RussiaPutin revives Soviet music competition Intervision against ESC
SDA
3.2.2025 - 22:36
Vladimir Putin against the so-called collective West: cleaning up European decadence and strengthening old Christian values. The Russian president is now also waging his cultural war against the Eurovision Song Contest ESC. (archive picture)
Keystone
Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree on Monday that provides for the revival of the music competition Intervision, which was founded in Soviet times, this year - as a counterpart to the European Eurovision Song Contest (ESC).
Keystone-SDA
03.02.2025, 22:36
04.02.2025, 03:34
SDA
According to the text, Intervision serves the "development of international cultural and humanitarian cooperation" and is to take place on an as yet unknown date in Moscow and the surrounding area.
The Intervision contest was held during the Cold War in the 1960s and 1970s, primarily between countries of the former Soviet Union. Russia was excluded from its western counterpart, the ESC, due to its military invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Moscow last won the ESC in 2008. Russia had previously announced its intention to revive Intervision.
Brics states and former Soviet republics
According to a Kremlin decree, Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Chernyshenko was appointed chief organizer of the competition. According to the Russian news agency Tass, the Kremlin announced last year that "almost 20 countries" wanted to take part in the competition. These countries include the Brics states as well as former Soviet republics that are still politically close to Russia as new states.
In addition to Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, the Brics group also includes Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, the United Arab Emirates and Indonesia.
According to a Tass report on Monday, Russian Senator Lilija Gumerowa said that "real music" would take center stage at the Intervision instead of "false values that mean nothing to normal people". Among other things, she criticized the ESC for the performance of Austrian drag queen Conchita Wurst, who won the ESC in 2014.