Viktoriia Korneikova (born 10 November 1990, Pervomaisk, Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, Ukrainian SSR), known by the stage names LELÉKA and Donbasgrl (DONBA₴GRL), is a Ukrainian composer, singer, and songwriter living and working in Berlin. She is the founder and lead vocalist of the folk-jazz quartet Leléka, one of the most prominent Ukrainian music projects on today’s European jazz scene.
On 7 February 2026, LELÉKA achieved a decisive victory in the National Selection for Eurovision Song Contest 2026, receiving the maximum 10 points from the jury and 10 points from the televote. As a result, she earned the right to represent Ukraine at the 70th anniversary edition of the Eurovision Song Contest, to be held in Vienna, Austria, with the song “RIDNYM”.
Early Life and Education
Viktoriia was born and raised in Pervomaisk, Dnipropetrovsk Oblast. Growing up in an industrial region of Ukraine, combined with early exposure to culture and music, shaped her interest in developing a personal artistic language in which tradition and modernity would later merge organically.
She received her professional education at the Ivan Franko National University of Theatre, Cinema and Television in Kyiv, where she completed a bachelor’s degree in performing arts and acting. During her studies, Viktoriia was actively involved in theatre and simultaneously developed her vocal technique.
Continuing her musical development, she moved to Germany, where she earned a second bachelor’s degree in jazz vocals (studying with Celine Rudolph), followed by a master’s degree in composition at the Carl Maria von Weber University of Music in Dresden. It was during this period that her interest in synthesising jazz with Ukrainian folk tradition took its final shape.
Career and the Leléka Project
At the beginning of her professional career in Germany, Viktoriia sang in the Berlin-based choir Young Voices Brandenburg, performed with the big band Flinstones, and actively participated in Berlin’s jazz concert scene.
In 2016, she became a laureate of the Berlin jazz competition StuVo in the category “Unusual Interpretation of a Jazz Standard” and received a scholarship to participate in the International Vocal Jazz Camp New York Voices.
That same year in Berlin, Viktoriia founded the folk-jazz quartet Leléka. The project quickly gained international recognition for its subtle and respectful reinterpretation of Ukrainian folklore within a jazz context.
Over the years, the band’s line-up has evolved; the current quartet brings together musicians from Ukraine, Germany, and Poland, underscoring the project’s international character and its deep roots in the European music landscape.
The group has become a laureate and prizewinner of several prestigious competitions, including a victory at the Creole – Global Music Contest, the European Young Jazz Talent Award, and a prize at the Young Munich Jazz Prize. Critics have described Viktoriia’s vocals as a rare combination of a soft timbre, expressive presence, and natural emotional power.
Leléka’s discography includes the EP “Leléka” (2017), the full-length albums “Tuman” (2019), “Sonce u Serci” (2021), and “Kolysanky” (2025). The album Kolysanky proved particularly significant—a камерное and mature artistic statement about memory, home, and childhood.
Music for Film and Television
As a composer, Viktoriia Korneikova has worked for film and television. Her voice and music became widely known through the television series “And There Will Be People” (2020), for which she composed the songs “Zozulia” and “Zapizno”, both of which became an integral part of the project’s emotional soundscape.
DONBA₴GRL — An Alternative Artistic Statement
In 2024, Viktoriia launched the solo art-pop and electronic project DONBA₴GRL, characterised by a sharper and more conceptually driven sound. The debut single “Zbroia”, based on a poem by Lesia Ukrainka, was accompanied by a video work addressing themes of depression and inner vulnerability.
In 2025, DONBA₴GRL was selected to take part in the Eurosonic Noorderslag showcase festival, presenting a full live set in collaboration with German producer Jakohitsdifferent. That same year, the single “Zhyva” was released, and the project was presented on the Green Futures stage at the Glastonbury Festival.
Eurovision 2026 and the Song “RIDNYM”
LELÉKA’s victory in the 2026 National Selection was not only a competitive success but also a deeply emotional event for a broad audience. The song “RIDNYM” was perceived as a reflection on returning to one’s roots, memory, and inner support—themes that resonated strongly with millions of Ukrainians amid historical upheaval.
Restrained, sincere, and free from external effects, the song highlighted the core quality of LELÉKA’s artistry: the ability to speak about complex experiences in a simple and deeply human language.
Significance
LELÉKA is one of the key figures of contemporary Ukrainian music beyond the country’s borders. Her work brings together folk tradition, jazz, and original composition, preserving the Ukrainian language and cultural identity as a central value, while embracing the international context as a space for dialogue rather than dissolution.
