Russian President Vladimir Putin has announced the revival of the Intervision Song Contest, a Soviet-era alternative to Eurovision, scheduled in Moscow in September 2025.
The contest, originally held in the 1960s and later in the late 1970s, is expected to feature around 25 countries aligned with Russia, including Venezuela, North Korea, and Iran. Ukraine, which has never participated in Intervision, will not be involved.
According to Putin’s decree, the event aims to promote “international cultural and humanitarian cooperation.”
Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Chernyshenko will oversee the competition, with domestic policy chief Sergei Kiriyenko leading the supervisory board.
Moscow producer Yana Rudkovskaya welcomed the decision, stating: “The idea is super. I am sure it will be global in scale.”
The voting system for the revived Intervision remains unclear. In the past, results were determined by measuring electricity consumption based on viewers turning their lights on or off to cast votes.
The announcement comes after Russia was banned from the Eurovision Song Contest in 2022 following its invasion of Ukraine.
The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) stated at the time that Russia’s participation would bring Eurovision into disrepute.
Before its ban, Russia participated in Eurovision from 1994 to 2021, winning once in 2008 with Dima Bilan’s song Believe.
The country also gained international attention in 2012 when Buranovskiye Babushki (the “Russian grannies”) finished second with their song Party for Everybody.
Intervision could also provide a platform for Putin to showcase his musical talents. In 2010, he famously performed Blueberry Hill at a charity event in St. Petersburg, receiving applause from Hollywood celebrities.
