Eden Golan was born in
Kfar Saba, Israel. Both her parents were born in the
Soviet Union to families of
Jewish heritage. Golan's mother is of
Ukrainian-Jewish descent[7] and her father is of
Latvian-Jewish descent. Her grandfather, Yuri Golan (formerly Glagolev), graduated from the Faculty of Journalism of
Moscow State University and worked for the newspaper Soviet Youth.[8] She is a niece of pianist
Dorel Golan.[9]
When Golan was six years old, she and her parents moved to
Russia, due to her father's work, and lived in
Moscow. The family remained in Russia for 12 years. According to Golan, she has mixed feelings about her time living in Russia, and that while she started her music career there, she was also uncomfortable due to frequent manifestations of
antisemitism.[10][11] Golan and her parents moved back to Israel in 2022;[12] the immediate cause of the move was the
Russian invasion of Ukraine, but according to Golan, her family would have done so regardless.[10]
Career
In 2015, Golan took part in the
Russian selection for the
Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2015. She finished fifth in the final, scoring 22 points, eight fewer than the eventual winner
Mikhail Smirnov. In 2016, when Eden was 12 years old, she performed in the children's edition of the
New Wave competition, including performing her song "Howl at the Moon" in a duet with
Nyusha. In 2018, Golan was a finalist in the fifth season of the show The Voice Kids, representing
Pelageya's team.[13] She collaborated with
Yinon Yahel.[14] After her return to Israel, in 2022, Golan participated in the
season 2 finale of Ro'im et Hakol and was eliminated in the first round.
^Golan has been described as Russian-Israeli by most news outlets.[2][3] However, she was born in Israel,[4] does not consider herself Russian,[5] and does not hold Russian citizenship.[4]
^"Eden Golan chosen to represent Israel in Eurovision". The Jerusalem Post. 6 February 2024. Retrieved 7 February 2024. Eden Golan, whose family moved from Israel to Russia when she was six and moved back here two years ago, already has a professional career abroad.
^Zaikaner, Avi (6 February 2024).
"עדן גולן תייצג את ישראל באירוויזיון 2024" [Eden Golan will represent Israel at Eurovision 2024]. EuroMix (in Hebrew). Retrieved 6 February 2024.