Yulia Samoylova will represent Russia at the Eurovision Song Contest 2018. According to the well-informed Eurovision-website ESCKAZ.com, she already picked her song for Lisbon. UPDATE: The news has been confirmed by the EBU.
The runner-up of X-Factor 2013 in Russia has to perform in a wheelchair, because she has been disabled since childhood. Samoylova was born a healthy child, but at age 13, she was diagnosed with the “Spinal amyotrophy of Verding – Hoffmann” disease. She was already chosen to represent Russia at the Eurovision Song Contest 2017 in Kiev, with the song ‘A Flame Is Burning’:
Soap around Russia at the Eurovision Song Contest 2017
Samoylova was also going to sing for Russia at the contest in Kiev of last year, but because she previously performed in Crimea (something which is prohibited by Ukrainian law) she was not allowed to enter the host country. The EBU offered Russia to let Yulia take part through a satellite connection, but this was refused by Channel One Russia.
Even though the EBU assured Russia they would be able to take part in Kiev, the broadcaster later had to withdraw from the contest. They immediately stated Yulia Samoylova would take part the next year, should Russia stay in the competition.
The Russian delegation has confirmed the fact that Yulia Samoylova will represent them at the contest in Lisbon on Monday the 29th of January. It is not known when the chosen song by Yulia Samoylova will be presented. According to ESCKAZ.com Yulia is working with Alexey Gobulov, who thought out the staging for 2015-runner-up Polina Gagarina.
Verding Hofmann disease is a heriditary disease. You can ben Born with it. Or it shows after 1 or 2 years, als some what milder form. It has absolutely nothing to do with vaccination. Please Let us not make any mistakes about that