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Putin Revives Soviet-Era Intervision Song Contest with New Allies
The resumption of the Intervision Song Contest will see participation from countries like China, Cuba, and Brazil, reflecting Russia's distancing from Eurovision and Western cultural influences.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has mandated the revival of the Intervision Song Contest, an alternative to the Eurovision Song Contest established during the Soviet era.
The event is scheduled to take place in Moscow later this year and aims to foster collaboration among countries aligned with Russian values, as well as distancing the nation from Western cultural norms.
This decision comes in the wake of Russia's exclusion from Eurovision in 2022, largely a result of heightened geopolitical tensions following its military actions in Ukraine.
The Intervision Song Contest, which originally debuted in the 1960s under Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev, was conceived as a platform to unite Eastern Bloc nations and other communist states.
The contest will feature participation from countries including China, Cuba, Brazil, and several former Soviet republics such as Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, and Belarus.
According to planning documents obtained by Reuters, the newly revived contest will place emphasis on 'traditional universal, spiritual and family values,' diverging significantly from Eurovision's more progressive themes, which often advocate for LGBTQ+ rights.
In this context, the Intervision contest will implement specific regulations, prohibiting songs that promote violence, disrespect societal dignity, or include overtly political lyrics.
Participants will be permitted to perform in any language and will have a maximum time of four minutes for their presentations.
The winner of the contest will be awarded a prize and an opportunity for a tour.
Russia's departure from Eurovision followed prolonged political discord with the West, which intensified after Russia's annexation of Crimea in 2014. In recent years, Putin's administration has actively promoted traditional family values in stark contrast to what it characterizes as Western individualism and a decline in religious adherence.
Current Russian legislation strictly bans the promotion of homosexuality and labels international LGBTQ+ movements as extremist.
This revival of the Intervision Song Contest is seen as part of Russia's broader strategy to strengthen cultural and political ties with non-Western allies, while promoting a vision that aligns closely with the current governmental ideology.
Although the contest will be accessible to all countries interested in participating, its foundational values and thematic focus will align significantly with the Russian government's agenda.
The event is scheduled to take place in Moscow later this year and aims to foster collaboration among countries aligned with Russian values, as well as distancing the nation from Western cultural norms.
This decision comes in the wake of Russia's exclusion from Eurovision in 2022, largely a result of heightened geopolitical tensions following its military actions in Ukraine.
The Intervision Song Contest, which originally debuted in the 1960s under Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev, was conceived as a platform to unite Eastern Bloc nations and other communist states.
The contest will feature participation from countries including China, Cuba, Brazil, and several former Soviet republics such as Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, and Belarus.
According to planning documents obtained by Reuters, the newly revived contest will place emphasis on 'traditional universal, spiritual and family values,' diverging significantly from Eurovision's more progressive themes, which often advocate for LGBTQ+ rights.
In this context, the Intervision contest will implement specific regulations, prohibiting songs that promote violence, disrespect societal dignity, or include overtly political lyrics.
Participants will be permitted to perform in any language and will have a maximum time of four minutes for their presentations.
The winner of the contest will be awarded a prize and an opportunity for a tour.
Russia's departure from Eurovision followed prolonged political discord with the West, which intensified after Russia's annexation of Crimea in 2014. In recent years, Putin's administration has actively promoted traditional family values in stark contrast to what it characterizes as Western individualism and a decline in religious adherence.
Current Russian legislation strictly bans the promotion of homosexuality and labels international LGBTQ+ movements as extremist.
This revival of the Intervision Song Contest is seen as part of Russia's broader strategy to strengthen cultural and political ties with non-Western allies, while promoting a vision that aligns closely with the current governmental ideology.
Although the contest will be accessible to all countries interested in participating, its foundational values and thematic focus will align significantly with the Russian government's agenda.
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