The big finale of the main vocal show "The Voice of the Country-12" took place on the Ukrainian TV channel TET on Sunday, November 20. Ukrainian audiences have been waiting for this event since spring because, due to the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine, the 12th season of their favorite show was interrupted. The big finale was held in a special format corresponding to wartime. The location for the evening of Ukrainian songs was the Kyiv metro station Maidan Nezalezhnosti, which is located at a depth of about 75 meters under the capital's main square and near Khreshchatyk Street, the central street of Kyiv. Since the beginning of the full-scale Russian invasion, the Ukrainian underground also performs the crucial function of a bomb shelter. Maidan Nezalezhnosti metro station has been closed by official decree since the beginning of the full-scale war and has also become a significant meeting place for Kyivites, a place for events, awards ceremonies, and even for recording an interview with the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskiy.
It is noteworthy that in the conditions of power outages in the capital, the creative team of the show organized the power supply of the stage and decorations from generators. "We worked on preparing the final for about two months. Despite the missile attacks and the continuation of the full-scale cynical war, we remain steadfast in our desire to give the voice of our nation an opportunity to be heard and the participants to perform and support the morale of Ukrainians with a song. We tried so that Ukrainians had light in their souls in the darkest night. We actually worked entirely from generators and saved the city's electricity - this was very important for us. And it is also important not to stop even during the war. After all, our industry employs many talented people who love Ukraine immensely. And they stand firmly on the cultural front. I am sure that they should have work and a chance to realize their own potential in Ukraine, especially in dark times. Song is our DNA. Therefore, Ukrainian from Ukrainians should sound bold despite the attacks, fear, and despair. Everyone is bringing victory closer," Volodymyr Zavadyuk, head of Big Shows at 1+1 media, said.
The team of the show has been working with the directors from TRI.Direction for a long time on what the stage should be like in this iconic finale. And it was decided that the stage would look like the sun, completely surrounded by this year's real Ukrainian wheat. This is symbolic because all Ukrainians are sure that our country will flourish and live like wheat growing through walls and marble. The big finale of season 12 drew the attention of many countries that broadcast their own adaptations of The Voice. 16 countries of the world expressed their support to the Ukrainian ‘The Voice’ and wished success and strength in their video messages. Support was expressed by coaches of "The Voice" in Peru, Nepal, Romania, Poland, Georgia, Uruguay, Belgium, Norway, Bulgaria, Lithuania, the Dominican Republic, Chile, Australia, Sri Lanka, Portugal, and the USA. Gwen Stefani, Camila Cabello, John Legend, Blake Shelton, and the host of the show Carson Daly addressed Ukrainians with words of support and love from the red chairs of the American "The Voice." "From this Voice family here in the United States to a Voice family in Ukraine, we want to wish you guys good luck in your big season finale. We stand with you, and our hearts are certainly with you tonight. Voice of Ukraine, we love you. Good luck" said the coaches of the American show.
It is important that the Ukrainian show had a powerful charitable component. In the final, the audience donated to the restoration of Ukrainian land in the south of the country. Funds received from voting in the final will automatically go to this charity. During the wartime episodes, Ukrainians also raised money to help their country. In the super final, the audience saw the performances of the super finalists from the teams of Olya Polyakova, Potap, Dorofeeva, and the team "Second Chance" of national coaches Andrii Matsola and Oleksandra Zaritska. The permanent presenters of The Voice were Katya Osadcha and Yurii Gorbunov.
In addition to the super finalists, a paramedic from "Azovstal" Kateryna Polishchuk, with the codename "Ptashka," who was freed from Russian captivity, pleased the audience with her powerful performance. The girl sang the song "Sleep little Cossack" and, from the stage of the "Voice of the Country," called for the release of all prisoners of war from "Azovstal." "I want to thank everyone who fights, everyone who stands, and everyone who sings because we have to be unbreakable like steel. We must do everything so that every little Cossack boy and little Cossack girl waits until their moms and dads return from the war, from Russian captivity. I want us to do it together and show every day and every minute that we are invincible, like the unbreakable "Azovstal." Freedom to the defenders of "Azovstal"! Freedom to the defenders of Ukraine”, Ptashka said.
According to the results of audience voting, the winner of the "Voice of the Country-12" is the keeper of Ukrainian culture, Maria Kvitka. Maria is a folklorist by profession who is madly in love with ethnic Ukrainian costumes and authentic music. The girl worked for a long time as a costume designer in different artistic projects. She has loved to sing since childhood and has always dreamed of folk singing. She recorded forgotten, authentic songs from her grandmothers in Polissia. Her repertoire includes about 2,000 unique folk songs. "I would like to wish all Ukrainians the most desired victory in a full-scale war. I am one billion percent sure that we will definitely win", says Maria. The big finale of the main vocal show "The Voice of the Country-12" ended with a joint performance of the legendary song, which is the musical DNA of the Ukrainian people - "Chervona Ruta."