Dmitry Koldun

[2] After his Fabrika Zvyozd and Eurovision success, Koldun was catapulted into a teen idol status in the Russophone world, but later grew into a more mature image.

With his general scandal-free image, Koldun has become one of the most respected and popular performers in his native Belarus and has enjoyed longterm commercial success in neighbouring Russia.

[6] In 2006, Koldun won the sixth season of the Russian television show Fabrika Zvyozd on Channel One.

Throughout the show, Koldun proved to be a very popular candidate, mainly for his quirky and carefree behaviour in the shared living space of the contestants.

In 2020, Koldun said that it was not necessarily singing that was important in Fabrika Zvyozd, but the way you behave on camera and that he understood that from the start.

However, Eurovision web site ESCKAZ discovered that the song had already been released commercially by Finnish band The Ratzz.

The song, called "Aave" in Finnish, written by Jörgen Elofsson, Maki Kolehmainen and Tracy Lipp was included into the debut album of the band Hard Ratzz Hallelujah.

As ESCKaz was told by a representative of the label Helsinki Music Centre: "We were not aware that Dmitry Koldun had been performing the song.

ESCKaz also learned that Koldun was regularly performing the song "Get Up" on a Star Factory 6 tour including the series of commercial concerts in Belarus at the beginning of September.

[9] However, towards the national final, Russian producer and singer Philipp Kirkorov offered Koldun a new song, called "Work Your Magic" with lyrics written by Karen Kavaleryan.

Koldun eventually won the selection after a jury chaired by Alexander Tikhanovich appointed him as the winner.

In the final on 12 May, the song was performed third (following Spain's D'NASH with "I Love You Mi Vida" and preceding Ireland's Dervish with "They Can't Stop The Spring").

With the single "Gorod bol'shikh ogney" ("The city of large fires"), Koldun peaked at #6 of Russia's TopHit radio charts.

Koldun states his hair colour has changed from blonde, at an early age in school, gradually (sometimes overnight) becoming shades darker to the 'burning' brunette he is today (naturally).

A few days prior to his hospitalisation, he had performed an opening of a water fountain that was also attended by the president, who was under criticism over his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic.

[22][23] In 2022, Koldun revealed that he suffers from a severe form of tinnitus and that he has been deaf in one ear for over a decade following an on-site accident during a television programme involving a tank shooting.

Koldun at Eurovision 2007
Dmitry Koldun in Moscow in 2009.