What Polyakova said
In February 2024, the singer said that she would not shake Vinnik’s hand.
“Not because he ran away or didn’t run away. This, you know, is everyone’s business. Although, of course, that’s his own business. But because he set me up. How was it? Oleg and I had a joint track – “Long-Legged Happiness”. This is what later turned into “Charming Eyes”, already my solo song. But before the war we made a very, very cool video, for which a very large company allocated us for advertising funds. And we shot a very expensive, beautiful video,” Polyakova said. “And when this all happened and it was necessary to somehow redo this whole thing, Oleg disappeared. And I’ve been dealing with that company for two years now. That’s why I wouldn’t shake hands with you.”
The editors of RBC-Ukraine wrote that we are talking about €150 thousand.
What Vinnik and Svatko say
Almost two years later, Vinnik responded to Polyakova’s statement publicly for the first time.
“She really offended me. In public,” said the singer. “She actually came up with something and told herself.”
According to Vinnik, he and Polyakova actually shot a video for the song “Long-Legged Happiness.”
“I made the song myself. I didn’t take a cent. It was very difficult for me. I think it was a hit. But the war began, and I didn’t release it,” the artist told his version.
He was supported by his wife, Ukrainian singer Taisiya Svatko (Tayune), who was present at the interview.
“Olya, why? Tell me: why are you doing this?” Svatko turned to Polyakova. “Olya, I want to ask: what money does Oleg owe you? At least tell me, please, so that we at least know.”
In turn, Vinnik said that he had visited Polyakova and knew her well.
“Just why such a lie? This can be verified, there is even filming of this video,” he said.
In the same interview, which was recorded in Berlin (Germany), Vinnik said that there are four artists in Ukraine who support him.
Context
Polyakova and Vinnik first performed a composition in Russian called “Long-Legged Happiness” on December 31, 2021 on the channel “Ukraine”. The premiere of the video was scheduled for March 2022. After the full-scale invasion of the aggressor country of the Russian Federation into Ukraine Vinnik secretly moved to Germany, and Polyakova presented a new version of this composition in Ukrainian in December 2022 called “Enchanting Eyes”.
Earlier, commenting on Vinnik’s secret move abroad, Polyakova did not mention this conflict. “Oleg is not a traitor. He always promoted Ukrainian songs, was always with Ukraine,” the artist said about her colleague in the summer of 2022.
