cnn's bianca nobilo with the story. >> reporter: ukraine, your vision has always been very important.tant. >> reporter: while his countrymen fight on the front lines, oleh, age 26, the lead singer of the kalush orchestra, was given special permission to leave the ukrainian battlefield for the eurovision stage. >> translator: of course this is a huge responsibility and stress, especially now with the missiles flying around. a lot of my relatives are in danger, and this causes lots of pressure. >> reporter: one of the core members of the group chose to stay behind and fight, while the commentator at eurovision set up a studio in a bomb shelter. ♪ the song "stefania," written before the war began about his mother, has now taken on greater significance. >> translator: it is true that this song has become very popular and has been perceived as an actual anthem of the war. but i would rather it is called the anthem of our victory. >> reporter: fusing ukrainian folk elements with rap, the group's performance combines past with present at a time when the country's future is unknown. and what