Ruslana Stepanivna Lyzhychko, best known professionally by her first name, is a Ukrainian singer, songwriter, dancer, actress, former politician and social activist. An immensely popular star in her homeland, she has won many awards over her career and holds the title of People's Artist of Ukraine.
She was selected internally to be Ukraine's second-ever participant at the Eurovision Song Contest 2004 in Istanbul, given free reign to choose the song that would eventually be her entry - a formula that had worked so well for Sertab Erener a year prior. She chose the song Wild Dances and stormed to victory in the grand final after qualifying from the semifinal in second. Ruslana returned to Ukraine after the contest a national heroine.
She performed the interval act at the 2005 contest in Kyiv and was also the Ukrainian vote presenter at the 2011 contest in Düsseldorf. At the 2023 contest in Liverpool, she was part of the finale of the "Liverpool Songbook" interval in the grand final, singing "You'll Never Walk Alone" with a group of Ukrainians together with 2019 winner Duncan Laurence, the 2023 presenters, the interval and flag parade performers and the audience in the arena.
She was also on the Lithuanian version of The Masked Singer (Kaukės) where she was unmasked as Saulė (Sun) and also did a guest performance for her winning entry of the Eurovision Song Contest 2004.
