Russia to revive Soviet Eurovision alternative to protest gay ‘madness’ of Conchita win

Russia is set to revive a Soviet version of Eurovision, following the fact that bearded drag queen Conchita Wurst, won the competition this year.

In May this year, Valery Rashkin, the deputy leader of the ­Communist Party, demanded that Russia establish its own Eurovision alternative, named ‘The Voice of Eurasia’. 

On the fact that Austria’s entry Wurst, won this year’s Eurovision, Rashkin told Interfax: “The last Eurovision results exhausted our patience… We cannot tolerate this endless madness.”

Now, Russia will get an alternative, in the form of the revival of the Intervision Song Contest, a Soviet alternative which ran from 1977-1980.

The competition will see the six member states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) compete. The SCO includes China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan.

Intervision will take place in October. Russian President Vladimir Putin first explored the idea of reintroducing the competition back in 2009.

Wurst’s victory on Eurovision was met with outrage by several homophobic Russian politicians.

The president of Russia’s state-run rail corporation accused the West of imposing “pure propaganda” following Wurst’s victory.

She did, however inspire a butcher near her family home to create a sausage in her honour.

• Nov 29 2023

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