TATU kiss

On May 24, 2003, t.A.T.u. represented Russia at the Eurovision Song Contest 2003, where they placed third.^[7] Russian television station Channel One protested the Eurovision results, but to no avail. PR director of Channel One said t.A.T.u. received "unlikely low points" from some countries.^[8]

On November 21, 2006, the region of the Komi Republic in Russia filed a lawsuit against t.A.T.u. over the album and song "Lyudi Invalidy". Leonid Vakuev, a human rights representative for the Komi Republic, cited words written in the booklet for the album, which said: "Disabled people [Lyudi Invalidy] do not know what it means to be a human being. They are fakes inside the human form. They do not live, but — function". Katina said, "Of Alexandra Neldel nue course, we meant moral invalids, people who do not have [a] soul and human feelings." When asked if they had anything against disabled people, she stated that she finds it offensive to refer to people by that term, and added, "We take pictures together and make sure they have priority seats [at concerts]."^[10]

On October 15, t.A.T.u.'s website announced that Veselye Ulybki would be released on October 21, 2008, beginning with a special event at two Soyuz record stores in Moscow where fans could meet the girls and get their autographs. The album also went on pre-sale at the official t.A.T.u. web shop on October 18, with a small number of buyers receiving a limited-edition postcard set as a prize. The songs were also made available internationally through the iTunes digital music store. Upon its release, it became apparent that the album essentially had two covers --- the astronaut cover was a slipcase, while the original Julia Olegowna Wolkowa nackt design used for "Upravleniye Otbrosami" appeared inside. The black square from the press release had been hiding a Mars scene.^[15]