Manizha took 9th place at Eurovision

Singer Manizha took 9th place at the Eurovision Song Contest with the inspirational song “Russian Woman”. In first place is the Italian rock band Måneskin.

Despite the numbers and ratings, we can call Manizha the winner of hearts: her song resonated with millions of listeners around the world. For 3 days, the video with the singer’s performance in the first semi-final of the contest has collected more than 10 million views on Youtube. As many users noted, it seems that for the first time the number of a participant from Russia is more often commented on by foreigners than compatriots.

Commentators often emphasized that ignorance of the Russian language did not prevent them from guessing what idea the composition “Russian woman” conveys, and admitted that they intuitively sang along with the chorus. A user from Greece commented: “Best performance in the semi-finals: the topic of women’s empowerment just amazed me!”

Among the commentators were also users from Russia who admitted that they had gone through all the “stages of acceptance” of the song. At first they felt denial and dissatisfaction, then misunderstanding and surprise, but later they were imbued with the meaning of the song, the strength and energy of Manizhi.

But it was these qualities that allowed the singer to go towards her goal, despite the wave of hatred that turned against her on the Web. Let’s remember what was her way to the final of the competition and what difficulties she had to overcome in recent months.

Some compatriots were outraged that Manizha would represent Russia at the competition. Firstly, because she is a Russian singer of Tajik origin, and this, it turns out, confuses many. Secondly, because the message that she conveys not only to Russian women, but to the whole world, many did not understand and even more so did not accept: “She stands for false values”, “Manizha distorts the history and image of our women.”

It seems that when the issue touched upon the international competition, many forgot that Russia is a multinational country. And before, Alsu and Dina Garipova (Tatars by nationality), Natalia Podolskaya (born and raised in Belarus), Anastasia Prikhodko (born and raised in Ukraine) performed at Eurovision.

Dima Bilan reminded the haters that he was from Kabardino-Balkaria: “Why didn’t this question come up when I was driving?” Together with him, other Russian celebrities stood up to defend the song and Manizhi itself: Yulia Peresild, Nadezhda Babkina, Alla Pugacheva, Ksenia Rappoport, Yulia Savicheva, Ingeborga Dapkunaite, Chulpan Khamatova …

Why did Manizhi’s song stir up our society so much? And what can we learn from this story?

“Reflect female pain in three verses and immediately offer a cure”

Irina Gross, clinical psychologist

In music, as in films and other works of art, people are looking for a basis for self-identification, trying to find something that reflects their condition. The music that a person listens to is the key to reading his soul.

Mass interest in this or that phenomenon always reflects the collective unconscious. Any creative product gains success and value when it brings to the fore what people unconsciously feel. Of course, Manizhi’s song reflects reality (albeit not realized by many), and therefore it did not leave anyone indifferent and received so many responses.

Those who reacted positively are most likely aware of the situation they are in and are glad that Manizha “felt” them. Those who raised a wave of hatred are not yet aware of what is happening, but they unconsciously react to it, which means they also feel it.

Manizha is a third-generation psychologist (her mother, like the singer herself, has a psychological education, her grandmother is a psychiatrist). She grew up among wise and educated women who had to be strong to keep themselves. Her song “Russian Woman” is a modern prayer. In three verses, Manizhe managed to reflect the main female pain – and immediately offer a cure.

As our grandmothers spoke, begged, whispered, so Manizha conjures and encourages women to turn from small, obedient, lonely and helpless into adults, strong; become those who know how to love and respect themselves.

After all, this is a real Nekrasov “Russian woman”, only in a modern interpretation. The burning hut turned into a field. Instead of stopping the horse, the heroine wants to “handle” and waits for the ship… When did this happen? When did women become infantile? And the attentive listener will find the answer to these questions in the song.

According to Nekrasov in the XNUMXth century, a woman was “beautiful in all clothes, dexterous for any work.” But for some reason, her modern sister is not good enough: “You are generally beautiful, but if you lose weight … Put on a longer one, put on a shorter one …” antithesis: “Back off!”

As a psychologist, the singer sees the root of the problems:

“Fight, fight,

Everyone is fighting in a circle, but not praying.

Fatherless son, fatherless daughter

But a broken family cannot break me…”

Broken families, broken destinies, wounded people… Manizha embodies a role model with herself and her personal history, she shows us the image of a modern woman with all her problems. She allows, says: “You can!” You can not ask for pens, you can be independent, make your choice and be responsible for it.

“I got up and went” – a slogan that hit the bull’s-eye. Manizha does not explain, does not complicate, but literally screams from the screen into the ear of every woman: “You can! You are strong! I believe in you, even if you don’t believe in yourself!” These are the words that we all really need today.

In addition to a meaningful and semantic hit, the singer guessed right with the form of presentation. The song cannot be attributed to a particular style: it is a compilation of different genres. And this also reflects the modern trend: there are no borders, everything is mixed up, “Russian women” choose themselves. And that means Manizhu.