MOSAIC
Heavenly horses thrill and delight
Audience really enjoyed the Turkmen dzhigits’ performance
Belta
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a l k y ny s h ( R e v iv a l ) acrobatic horse troupe h av e b r o u g ht t r u e Akhal-Teke horses to Belarus: the pride of Turkmenistan — as depicted on the country’s coat of arms. Akhal-Tekes are called heavenly horses, being thought the most spiritual, as well as the cleverest and most passionate. Their delicate and graceful move me nt s s e e m a l mo st mythical, thrilling audiences with their silky beauty.
Junior Eurovision songs now sung Belarusian Yegor Zheshko has come ninth at the 10th Junior Eurovision Song Contest
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he winner was Ukraine’s charming Anastasia Petrik, aged ten, whose surprisingly mature, strong voice brought her 138 points. Belarus was among those countries giving her the maximum 12 points for her rendition of Sky in Ukrainian and English. Second place went to Georgia’s Funkids band, with Armenia’s Compass Band coming third. Anastasia’s victory is the first for Ukraine at the children’s contest in its seven years of participation. She sings with the Interior Ministry choir and has already taken part in the Children’s New Wave Song Contest. Her elder sister, Victoria, came second at Junior Eurovision-2008. The Petrik family lives in the suburbs of Odessa, in the village of Nerubaiskoe.
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The Turkmen dzhigits performed wonderful acrobatics on their horses, led by Pygy Bairamdurdyev, an Honoured Figure of Culture of Turkmenistan. His love of his horses is in his blood, making his work with the troupe a joy to behold. He tells us, “Horses are special animals for the Turkmen and Akhal-Teke are our true pride. They are known for their elegant bearing, as well as their fluid, beautiful movements.” Dunia Babaeva, an acrobat with Galkynysh, tells me about one trick which required six months of practise, “We build a pyramid with our bodies, which is a serious test of strength; I have to hold two girls with my hands.” The circus programme currently includes Belarusian riders also, in addition to trained bears and trapeze artistes.
Immediately after the competition, Anastasia admitted that she would love a new dog and hopes that her father will give her a puppy in honour of her victory in Amsterdam. The head of the Belarusian d e l e g a t i o n , Ly u d m i l a Borodina, was delighted by the performance of our team, saying, “Yegor has done well. As far as the voting results are concerned, they are always unpredictable.” The favourite with bookmakers and journalists was Russia’s Lerika singing her Sensation. She finished in fourth place but promises to reach the adult Eurovision Song Contest. Yegor Zheshko brings home many impressions and new friends from Amsterdam and believes that Anastasia Petrik’s win is deserved. He admits, “She sung best of all.” The vote took place in two stages, with the jury’s decision announced almost immediately after the first round of performances. The second round saw an audience vote, with Anastasia proving the most popular over the two rounds.