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Putin Reinstates the Soviet-Era Intervision Song Contest with Fresh Allies
Russian President Vladimir Putin reintroduces the Intervision Song Contest, welcoming nations such as China, Cuba, and Brazil to join, highlighting traditional values and separating it from Eurovision.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has instructed the reestablishment of the Intervision Song Contest, a Soviet-era counterpart to the Eurovision Song Contest, with intentions to hold the event in Moscow later this year.
This decision comes in the wake of Russia's removal from Eurovision in 2022 due to its military actions in Ukraine, and aligns with Putin's ongoing initiatives to resist what he sees as the moral decline of Western society.
The reinstated Intervision is set to take place in Moscow, featuring participants from countries including China, Cuba, Brazil, and several former Soviet republics such as Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, and Belarus.
Originally launched in the 1960s under Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev, the contest aimed to unite Eastern Bloc nations and other communist states, acting as an ideological alternative to the Eurovision Song Contest.
Unlike Eurovision, which frequently highlights themes promoting LGBTQ+ rights, Intervision will prioritize respect for "traditional universal, spiritual and family values," as indicated in planning documents reviewed by Reuters.
Songs that promote violence, demean societal dignity, or possess political themes in their lyrics will be forbidden.
Contestants will have a maximum of four minutes to perform in any language of their choice, with the winner receiving a prize and a tour.
Russia's exit from Eurovision in 2022 followed escalating political tensions between Moscow and the West, especially after the annexation of Crimea in 2014. Since then, Putin has been an outspoken advocate for traditional family values, positioning Russia's perspective in opposition to what he criticizes as the West’s excessive individualism and disregard for religious traditions.
Current domestic policies in Russia prohibit the promotion of homosexuality, while the international LGBTQ+ movement is branded as extremist.
The revival of Intervision underscores Russia's increasing alienation from the West, focusing on building stronger cultural and political connections with non-Western nations.
Although the event will be accessible to any countries wishing to take part, it is evident that the contest's values will closely reflect Russia’s governmental agenda and ideological tendencies.
This decision comes in the wake of Russia's removal from Eurovision in 2022 due to its military actions in Ukraine, and aligns with Putin's ongoing initiatives to resist what he sees as the moral decline of Western society.
The reinstated Intervision is set to take place in Moscow, featuring participants from countries including China, Cuba, Brazil, and several former Soviet republics such as Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, and Belarus.
Originally launched in the 1960s under Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev, the contest aimed to unite Eastern Bloc nations and other communist states, acting as an ideological alternative to the Eurovision Song Contest.
Unlike Eurovision, which frequently highlights themes promoting LGBTQ+ rights, Intervision will prioritize respect for "traditional universal, spiritual and family values," as indicated in planning documents reviewed by Reuters.
Songs that promote violence, demean societal dignity, or possess political themes in their lyrics will be forbidden.
Contestants will have a maximum of four minutes to perform in any language of their choice, with the winner receiving a prize and a tour.
Russia's exit from Eurovision in 2022 followed escalating political tensions between Moscow and the West, especially after the annexation of Crimea in 2014. Since then, Putin has been an outspoken advocate for traditional family values, positioning Russia's perspective in opposition to what he criticizes as the West’s excessive individualism and disregard for religious traditions.
Current domestic policies in Russia prohibit the promotion of homosexuality, while the international LGBTQ+ movement is branded as extremist.
The revival of Intervision underscores Russia's increasing alienation from the West, focusing on building stronger cultural and political connections with non-Western nations.
Although the event will be accessible to any countries wishing to take part, it is evident that the contest's values will closely reflect Russia’s governmental agenda and ideological tendencies.
