Culture Fix’s Andrew caught up with the Ukrainian duo Molodi as they prepare for their highly anticipated return to Vidbir. Following the massive success of their 2025 entry My Sea, the duo is back with Legends, a cinematic and atmospheric number that makes a truly bold impressions. Kirill and Ivan open up about the pressure of expectations, their creative process, and what inspires them to keep moving forward. You can connect with Molodi on Instagram and Telegram.
You can watch Vidbir 2026 on the 7th of February on Suspilne.
Thank you for taking the time to chat, guys. Legends is a very powerful track and one of our favourites of Vidbir – so this is incredibly exciting. What was the inspiration behind your Vidbir 2026 entry Legends?
We were inspired to write this song by people who are no longer with us. Perhaps they are gone forever, or perhaps they are just not around anymore. First, it is Kirill’s personal story, because he lost his father in Mariupol in March 2022. I, in turn, have not seen my family for a very long time, I have not seen my father for 5 years. And the mystery of these emotions, of these people, inspired us. Kirill was at my house, as often happens, because we work late and Kirill’s electricity is cut off more often than mine, so we deal with the situation as best we can. On one of those days, the air raid siren went off, we went down to the parking lot and sat there. And even then, for several weeks, we walked around and thought about the theme of the song. We just sat there and started remembering some happy moments from Mariupol, from the past. And then it was this feeling that all the moments of the past, the warm memories of people who are no longer with us, are inside us, that inspired us to write a song about it.
Do lyrics or melody come first for you when creating a song?
I believe that when creating songs and music in general, everything has great significance, because you put meaning into the lyrics, and it is mainly through the lyrics that you live out the story you want to convey to people. But still, music is more about melodies and harmonies, because it is the melodies that people sing along to, even without knowing the lyrics or even understanding them. And music is a great power, so I think that the melodic component is probably a little more important, although we pay equal attention to both aspects.
Can you share a little of staging/visuals we can expect during your performance of Legends at Vidbir?
We don’t want to reveal all our cards before the performance, but we can say that it will be very different from last year, which is very important. Our director is Vika Krupenko, who also directed our performance last year. This year, we are planning something bright, something cool, and something completely different from before, so we are expecting a very good show.
What message do you want Ukrainian and international listeners to hear in your song Legends?
For us, this song is another reminder of those who are no longer with us, and that although we all carry this burden, it is also our strength. In Ukraine, the issue of loss is probably the most painful in the world right now, and certainly in Europe. And we want to remind people to look more often in their hearts for this light, this warmth, and these people, and let them help them move forward. People all over the world are losing their loved ones, people all over the world may not be able to simply meet, as I did with my father. And may this warmth that people gave us, that people once filled us with, live on in us and may people find it. Last year’s song, My Sea, inspired many to remember their deeds. We hope this song will inspire you in the same way, to remember your legends and move forward with this strength.
Do you feel added pressure in following your very successful 2025 Vidbir entry My Sea?
Of course, there is additional pressure because last year we were an unknown band, and no one had any expectations of us. Now there are expectations, there is something to compare us to, and people love to compare. Therefore, we must be better than last year in all aspects. And we have been working on this. I am confident that this year we will be able to surprise everyone again and give a great performance. We have been working on our mistakes all year. And now we know what the national selection is all about. We already know what to expect, so even though there is a lot of pressure, there is also a big advantage, there is understanding, so everything will be great.
How do you handle the pressure of performing on a stage as big as Vidbir?
Performing at the national selection for Eurovision is a huge responsibility, because you are competing for the opportunity to represent Ukraine at the biggest song contest in the world, the biggest vocal competition in the world. Of course, you get nervous, you have some worries, but you just have to prepare. This year, we worked much more thoroughly on all the details related to the song and the performance. And I believe that in order to cope with the psychological pressure, there are almost no tools, except for taking a few deep breaths before going on stage and being confident that you are in good vocal shape. Everything else just has to come from experience and practice.
How does your Ukrainian culture and heritage influence you as artists?
As artists, we are moving more towards a popular sound that is understood all over the world, but we still want to keep some Ukrainian elements in our music. Even the song for this national selection, if you listen to the chorus, sounds quite folk-like. We have already recorded a video of this song with a choir, and it sounds a bit like Ukrainian folk songs. The culture of our heritage, of course, influences us, and we learn a lot of new words and try to use them in our songs. Although for us it’s still a slightly different story, we strive for this and believe that in the future we will incorporate even more Ukrainian ethnic elements and details into our work in order to bring even more Ukrainian culture to Europe.
What does it mean to represent Ukraine on a European stage?
Firstly, it means conveying the Ukrainian message, because this is the largest concert stage in the world, the largest vocal competition, and we must remind everyone once again that there is a war going on in Ukraine. And for us, this is probably the most important thing. The most important thing is to remind everyone about this, then organize a big tour in Europe, raise a lot of money for Ukraine, for the Ukrainian military. This is probably our most important goal, because it’s not just about showing ourselves or our song, it’s about showing the whole country. That’s why we want our song, with its meaning about loved ones who are no longer with us, to be heard throughout Europe.
Who are your favourite Ukrainian Eurovision entries?
The name of our band, Molodi, already implies that we are young and therefore we like modern sounds and a more stylish presentation. Maybe that’s unnecessary. We prefer the new sound. And so we can highlight two of the most memorable songs and, accordingly, Ukraine’s performances at Eurovision. One is Jamala with the song 1944 in 2016. It’s just an incredible song, an incredible performance. Every time I get goosebumps and just wow. And it’s Go-A’s performance with the song Shum in 2021. Also a very bright number, a very cool song that presents Ukrainian culture in a great way and shows that using folk in music is not outdated, but can be something very, very fresh and unusual.
Do you think there could be a Molodi album or EP in the future?
Of course, we will release both albums and EPs. We always work hard on our material. Over the past year, we have accumulated a number of songs that we would like to share. We don’t know yet whether we will release them as an album or an EP, or whether we will release them as singles. But the work continues, and we want to be even more productive next year, so even if we don’t release an album or EP this year, we will still delight our listeners with releases and great music.
When you are not making music, what is your favourite way to relax or spend your free time?
To be honest, when we’re not working on music in the studio, we’re still creating something, and we want to play the piano or guitar, come up with a melody, find some inspiration. And since this is the main part of our lives, very often we don’t have time, or rather, we don’t have the energy to pursue hobbies or things like that. In my free time, I try to just relax. I often meet up with friends. I love warm communication, playing PlayStation, and just relaxing. I, in turn, also really enjoy spending time with friends, but time for myself is also very important to me. Therefore, very often I want to be alone, play the guitar, just sit, reflect, and think. I feel that this is how I recharge, although lately I have been spending more time with friends, which is very fulfilling and inspiring, and makes me want to create even more.
Many thanks for your answers and good luck at Vidbir!
Culture Fix
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