In the fourth episode of the show 'Ukraine Has Talent,' Lina Vahonova and Valeriia Radomska took the stage — two Ukrainians who had not crossed their home country's border for more than seven years. The girls performed an aerial hair gymnastics number: acrobatic elements executed while suspended by their own hair left the judges so thrilled that all three judges — Artem Pivovarov, Olena Kravets, and Stas Boklan — pressed the gold button simultaneously. Such an occurrence, when the gold button is awarded by every member of the jury at once, is rare and one of the highest compliments a contestant can receive within the project.
The path from Ukraine to Shanghai: why the girls left
Both artists currently live and work in Shanghai. Their move to China was driven by difficult life circumstances. Lina Vahonova went abroad to earn money for an expensive operation for her seriously ill parents. Valeriia Radomska, who lost her mother at the age of ten, also left Ukraine to financially support her remaining relatives. At first, the girls got jobs in China as dancers, but over time they mastered an unusual circus discipline — aerial hair gymnastics — and began performing as a duo. It was in Shanghai that they became close friends and creative kindred spirits.
A unique number and a national record
The decision to return to Ukraine came to the artists after they saw the announcement for the 'Ukraine Has Talent' casting. On stage, Lina and Valeriia performed a complex routine: acrobatic elements executed while suspended by their hair, using special loops attached to high hairstyles. The performance gained particular significance because, during the number, the girls hung in a 'head-to-head' position in tandem for two minutes, setting, according to the organizers, a national record of Ukraine for the longest such hair suspension.
What is the gold button and why is a triple press an event
The gold button on 'Ukraine Has Talent' is a special option that allows a judge to send a contestant directly to the show's finale, skipping all subsequent selection stages. Each jury member has a limited number of such opportunities per season, so pressing the gold button is one of the highest compliments from the jury. In the case of Lina and Valeriia, the situation became especially notable: all three judges — Artem Pivovarov, Olena Kravets, and Stas Boklan — pressed the gold button simultaneously, all at once, without any division during the performance.
Contradictory data
The main body of the source text (Styler / RBC-Ukraine) explicitly states that the girls set a national record of Ukraine for the duration of a 'head-to-head' hair suspension in tandem. However, the headline of the article on fakty.com.ua, dedicated to the same fourth episode, uses the phrasing 'World records.' The difference between a 'national' and a 'world' record is significant: the former is registered in Ukraine's registry, the latter — in the Guinness Book of Records or similar international bodies. As of the publication of this article, no independent confirmation of the registration of a world record specifically has been found in open sources, so the XAB.info text uses the more cautious phrasing — 'national record of Ukraine,' as stated in the primary description of the performance.
Context: aerial gymnastics as a young discipline
Aerial hair gymnastics is one of the youngest circus disciplines, which in recent years has been actively developing both in professional circuses and in TV projects. Research in the field of biomechanics of this type of load shows that holding the body by the hair creates a specific impact on the cervical spine and requires years of training. For the viewers of 'Ukraine Has Talent,' the performance of Lina and Valeriia became a vivid demonstration of how Ukrainian artists master niche circus disciplines abroad and return to their home stage with a unique repertoire.
