It has to do with the war. Andriy Danylko explains why he always wears a black mask on his chin

Ukrainian singer and songwriter Andriy Danylko, best known for his image of Verka Serdyuchka, reappeared during the live broadcast of the National Selection for Eurovision 2024 with a black medical mask on his chin, which many see as a reference to the coronavirus pandemic. He is now forced to wear it because of a promise he made at the beginning of the full-scale invasion and failed to keep.

In an interview with Telegraf, Danylko explained that he intended to take off the mask only after Ukraine won the war against Russia. Instead, he did not think that the armed aggression would last long. However, one has to take responsibility for one's words, so the singer has been desperately wearing a black medical mask almost everywhere since the beginning of the pandemic.

"I said at the beginning of the war, when I had ten shows a day, that I would take it off after our victory. At the time, I didn't realize that this war would drag on. It seemed that everything would be much faster, but it turned out as it did. I'm ready to shoot it right now, but once I promised, I promised. People have already started talking about me hiding behind it. But Serdyuchka performs without a mask," explained Danylko.

The composer also claims that his black mask and cap made him more recognizable on the street during the pandemic. Now these accessories, especially the mask, have become an integral part of him.

"It has somehow grown on me, but it doesn't bother me at all. I feel comfortable in it. Perhaps, it has helped me to be recognized more. Now I have this patch. When I saw my photo in all this, I looked like some kind of pirate," the singer said.

Earlier, Danylko explained that this image was originally a way to hide from people. "It's a hiding place for me. I'm not a public person by nature. Masks have become a salvation for me. The mask has become so ingrained that when I take it off, it seems like something is missing. If you saw me without a cap and without a mask, you wouldn't recognize me. I have already tested this. When I go somewhere and want to hide, it saves me. I take it off and that's it," the singer said.

The mask is not the only accessory that made Andriy Danylko memorable at the National Selection for Eurovision 2024. The ears of Minnie Mouse became a big hit with the audience. The singer explained that he was trying to look kinder.