Anastasia Ryabokon22:45, 20.09.25

After being expelled from Eurovision, Russia is hosting an alternative song show.

The final of Russia’s Intervision song contest , which Moscow is trying to capitalize on after being banned from Eurovision in 2022 for its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, kicked off on Saturday night. According to Reuters , the Russians have resurrected a name coined in the Soviet Union and will promote “traditional family values.”

The Soviet Union once held a contest of the same name, in which its satellites participated. In the new version, Russia also wants to see only representatives of countries that it considers friendly to it. These include Serbia (the only participant and Eurovision as well), Belarus, Cuba, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, the UAE, and Venezuela. 

There was also supposed to be a representative from the USA – a singer known as Vasi. However, she did not come. Russian media said that she was pressured. The competition was initially advertised with another US artist – R&B singer Brandon Howard, but three days before the final he withdrew, citing family reasons. 

The largest participating countries are China, India, and Brazil. In total, singers were invited from over 20 countries. The winner is promised to be paid 360 thousand dollars.

The competition was opened by Russian dictator Vladimir Putin. The supervisory board also includes Russian politicians and is even chaired by one of Putin’s aides.

According to a report by the Russian opposition publication Verstka , on the eve of the final, the organizers gathered a paid crowd, which was supposed to create the appearance of the competition’s popularity.

They were given props and costumes from different countries – supposedly the fans had come from abroad. 

How the preparation for the Russian Eurovision parody went

Recall that at previous events related to the so-called “Intervision” competition, the Russians also used people in disguise . The organizers invited extras who played foreign fans and handed out flags of foreign countries to these people.

(c)UNIAN 2025