Russia’s Eurovision in 9 words
Russia hosted its answer to Eurovision (Intervision) over the weekend. Here's what you missed, in nine words all starting with ‘D’ for some reason.
Defiant
Russia got booted from Eurovision after invading Ukraine, so at the heart of this Russian version is defiance: You know what? Fine, we don't even need your Eurovision anyways.
Dualistic
Intervision is a relic from the Cold War, though the first iteration only lasted a few years before the Czech anti-Soviet uprising (it then re-emerged elsewhere across the Soviet Bloc in the 70s and 80s). So with Intervision, Putin now wants to tap this nostalgic history of Russian influence, while also projecting a modern Russia by...
Dazzling
The event at the Live Arena in Odintsovo opened with a Eurovision-like flag ceremony, using augmented reality and lasers in hopes of dialling the wow-factor up to 11. It's an attempt to project Russia as an advanced society, while also adding to the...
Distraction
Gathering all Russia's cultural elites, Putin wants to signal stability and normality, in hopes the urbanites of Moscow and St Petersburg won't reflect too much on (say) Putin's failed Summer offensive against Ukraine, the top general he just fired (Lapin), persistent oil shortages, or his slowing economy. To help, Putin also ensured the event was...
Dogmatic
Despite ‘non-political’ claims, Intervision featured an address from Putin himself and then (after just one song) it cut to an interview with Russia's foreign minister! It eventually wrapped with the Russian hit 'Million Voices', while Russia's own contestant was ultra-nationalist celebrity ‘Shaman’, who has performed in Russian-occupied Ukraine (and even North Korea). It's all about firing up Putin's base, while also projecting the West as...
Divided
We've explored previously how the Kremlin uses struggling Western celebrities to claim validation, while also hinting at division in the West. This time, the token Westerner was ageing US rocker Joe Lynn Turner (Deep Purple), sitting on the jury.
There was technically also a US entrant (Brandon Howard, rumoured to be Michael Jackson's son) until he pulled out citing ‘family reasons’. His last-minute replacement (a US-Australian artist known as Vassy) also pulled out last-minute, with Moscow claiming it was due to pressure from Australia, though a more plausible theory might be...
'Decadence'
Russian outlets quickly noticed that Vassy's Wikipedia entry highlighted her support for LGBT rights, clashing with Putin's claims his event would (in contrast to Eurovision's 'decadence') focus on traditional values. A Russia-based IP address reportedly even scrubbed Vassy’s LGBT activism from Wikipedia. Anyway, in projecting Putin as the defender of family values (notwithstanding his own colourful history), the event was also...
Defensive
Whereas Eurovision songs are typically in English, the Kremlin's Intervision hosts emphasised that this weekend's songs were in their own national language. It's an attempt to show Putin as the defender of linguistic and cultural sovereignty (unless you’re Ukrainian) against the West's over-bearing English, pushing for a more multipolar world.
Anyway, his event also tried to show that Putin is...
Diversified
His Russia is not only still invited to, say, swanky red carpet events in the Middle East or state visits to China and Vietnam. Intervision also shows those countries even visit Moscow! More than 20 Moscow-friendly nations joined Intervision, to be precise.
Russian opposition outlet Verstka claims the organisers also paid extras to create the illusion of the contest's popularity, portraying them as fans visiting from abroad.
Anyway, it's all about trying to push back on narratives of Putin's isolation.
So... who won? Vietnam's Duc Phuc (winner of Vietnam’s The Voice 10 years ago).
Next year's host? Saudi Arabia.
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