the official compilation album called The Very Best of Eurovision celebrating
9975-562: Was composed by Ruslana after an expedition to the Carpathian Mountains in spring 2003. The album Dyki Tantsi ( Wild Dances ) was released in June 2003 in Ukraine . The album sold more than 170,000 copies in the first 100 days after its release, even without a supporting tour. Together with its English language counterpart it was the first album ever to be certified five times platinum in Ukraine, selling more than 500,000 copies, making it
10080-491: Was filmed in the abandoned building of the Ice Palace, which was at once renamed "The Iceberg Palace" by the members of Ruslana's crew because no heating equipment brought with Ruslana could heat the cold air of the huge building to a comfortable level. The building was 'decorated' with sheer concrete and windows without glass. Despite the script of the video-clip, which provided for constant burning fire in large barrels, torches on
10185-511: Was forced to resign as a result of the Kyrgyz revolution of 2005 . Saparmurat Niyazov in Turkmenistan ruled from independence until his death in 2006, creating a personality cult around himself. His successor, Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, has maintained a personality cult of his own that has replaced the worshipping of Niyazov. The issue of dynastical succession has been another element affecting
10290-622: Was held at the Seoul World Cup Stadium where Ruslana sung in front of an audience of 60,000 people. Together with the Zhyttia ballet, she performed three songs from her first international album: " Wild Dances ", " Dance with the Wolves " and a bilingual version of "Play, Musician!". Her act was met with great enthusiasm by the Asian public who didn't know her until that moment. Even if she was supposed to receive only an award for her contribution to
10395-530: Was named Germany's all-time favorite Eurovision entry in an internet poll arranged by the German public television broadcaster NDR . During the television program Die Grand Prix Hitliste , "Wild Dances" was presented as the winner, ahead of well-known classics, such as " Waterloo " and Germany's only winner (at the time), " Ein Bißchen Frieden ", which finished in sixth and twelfth place respectively. The programme
10500-588: Was recorded at the Hit Factory Studio in Miami and contains two collaborations with American Urban superstars T-Pain and Missy Elliott . On this release Ruslana creates her own distinctive technique of incorporating ancient ethnic styles of the Carpathian Mountain people with modern popular music. In Grand Theft Auto IV , Ruslana lends her voice as the host of Vladivostok FM . Her song " Wild Dances "
10605-642: Was released in Ukraine. The album on which Ruslana had worked for four years was produced in the US, Sweden and Ukraine produced by Vlad Debriansky and Ruslana and features musicians such as Rusty Allen, Victor Little, George Benson, Brian Coller and others. Despite its intercontinental rock and pop nature, the album EY-fori-YA and the three songs taken from it previously is based on Slavic rhythms. Ruslana integrated old Slavic circle dances, liturgies and elements of classic pieces of Russian composers including Glinka , Tschaikowsky , Mussorgsky , and Rachmaninow . The album
10710-462: Was released in many European countries in the autumn of 2004. In Las Vegas she received the World Music Award as best selling Ukrainian artist. After her victory Ruslana was appointed advisor to the Ukrainian prime minister, and the Ukrainian president bestowed upon her one of the country's highest honors when she received the title of People's Artist of Ukraine . In Belgium she was among
10815-588: Was set to be released in 2013 under the title My Boo! (Together!) . The new material shows how versatile Ruslana is as an artist as she completely changed her style since the Wild Energy project, from a wild Amazon to an Urban pop princess. Most of the album was produced by Vlad DeBriansky in Los Angeles and includes the names of American top musicians such as Rusty Allen , Victor Little, Oscar Seaton , Brian Coller as well as Stefan Örn from Sweden who won
10920-459: Was the first artist from the former Soviet Union to officially receive a platinum disc , her Dyki tantsi album selling more than 170,000 copies in the first 100 days after its release. This album is the best selling Ukrainian album to date, together with its English version, more than 500,000 copies being sold solely in Ukraine. She won the 2004 Eurovision Song Contest with the song " Wild Dances " receiving 280 points, which at that time
11025-557: Was viewed by a television audience of approximately six million people in Germany. For the FIFA World Cup 2006 Ruslana went on tour in Germany to support the Ukraine national football team . She performed in Hamburg , Cologne , Berlin, Leipzig , and Nuremberg . Ruslana's project Wild Energy was based on the science fiction novel by Maryna and Sergij Diachenko Wild Energy. Lana . In
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