Scandal At "Slavic Bazaar"

A Russian journalist criticized the jury: the judges were put pressure on in favor of the Belarusians.

The scandal occurred at the Vitebsk Region Executive Committee during a traditional conference, timed to the opening of the 26th "Slavonic Bazaar in Vitebsk".

As the newspaper People’s News of Vitsebsk writes, Russian journalist and music critic Sergei Sosedov accused the international jury of the young performers’ contest of political preconception and incompetence.

To confirm his point of view, Sosedov gave an example from last year's festival: he believed that in 2016 singer from Israel Anna Timofey "was fleeced," not being given the grand prix.

Also Sergey Sosedov said that the jury was dominated in favor of the Belarusian contestants.

Aliaksandr Sidarenka, the Slavonic Bazaar festival director, failed to find a response to the Russian journalist.

The press conference presenter, Siarhei Shustsitski, tried to defuse the situation, sharing his experience of being in the jury. He said that the only ones who could try to put pressure on the jury were the contest participants’ parents.

By the way, this year, participants from Belarus and Ukraine, who have scored an equal number of points, vie for the grand prix of the Vitsebsk-2017 song contest.

The jury of the 26th International Pop Song Performers Contest Vitsebsk-2017 might find it difficult to choose a winner.

Ryhor Sharankou from Belarus and Vlad Sytnik from Ukraine have scored the same number of points.

For the performance of the world hit, the jury gave the Belarusian singer a point more than on the previous day, and the Ukrainian on the contrary – was lowered the score.

Thus, following the two concerts’ results, both performers received 151 points in total, having drawn ahead of the other contestants.

The winner will be determined at the festival’s final gala concert in the evening of July 17.