Who is Sofia Nersesian? Meet the representative of Ukraine for Junior Eurovision 2025

The countdown to the celebration of Junior Eurovision 2025 is underway! The Georgian capital will witness the performances of the 18 countries participating in the contest.

Among all the participants, Ukraine, with Sofia Nersesian and the song titled “Motanka,” will try to win the favor of the jury and the public to finally achieve the victory that Ukrainian television has been seeking to repeat since 2012 with the song “Nebo” and Anastasiya Petryk.

Despite her young age, Sofia has extensive stage experience that served as a foundation for her success in the final of her national selection. Through a proposal with a very emotional message inspired by Ukrainian tradition, Sofia Nersesian promises to captivate all of Europe.

This is Sofia Nersesian: compassionate and defender of Ukrainian identity.

Sofia Nersesian, born in Kyiv in 2015, is a 10-year-old artist with Ukrainian and Armenian roots. Her mother, Anna Nersesyan, is related to Nina Matvienko, a prominent figure in national folklore. From a young age, she showed a unique, deep, and warm voice. After the war in Ukraine in 2022, her family had to temporarily relocate. Upon returning, Sofia decided to use her voice to help: at six years old, she organized a charity concert at the National Botanical Garden of Kyiv, performing “Stefania,” “Shum,” and “Oy u luzi chervona kalyna.” She has performed at events such as Volunteer Day and Peace Day, and is the youngest soloist in the Honor Guard Orchestra of the Hetman Bohdan Khmelnytsky Presidential Brigade. She participates in the “Voice of Life” project, which restores pianos damaged by the war. Sofia has shared the stage with artists like Vakarchuk, Barskykh, Zibrov, Kola, Michelle Andrade, Kamaliya, Tayana, and Roxolana.

She has received awards such as “Star Volunteer of the Year,” “Treasure of the Nation,” and the medal “For Sacrifice and Love for Ukraine.” Soldiers nickname her “the defending kitten” and send her symbols of gratitude like a trident from Azovstal. Her songs are played on the front lines. She has appeared on MasterChef Ukraine and at the Business Gravity awards. Among her songs are “Odna Yedyna,” “Kozak,” “Ptashka,” “Nam treba,” “Ziide novyi den,” “Zozulya,” and “Flames.” Inspired by Kateryna Pavlenko (Go_A), she fuses folklore and modern music.

In 2025, she will represent Ukraine at Junior Eurovision with “Motanka,” composed by Svetlana Tarabarova, an ethno-pop song about the traditional doll symbolizing protection and hope for Ukrainian children.

This is “Motanka”, Ukraine’s entry for Junior Eurovision 2025

“Motanka” is composed in Ukrainian by Svetlana Tarabarova, the author of Ukraine’s last two songs in the contest. The song refers to a traditional Ukrainian rag doll, made from scraps of fabric and threads tied together with knots. This amulet, which mothers gave to their children at birth, symbolizes protection and love.

During the war, its meaning has taken on even greater intensity, as the legend says that when a child is in danger, the threads of the motanka begin to glow to shield them from all harm.

The song uses this ancient image as a metaphor for protection and hope. Sofia felt that the song spoke directly to her and all Ukrainian children, and in her performance, she addresses the motanka as an invisible guardian, asking it to protect every child in the country amid adversity.

Lyrics of Motanka

Ukraine in Junior Eurovision

In 2006, Ukraine began its journey in the Junior Eurovision Song Contest. Despite the countless difficulties faced by the Ukrainian delegation over the years, the country has participated continuously in the musical contest to this day, achieving notable successes that have placed it within the Top 10 on numerous occasions.

Its victory in 2012, in Amsterdam, with the young singer Anastasiya Petryk and her song “Nebo,” cemented its position as one of the musical powerhouses of Junior Eurovision. With 128 points, the young Ukrainian, at 10 years old, won the small crystal microphone and the title of being one of the youngest participants to achieve first place.

Another of its best results in the contest comes from the hand of Anastasiya Petryk’s own sister. In the 2008 edition, the young Victoria Petryk achieved second place with her song “Matrosy.” Its record highlights two second places in 2008 and 2013, a fourth place by Darina Krasnovetska in 2018, two fifth places in 2009 and 2023, and seven other positions within the top 10.

Its participation in 2023 was led by Anastasia Dymyd with “Kvitka,” achieving fifth place. In its last participation in Madrid 2024, Ukraine chose Artem Kotenko and the song “HEAR ME NOW,” with which it reached third place with a total of 203 points.