In what was one of the most hotly contested contests in recent memory, Ukraine won out tonight for the Eurovision Song Contest.
Despite Australia leading the votes for the majority of the night, Ukraine pulled ahead when it came to the audience voting and staged a huge comeback. The song, 1944, was a ballad concerning the deportation of the Crimean Tartars by Josef Stalin, a hugely political event in both Russian and Ukranian history.
Jamala, the singer, has said in recent interviews that the song reminds her own family who currently live in the Crimea. Eurovision rules prevent songs from having political content, however the song's lyrics do not specifically mention or address the annexation.
The song came in for heavy criticism by Russian politicians and media, who claimed that the song was unfairly political and a direct attack on Russia's handling of the situation in Crimea. Next year's contest will be held in Kiev, Ukraine.
Here's the song in question.
