Published: 22 November, 2009, 17:21
Edited: 23 November, 2009, 11:28
Twelve-year-old Ekaterina Ryabova from the Moscow region has won silver at the 2009 Junior Eurovision song contest in Kiev.
The girl performed a song titled “Malenky Prints” (“Little Prince”) and shared the second place with Laura Hayrapetyan from Armenia. Ralf Mackenbach from the Netherlands scooped the main prize.
The three singers proved to be the strongest out of the 13 participants from European states and former Soviet republics. The winner was awarded with “The Tree of Life” – one of the most popular symbols in the Ukrainian folklore.
The competition started on November 16, despite a flu epidemic in Ukraine. The epidemic began at the end of October, however, physicians are assuring that the situation has stabilized. Within the next few days there are plans to cancel all quarantine measures.
Young representatives of Sweden, Russia, Armenia, Romania, Serbia, Georgia, the Netherlands, Cyprus, Malta, Belgium, Macedonia, Belarus and Ukraine performed in the event.
Unlike the adult Eurovision, the winning country does not automatically get the right to host the next Junior Eurovision song contest. The state hosting the competition is being chosen by the organizing committee. The 2010 Junior Eurovision Song Contest will take place in Minsk, Belarus.