The popular travel show ‘Eagle and Tails’ has found itself at the center of a public scandal even before the release of its updated season. The outrage was sparked by the new concept of the project and the use of the Russian language in its official communications.
This is reported by Finway
Reasons for Outrage Surrounding the Relaunch
The announcement of the new version of the show, presented by general producer and co-author Natella Krapivina, sparked lively discussions. According to the organizers’ concept, anyone interested can become a host by paying 100,000 euros. However, the most negativity was directed at the project’s language policy: the official Instagram account features Russian-language segments with former hosts — Andriy Bednyakov, Anton Ptushkin, and Lesya Nikityuk, and the page is maintained in Russian. This has triggered a wave of criticism from both viewers and public figures.
Public Reactions and Project Participants
Bloggers Elena Mandziuk sharply criticized the situation, emphasizing that the use of the Russian language during wartime is absolutely unacceptable. She suggested that the show’s creators are deliberately testing the reaction of Ukrainians. Mandziuk specifically addressed the producer, urging her to stop imposing Russian cultural heritage on Ukraine.
“The most interesting thing is that they do not apologize. They wait, watch, test: will Ukrainians swallow this or not. And the question is no longer for them, but for us! How many times will we ignore this? How many times will we say that it’s not the right time and what difference does it make?” — she emphasized.
Former show host Andriy Bednyakov publicly stated that he has no connection to the content of the page, as all video materials belong to the producers. He emphasized that he conducts his page exclusively in Ukrainian and does not take responsibility for the choice of others.
War veteran and participant of ‘The Bachelor’ Oleksandr Teren also sharply criticized the relaunch, calling the show’s creators “latent waiters of the Russian world.”
Co-founder of the project Yevhen Synelnykov stated that he left the company TeenSpirit, which owns the rights to the show, back in 2022 after the start of the full-scale invasion by Russia, and currently has no influence on the editorial policy. He emphasized that this phase for him is over, and he is now focused on developing Ukrainian brands and supporting producers.
Response from the Producer and Celebrity Reactions
Natella Krapivina responded to the criticism by suggesting the use of the translation feature, noting that the product is aimed at an audience with “good taste,” and translation is available in the settings. She accused singer Otoy of seeking “clickbait,” although the artist referred to the recent events surrounding the show as “absolute rock bottom.”
The situation surrounding the relaunch of ‘Eagle and Tails’ continues to provoke sharp discussions in society, especially regarding language policy during the ongoing aggression of Russia against Ukraine.