Barred from Eurovision, Russia revives Soviet-era version of beloved song contest

After it was barred from the Eurovision Song Contest Russia is reviving a Soviet-era version of the camp competition.

Perhaps the Eurovision ban is starting to bite, because three years after Russia was booted from the beloved song contest following the country’s invasion of Ukraine, it is reviving a Soviet-era version of the camp competition.

The Intervision Song Contest will see 23 artists from around the world — including one representing the U.S. — offer a heady mix of musical styles, from moody Belarusian pop to Colombian folk and high-energy Vietnamese rap at an arena in the capital of Moscow on Saturday night.

Unlike the Eurovision Song Contest, which mainly includes European countries and a few others like Australia and Israel, Intervision bills itself as a truly global event by offering artists from countries around the world, including those in the Global South, a chance to compete for the top prize of 30 million rubles (roughly $360,000).

“Back in the Soviet times, the government would decide to promote a positive image of Russia abroad. We need to promote an objective image. We want to be known with all our merits and shortcomings,” Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told a news conference this week in response to a presubmitted question from NBC News.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, second from left, during a briefing on preparations for the Intervision International Song Contest in Moscow on Tuesday.Sergey Guneev / Sputnik via APAsked whether Russia was using the competition as an exercise in soft power, he replied, “If by soft power you mean the opportunity to let people know about us, then of course we’re interested in this.”